Civil War News Reviews "Years of Change and Suffering"!

I'm pleased to announce that The Civil War News published a very kind review of my second book (co-edited with Guy R. Hasegawa, Pharm.D.), Years of Change and Suffering: Modern Perspectives on Civil War Medicine (Edinborough Press, 2009). The review was penned by Richard J. Blumberg in the July 2010 issue, which will be in subscriber's hands soon! Many thanks to Mr. Blumberg and congratulations to all of the authors who contributed to Years of Change!

As with the Civil War News review of my first book, Lincoln's Labels: America's Best Known Brands and the Civil War (Edinborough Press, 2008), this review of Years of Change is special because Civil War News is where I got my writing "bona fides," as I've penned the "Medical Department" column on a regular basis since 2000. CWN editor/publisher Kay Jorgensen (and her late husband, Pete) has been extremely supportive of my writing and research efforts over the years, which I appreciate very much, indeed.

If you don't subscribe to Civil War News, you should! You can learn how to get a sample issue here.

Excerpts:

"Excellent Accounts About Civil War Medicine, Care"

"These essays...serve two very important purposes. First they dispel many of the Hollywood myths about medical care during the Civil War. Second, they provide a comprehensive analysis of subjects not previously covered in other publications.

The articles in this work cover a wide range of topics describing how medical care was administered on both sides during the war. Topics include: inventions and patents, amputations, urological wounds, and the mental and physiological effects of combat on the human body.

Each essay stands alone and describes different aspects of Civil War medicine. However, all of them have one common thread. They underscore the fact that the Civil War was a seminal event for the medical profession.

Considering the variety of topics discussed and the multiple authors involved, the editors did an excellent job editing this collection...This reviewer gives it high marks for anyone having an interest in Civil War medicine."

Thank You to Civil War News and Mr. Blumberg!

REMEMBER THAT ALL ROYALTIES FROM YEARS OF CHANGE ARE BEING DONATED TO CIVIL WAR MEDICAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION!

Read more reviews of Years of Change here:

*America's Civil War Magazine!
*Featured on "Civil War Talk Radio"
*Review by Drew Wagenhoffer at "Civil War Books and Authors"
*Review by James Durney at "TOCWOC"
*Review by Robert Redd at "Confederate Book Review"
*Reviews (here and here) by Rea Andrew Redd at "Civil War Librarian"
*Advance Praise

The hardcover and softcover are still available!

Win a Free Military Service Record from CivilWarDocs.com!!

As a follow-up to my previous post about the excellent, affordable, and timely service that CivilWarDocs.com provides in finding and copying Civil War soldier Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) and/or pension records, here is your chance to:

WIN A FREE COPY OF A CIVIL WAR SOLDIER'S MILTARY RECORDS FROM CIVILWARDOCS.COM!!!!

Just comment on this post or send me an e-mail (schmidtjamesm at gmail dot com)with as much information you have on the soldier and why you are interested in receiving their service record. The deadline is Sunday, July 4, 2010.

The winner will receive a complimentary Union or Confederate CMSR from CivilWarDocs.com...a $35 value!!! (please allow 35-45 days for delivery)

See details on Union and Confederate records here.

Research Resource Review #1 - CivilWarDocs.com

My family did not arrive in America until the mid-1870s so I do not have any ancestors that fought in the American Civil War. For that reason, I never thought I'd have a need to request Civil War military service records or pension files from the National Archives. As it turns out, though, I've had reason to request those records for some of the soldiers I am featuring in my forthcoming book, Notre Dame in the Civil War: Marching Onward to Victory (The History Press, 2010).

To obtain those records in a timely fashion, I have turned to Mr. Jay Odom at CivilWarDocs.com and was extremely pleased with his expertise and service. His website offers an easy-to-use interface to order Union or Confederate military service or pension records at an affordable price and great turnaround times and he has offered expert advice in directing me to the best records to ask for.

See my interview below with Jay, some examples of records I obtained through his service, and...

STAY TUNED THIS WEEK FOR A CHANCE TO RECEIVE A FREE UNION OR CONFEDERATE SOLDIER COMPILED MILITARY SERVICE RECORD FROM CIVILWARDOCS.COM!!!

1) Tell me a bit about yourself:

Well, my personal background is, I'm a father of two, boy and a girl. I was born in West Texas, raised in the military, and we lived all over including a long stay in Germany, and then I made it back to Texas for college. I went to college to study music. During college, I started working on my genealogy. That is really where all of this starts, I guess. I have been an avid genealogist for over 15 years now.

