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Provost

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Kathleen Brandt
Kathleen Brandt

The document provides an overview of records created by the Provost Marshal General's Bureau during the Civil War, including consolidated lists of men eligible for the draft, registers of drafted men and recruits, medical records of examinations, and descriptive books of arrested deserters. These records contain information on individuals such as name, residence, physical description, occupation, military service history, examination results, and reasons for rejection or exemption. The document advises researchers to determine where and when their ancestors lived during the war before searching records, which are held by the National Archives in different regions across the US.

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Civil War Provost Marshal RecordsA Snapshot in TimeJake Ersland, Archivist National Archives at Kansas City(816) 268-8014Jake.Ersland@nara.gov1/21/2011
The Provost Marshal Generals Bureau: What was this?As the canons that fired on Fort Sumter cooled, the public geared up for the conflict sure to come. Many thought that the coming war would be quick, and long term military service would not be a necessity for a generation of the nations young men. All such notions shattered with the first major engagements of the Civil War. The casualties suffered and resolve shown at battlefields such as Bull Run and Wilsons Creek proved a harbinger for a long and bloody war. It was soon apparent that very large armies would have to be raised. The young nation had no experience in mobilizing the majority of its fighting aged men for war, and would have to learn how quickly. The end result of this experiment was the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau.
A Great and Necessary TaskSeptember 1862 a general order established the post of Provost Marshal General of the War Department.March 1863 an act of Congress created a separate Provost Marshal Generals Bureau. Oversaw army enlistments for state-based regiments, the enrollment of men for the draft, and the arrest of deserters.Although it worked on a national level to meet enlistment goals, the new bureau was predominantly operated on a state level. A congressional mandate required that each congressional district create a board of enrollment to oversee the work of provost marshals, and to decide on requests for draft exemption.
Getting the Job DoneThe Provost Marshals office deployed an army of enrolling officers, clerks, and special agents to identify all men eligible for service. States were divided into districts and districts were divided into sub-districts, with quotas for enrolled men assigned to each. Enrolling officers then had the unenviable task of traveling the countryside, creating lists of all service aged men. From these lists, the soldiers that would fight and win the Civil War were selected.
What Type of Records Were Created?All eligible individuals were recorded on lists, and when drafted, were examined to determine their fitness for service. Descriptive rolls were then created, listing details on all men drafted or recruited, including their physical descriptions, occupations, and places of residencies. Drafted men that had the means could hire a substitute to fight in their place. Many enlisted, or drafted men were found to have disabilities that prevented them from serving.
A Closer Look at the Types of Records Created by the Provost Marshal:Consolidated ListsRegisters of Drafted Men, Recruits, and SubstitutesMedical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and SubstitutesRegisters of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and ExemptionsDescriptive Book of Arrested Deserters
Consolidated Lists of Men Subject to the DraftThese lists offer a broad look at the population in each congressional district.
What can I learn from these records?Consolidated Lists of Men Subject to the Draft generally contain:NameAn individual's residenceDescription (age, race, profession, occupation, or trade, and marital status)Place of birthFormer military service (if applicable)Remarks
Registers of Drafted Men, Recruits, and SubstitutesDescribes who entered the army.
What Can I Learn From These Records?Registers of drafted men, recruits, and substitutes list When a person entered the armyWhat manner he entered (whether drafted, recruited or hired as substituted)Regiment he selected or where assigned toBy whom and where a person was mustered into service.
Medical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and SubstitutesJust because a person was drafted did not mean they necessarily served in the army. The army did not want to waste time or money on anyone that was unfit for service.
What Can I Learn From These Records?Medical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and Substitutes record information about potential soldiers:
Registers of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and ExemptionsDetailed records were needed to record those that could not serve in order to prevent additional attempts to enroll an individual, and to prevent fraudulent claims of exemption.
What Can I Learn From These Records?The Medical Register of Examinations of Recruits and Substitutes recordWhere a person livedOccupation AgeNativityHeightComplexionAge
Eye color
Hair color
Physical measurements
Results, and reasons for rejection or exemption. Descriptive Books of Arrested DesertersTasked with tracking down and arresting deserters, the Provost Marshall Generals Bureau needed exact details on who it was exactly they were looking for.
What Can I Learn From These Records?Descriptive Books of Arrested Deserters capture: Deserters nameRankCompanyRegimentPhysical description (age, eyes, hair, complexion, height)Where bornOccupation, residence (where enlisted)When and where desertedWhere likely to be foundRemarks
Other Types of Records AvailableLetters Sent includes correspondence between branches of the Provost Marshal often discuss individuals, and their service status.
The Veterans Reserve Corps offered opportunities to men who had served but could no longer serve in the regular army. Found in a series titled Reports and Returns, this record lists enlisted slaves from Missouri, with their masters name.
This volume, List Showing Dates of Muster-In and Forwarding of Muster Rolls of Missouri Volunteer Organizations, documents the formation of Missouris earliest volunteer units, listing the initial commanding officer of each company as a regiment was formed.
Information on men that joined the army prior to the formation of the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau can also be found in Register of Veteran Volunteers, Officers, and Recruits Mustered into Service. The Provost Marshal needed to track reenlistments in order to ensure that each district received its proper credit against the draft.
Civilians that received employment by the Provost Marshall also were recorded. This register of employees documents where workers came from, when their employment began, and their monthly pay.
These are Great! How do I Research Them?There are several options available for proceeding with Provost Marshall General Research. As with any genealogy research, it is always best to begin by collecting as much background information as you can. Determine where your ancestors livedHow old where they during the Civil War? The more information collected before the search begins, the more likely your research will be fruitful.
What States are Available?The National Archives at Kansas City holds the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and the territory of Nebraska. These holdings contain 505 different series of records, and consists of over 110 cubic feet of records.
My Ancestors are not from the Central Plains. Where else can I look?If your ancestors did not live in the Central Plains Region, you still may be able to find the records you are looking for. Ten regional branches of the National Archives hold records from Record Group 110, Records of the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau.
Locations of Records:Mid-Atlantic Region (Philadelphia, PA)Pennsylvania Delaware/MarylandWest VirginiaGreat Lakes Region (Chicago, IL)Ohio Indiana Illinois Michigan Wisconsin MinnesotaNortheast Region (Boston, MA)Maine New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Connecticut/Rhode IslandNorth East Region (New York City, NY)New YorkNew JerseySoutheast Region (Atlanta, GA)KentuckyTennesseePacific Alaska Region (Seattle, WA)Washington & OregonSouthwest Region (Fort Worth, TX)ArkansasRocky Mountain Region (Denver, CO)Colorado & DakotasPacific Region( Riverside, CA)California & Nevada
How to Determine What District to Look In:Since congressional districts have drastically changed over the years, it can be hard to determine which district your ancestors lived in. The archives staff at Kansas City created a district map for Missouri and Iowa that will make identification for these states quick and easy. If you need to identify a district from a different state, refer to the Proceedings of the Board of Enrollment series that normally is contained in each districts records. This series generally lists the counties that make up each sub district and district.