2) When and why did you start this business?

While working on my own genealogy, I learned real quick how expensive and time-consuming it was to get war records. Not just Civil War, but all the war records. Some of the records were at the state level, somewere at the National Archives (NARA), some were at libraries, some were held in NARA satellite offices, etc...It gets real confusing, trust me. So, I thought I would try and bring it all together to make it easier for the next person and at the same time charge less than what the Government charges for the same records.

3) Where did your interest in history/military history come from?

My interest really started while researching my paternal line. My great-great-great-grandfather was raised in Tennessee, but yet, joined the Union Army. He actually lived about 15 miles from the Alabama border, and his cousins and other male family members all joined the Confederacy. This to me was interesting. It was even told in my family that his sister was a Confederate spy (which makes for interesting Christmas dinners!). Anyhow, learning about his service through U.S. military records really opened my eyes up to the whole process. Tracking down records has become a passion for me now.

4) What are the advantages of using a service like yours instead of using the NARA forms/process?

I guess to most folks, the fact that we are less expensive would be the first thing that comes to mind. But in my opinion, just having someone to ask questions prior to buying, or questions about what we found, is the more tangible benefit. And of course, the difference in turnaround time is drastic: NARA has a 60-90 day window; we try and get them out in 30 days or less, and have an "expedited" service that allows us to deliver them within 15 days usually.

5) Are most of your customers researching family history, authors working on historical books, other?

A mixture of everything, I suppose. But if I had to guess, family history is probably the largest draw.

6) What information do people need to use your service?

Usually just a name, state of service, and any personal information they may have...i.e. approx. birth and death dates and locations. Place where they were living in the census just before the specified war.

7) what should they expect in a "Compiled Military Service Record" (CMSR)?

A CMSR is just a compiled service record of their time in the military. it is basically a collection of muster rolls which showed whether they were present, absent, sick, or dead. And may show other information such as furloughs they took or place where they died if applicable. Sometimes, there are enlistment papers with Age, Race, Height, Weight, Hair Color, Eye Color etc.


(Learn more about what to expect and - as important - what not to expect in a CMSR at Jay's website)

8) What can they expect with a pension file?


A pension file is very useful to the family history folks in particular. It will usually have all marriage details, children births and living places, names of friends and family that testify to them being in the military and will have very detailed information of their time in the military, such as battles they were in, injuries they sustained, etc.

9) Do you encourage people to contact you with questions before they make an online order?

Absolutely! You can contact me at "Ask the Archivist"

10) What is the future of archive digitalization with services like ancestry.com, etc?

I think records will continue to be available from digitalization, however, ancestry.com, etc do not carry the records which are at the state level (i.e., Confederate Pensions, Amnesty's, etc.) so I'm not sure how that will play out. Right now, they are trying to get the Union CMSR's done, but it is a lengthy process and the hardware to hold that much information is not where it should be. And from what I have been told, there are no immediate plans to scan the pension records, as most of the pension records are 50-300 pages long.

(INDEED! The pension file I received from Jay was more than 120 pages!)

11) Have any customers written back to you with "amazing" finds that they were happy about?

Amazing? Not sure about that. But a very excited customer is pretty common! I had one file that had a picture of a customer's ancestor in it, and they were super-excited!

THANKS, JAY!

STAY TUNED THIS WEEK FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE UNION OR CONFEDERATE CMSR FROM CIVILWARDOCS.COM!!!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary Union soldier CMSR from CivilWarDocs.com for review purposes. That said, I have also purchased several Union military and/or pension records on my own dime from civilwardocs.com

Getting Research Done *There* from *Here*

A fact of doing research for genealogical or historical writing purposes, or both, is that a good amount of the very best research material may be far flung from your immediate area: the National Archives or Library of Congress in Washington, DC; states' archives around the country; newspaper holdings or microfilm in other libraries or institutions, etc., may not be convenient to you and/or require investments in time, travel, and lodging that make them unaffordable.

However, there are a number of services - either "pay-as-you-go" or by subscription - that make that research easier and more timely.

I have used and still use regularly a number of these services in my own research and writing and they have proved to be invaluable.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to give some reviews of these various services, including:

CivilWarDocs.com - an excellent source for Union and Confederate military service records and pension files

newspaperarchive.com - the world's largest online newspaper archive

Footnote.com - unique partnerships with the National Archives, Library of Congress, and other institutions provides access to nearly 70 million pages of historical documents using a terrific patented digitization process

D-Day Militaria - A service that specializes in documents relating to decorations (medals, etc). For example, I have used them to get Silver Star citations for WWII soldiers. They offer dozens of books that compile the General Orders (often specifying names and decorations) for the various infantry divisions in WWII.