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Provost

  • 1. Civil War Provost Marshal RecordsA Snapshot in TimeJake Ersland, Archivist National Archives at Kansas City(816) 268-8014Jake.Ersland@nara.gov1/21/2011
  • 2. The Provost Marshal Generals Bureau: What was this?As the canons that fired on Fort Sumter cooled, the public geared up for the conflict sure to come. Many thought that the coming war would be quick, and long term military service would not be a necessity for a generation of the nations young men. All such notions shattered with the first major engagements of the Civil War. The casualties suffered and resolve shown at battlefields such as Bull Run and Wilsons Creek proved a harbinger for a long and bloody war. It was soon apparent that very large armies would have to be raised. The young nation had no experience in mobilizing the majority of its fighting aged men for war, and would have to learn how quickly. The end result of this experiment was the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau.
  • 3. A Great and Necessary TaskSeptember 1862 a general order established the post of Provost Marshal General of the War Department.March 1863 an act of Congress created a separate Provost Marshal Generals Bureau. Oversaw army enlistments for state-based regiments, the enrollment of men for the draft, and the arrest of deserters.Although it worked on a national level to meet enlistment goals, the new bureau was predominantly operated on a state level. A congressional mandate required that each congressional district create a board of enrollment to oversee the work of provost marshals, and to decide on requests for draft exemption.
  • 4. Getting the Job DoneThe Provost Marshals office deployed an army of enrolling officers, clerks, and special agents to identify all men eligible for service. States were divided into districts and districts were divided into sub-districts, with quotas for enrolled men assigned to each. Enrolling officers then had the unenviable task of traveling the countryside, creating lists of all service aged men. From these lists, the soldiers that would fight and win the Civil War were selected.
  • 5. What Type of Records Were Created?All eligible individuals were recorded on lists, and when drafted, were examined to determine their fitness for service. Descriptive rolls were then created, listing details on all men drafted or recruited, including their physical descriptions, occupations, and places of residencies. Drafted men that had the means could hire a substitute to fight in their place. Many enlisted, or drafted men were found to have disabilities that prevented them from serving.
  • 6. A Closer Look at the Types of Records Created by the Provost Marshal:Consolidated ListsRegisters of Drafted Men, Recruits, and SubstitutesMedical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and SubstitutesRegisters of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and ExemptionsDescriptive Book of Arrested Deserters
  • 7. Consolidated Lists of Men Subject to the DraftThese lists offer a broad look at the population in each congressional district.
  • 8. What can I learn from these records?Consolidated Lists of Men Subject to the Draft generally contain:NameAn individual's residenceDescription (age, race, profession, occupation, or trade, and marital status)Place of birthFormer military service (if applicable)Remarks
  • 9. Registers of Drafted Men, Recruits, and SubstitutesDescribes who entered the army.
  • 10. What Can I Learn From These Records?Registers of drafted men, recruits, and substitutes list When a person entered the armyWhat manner he entered (whether drafted, recruited or hired as substituted)Regiment he selected or where assigned toBy whom and where a person was mustered into service.
  • 11. Medical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and SubstitutesJust because a person was drafted did not mean they necessarily served in the army. The army did not want to waste time or money on anyone that was unfit for service.
  • 12. What Can I Learn From These Records?Medical Registers of Examinations of Recruits and Substitutes record information about potential soldiers:
  • 13. Registers of Medical Examinations Showing Rejections and ExemptionsDetailed records were needed to record those that could not serve in order to prevent additional attempts to enroll an individual, and to prevent fraudulent claims of exemption.
  • 14. What Can I Learn From These Records?The Medical Register of Examinations of Recruits and Substitutes recordWhere a person livedOccupation AgeNativityHeightComplexionAge
  • 18. Results, and reasons for rejection or exemption. Descriptive Books of Arrested DesertersTasked with tracking down and arresting deserters, the Provost Marshall Generals Bureau needed exact details on who it was exactly they were looking for.
  • 19. What Can I Learn From These Records?Descriptive Books of Arrested Deserters capture: Deserters nameRankCompanyRegimentPhysical description (age, eyes, hair, complexion, height)Where bornOccupation, residence (where enlisted)When and where desertedWhere likely to be foundRemarks
  • 20. Other Types of Records AvailableLetters Sent includes correspondence between branches of the Provost Marshal often discuss individuals, and their service status.
  • 21. The Veterans Reserve Corps offered opportunities to men who had served but could no longer serve in the regular army. Found in a series titled Reports and Returns, this record lists enlisted slaves from Missouri, with their masters name.
  • 22. This volume, List Showing Dates of Muster-In and Forwarding of Muster Rolls of Missouri Volunteer Organizations, documents the formation of Missouris earliest volunteer units, listing the initial commanding officer of each company as a regiment was formed.
  • 23. Information on men that joined the army prior to the formation of the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau can also be found in Register of Veteran Volunteers, Officers, and Recruits Mustered into Service. The Provost Marshal needed to track reenlistments in order to ensure that each district received its proper credit against the draft.
  • 24. Civilians that received employment by the Provost Marshall also were recorded. This register of employees documents where workers came from, when their employment began, and their monthly pay.
  • 25. These are Great! How do I Research Them?There are several options available for proceeding with Provost Marshall General Research. As with any genealogy research, it is always best to begin by collecting as much background information as you can. Determine where your ancestors livedHow old where they during the Civil War? The more information collected before the search begins, the more likely your research will be fruitful.
  • 26. What States are Available?The National Archives at Kansas City holds the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau records from the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and the territory of Nebraska. These holdings contain 505 different series of records, and consists of over 110 cubic feet of records.
  • 27. My Ancestors are not from the Central Plains. Where else can I look?If your ancestors did not live in the Central Plains Region, you still may be able to find the records you are looking for. Ten regional branches of the National Archives hold records from Record Group 110, Records of the Provost Marshal Generals Bureau.
  • 28. Locations of Records:Mid-Atlantic Region (Philadelphia, PA)Pennsylvania Delaware/MarylandWest VirginiaGreat Lakes Region (Chicago, IL)Ohio Indiana Illinois Michigan Wisconsin MinnesotaNortheast Region (Boston, MA)Maine New Hampshire Vermont Massachusetts Connecticut/Rhode IslandNorth East Region (New York City, NY)New YorkNew JerseySoutheast Region (Atlanta, GA)KentuckyTennesseePacific Alaska Region (Seattle, WA)Washington & OregonSouthwest Region (Fort Worth, TX)ArkansasRocky Mountain Region (Denver, CO)Colorado & DakotasPacific Region( Riverside, CA)California & Nevada
  • 29. How to Determine What District to Look In:Since congressional districts have drastically changed over the years, it can be hard to determine which district your ancestors lived in. The archives staff at Kansas City created a district map for Missouri and Iowa that will make identification for these states quick and easy. If you need to identify a district from a different state, refer to the Proceedings of the Board of Enrollment series that normally is contained in each districts records. This series generally lists the counties that make up each sub district and district.
  • 30. Archival Research CatalogAll Record Group 110 records housed at the National Archives at Kansas City are described in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) www.archives.gov/research/arc. Advanced ARC research tips can be found on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/nationalarchiveskansascity.
  • 31. Ask an ArchivistThe Staff at the National Archives at Kansas City are also always willing and ready to answer any of your questions regarding Provost Marshal Generals Bureau research. Here are a couple ways to contact us with a reference request:Email: kansascity.reference@nara.govPhone: 816-268-8000