Look for a review and interview with the Mr. Jay Odom, the proprietor of CivilWarDocs.com later this week!

"Berry's Barb Beater" (c. 1900) - Latest Addition to Patent Medicine Collection

Here are some photos and information related to the latest addition to my patent medicine collection: "Berry's Barb Beater." The medicine was intended for livestock that had suffered cuts on barbed-wire fences.

The proprietor - Wilford Francis Berry - was an Iowan and featured in Past and Present of Appanoose County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievment (1913):

The life record of Wilford Francis Berry is that of a man of stalwart purpose and untiring activity, who in the pursuit of his career has won the advancement which invariably rewards well organized methods when intelligently and persistently pursued. For practically twenty-five years he has been identified with the business interests of Moulton, where he has met with constantly increasing success and is now numbered among the foremost representatives of the commercial fraternity of Appanoose county. Mr. Berry is a native of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Wapello county on the 21st of April, 1863.

(Note: His father, Austin P. Berry, was a veteran of the Mexican War and the Civil War)

Wilford Francis Berry has passed the greater part of his life in this city [Moultion, Iowa]. He pursued his education in the public schools and upon completing his high-school course obtained employment in a drug store at Moulton, where he diligently applied himself to the study of pharmacy, being awarded his certificate by the state board of pharmacy on the 22d of May, 1882. He continued in the employ of others for about six years thereafter and in 1888 entered in business for himself at Moulton, where he established the store he is now conducting. Owing to his limited means he had to begin in a very small way, but as the years have passed he has prospered and has enlarged his establishment until he is now the proprietor of one of Moulton's most thriving enterprises.

About 1900 he began the manufacture of a preparation known as Berry's Barb Beater, to be used for wire cuts. As it is a remedy of unquestionable merit the demand for it has steadily increased until he now makes consignments to twenty-five states. He has the largest mailing list of any manufacturer in the county, his postage frequently amounting to five hundred dollars per month. He not only does a large business with the wholesale drug houses of the middle west, but he carries the names of over ten thousand retail dealers on his ledger.

Mr. Berry possesses the initiative and resourcefulness essential to success in any field of endeavor, and to the support of these qualities he brings the determination of purpose and tireless energy which win achievement. Having unlimited confidence in the future of Moulton, as opportunity has afforded, he has acquired extensive property interests here, in both the residence and business sections. He also owns and operates two farms in Appanoose county.

Using a newspaper archive, I did find some period (1904) advertisments for his product in his local newspaper, the Moulton, Iowa Sentinel.

'

Stamps (and Civil War Medicine!): I Feel Like a Kid Again!

When I was a kid, I spent time outside as much as any other playing baseball, doing Cub Scout activities, and generally running around getting dirty. My real passion, though, was an "inside" activity: stamp collecting.

I can't remember exactly when I started, but I think it was around the age of 7...I can't remember exactly why I started, either, except that my uncle/godfather was also an avid stamp collector and he may have inspired me.

I still remember my first "real" stamp album. We lived in Joplin, MO, when I was a kid, but in 1974, in the middle of 4th grade, we moved to Hosuton, TX. As a going way present, my classmates chipped in and got me a "Traveler" album...it was awesome. Now I had a place to keep and catalog "all" the stamps I had begun to accumulate!

I use the word "accumulate" pretty loosely, as it took time for that collection to grow. Most of them came through birthday or holiday gifts from my parents or other relatives and others through duplicates my uncle had in his collection. We had (and still have!) relatives who were missionaries in far flung places on the globe and letters from them with stamps from Papua New Guinea or Nicarauga were a special treat. The most fun was in making careful decisions of using a small allowance to pick through the "stamps on approval" I received each month from the likes of the Jamestown Stamp Company, Littleton Stamp Company, and other vendors.

I continued collecting through my early teens. I think my first merit badge as a Boy Scout was the "Stamp Collecting" merit badge. I also began to specialize in collectying stamps related to space exploration, Christmas, and Scouting. For whatever reason, as I became older, other activities took over. But that collection was still safely stored in a box until it was sold when I was in my early twenties.

Now it's almost twenty-five years later (yes, I know I am dating myself) and I feel like a kid again. Why? Because I have found a way to combine my current "inside" passions: the Civil War and 19th-century medicine with stamps!

It turns out that during the Civil War, Congress enacted a revenue act in 1862 to help pay the cost of the war that required some industries - matches, patent medicines, perfumes, playing cards and, for a short time, canned fruit - to pay a tax, via a stamp on their product. The companies could use the standard government-issue internal revenue stamp or - at their own expense - have a die made to make their own stamps (upon approval of the design) which were then engarved bya government contractor.

Though they at first protested (they were met with the rebuke "We Must Have Money"!) many proprietary medicine (aka patent medicine, quack medicine, snake oil, etc.) vendors took advantage of this opportunity because they saw it as free advertising. The tax lasted until 1883 (before being revived for the Spanish-American War) and hundreds of stamps in a variety of colors, denominations, and handsome engravings.

So...I've started to collect the stamps - known to collectors as "Match and Medicine" stamps (but slowly!). Here are images of the first few I have added (note they are enlarged substantially):

There are some great websites out there to describe the Revenue Act of 1862 and the stamps, but these are some of the best:

Gary Giroux - Professor of Governmental Accounting - Texas A&M University

Robert Hohertz - AMAZING website with thumbnail pages of the M&M stamps and patent medicine company biographical sketches

Period Civil War Pension Ephemera from the "Schmidt Collection" #4 - A Veteran in an Ohio Military Home

The letter below, from my collection, was written by a pension attorney representing an Ohio veteran, Daniel Miller (the attorney - as it turns out - was also a veteran). In order to demonstrate that his client's disability - dropsy - resulted from his service in the army, the attorney is having to contact friends from years gone by to attest - under oath - to Miller's good health before the war.

Just as interesting is that the letter was written from the "National Military Home - Central Branch" in Montgomery County Ohio (now the Dayton (OH) Veteran's Administration Medical Center).

In doing some research, I came across an EXCELLENT "Soldiers' Home of Dayton, Ohio" website maintained by genealogist Carolyn J. Burns. Carolyn's website includes period and modern photos and engravings of the campus and cemetery, a history of the soldiers' home, transcribed newspaper articles of interest, online burial records for the Dayton National Cemetery, and a roster of soldiers' home members, 1867-1935.

Previous Civil War pension posts can be found here:

#1 - Horse Thieves and Deserters
#2 - Red Tape
#3 - Pennsylvania Inquires After His Dead Son


Cover:
H.N. Hedges, Senior Esq.
Probate Judge
Circleville
Pickaway County Ohio




Letter:

Nat. Mil. Home Central Branch Montgomery County, Ohio
Nov. 15, 1876

[To] Jacob Midler Esq near Pique, Ohio

Dear Sir:

There is an afflicted invalid Vol. soldier living here at the Home, who was working for you for several years before he enlisted in Company E of the 114th Regt. Ohio Vol. Infantry.

Daniel Williams is the name of the unfortunate man, and in order to claim an invalid pension for him for the disability which he alleges to have received in the Vol. Military Service during the late war of Secession rebellion, it is necessary to have an affidavit that he was physically healthy and bodily sound but particular free from dropsy, and that he came home with dropsy, and that he remained afflicted with dropsy while at home.

Williams now says that a gentleman with the name of Hochs or Hocks who is a practicing physician in the city of Pique knew him prior to his enlistment and that the same med. doctor (illegible) him and treated him for dropsy shortly after he returned home.

So I am directed to write a few lines to you Mr. Hidler and to request you in the name of Daniel Williams that you may be kind enough to see and to speak to Doctor Hochs, and to pray him that he may kindly give his affidavit to the effort aforementioned in the case of this sadly afflicted invalid soldier.

Daniel Williams, who thinks and who speaks most highly of you and Doctor Hochs, will certainly appreciate fully the valuable aid rendered to him and he will surely at the time gratefully compensate you and the esteemed physician for the trouble his case makes.

I trust and hope that you will readily comply with the request of Williams and that you will see and speak to Doctor Hochs and explain to him or you may show to the doctor this letter. I will enclose a blank for the purposes whereupon to fill the physicians affidavit, which must be executed before the Clerk of the County Court, which is the very best, or before a Notary Public, or a Justice of the Peace. If properly made out and executed, then please return the document to me as below directed.

All expenses originated through this request and the trouble will be honestly made good by Daniel Williams as soon as he receives his pension and I feel assured that the man will keep his promise.

Hoping to hear soon your kind reply I subscribe with truest (illegible)

Your obedient servant

Fred. Matthew Labry
Atty for Daniel Williams

Fred. Matthew Labry
National Military Home
Montgomery Count Ohio
Lock Box P