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One of the things that adds greatly to our study of the Civil War is the quantity of reports, returns, rolls and other paper work that was generated down to the company level. Much of this paperwork survives
today.
The company commander and the first sergeant depended heavily upon a company clerk to maintain the company paperwork. The company clerk was often a soldier who had been a clerk in civilian life. Penmanship and organizational skills were a must. The company clerk was excused from most other duty, such as guard and work details, but he received no additional pay for his work. He was still a "grunt" and not excused from combat.
The company clerk kept the following books and papers in order;
1) Morning Report Book - Details of men for guard duty and detachments, men present for duty, or absent, a morning report was signed by the first sergeant and the commanding officer each day. It was to be sent to the adjutant's office before 8:00 a.m.
2) Sick Book - A daily list of the sick was kept. A NCO was to take the book with him when the sick were marched to see the surgeon for sick call. The surgeon determined the disposition of each case, and the book was returned to the first sergeant so he could make out the morning report.
3) Roster - Rosters were kept for A) Guard, B) Detachments and C) Fatigue (work detail). Additional rosters were kept for passes and furloughs.
4) Descriptive Book - The descriptive book was an alphabetical listing of the men of the company. Each soldier had his age, height, complexion, color of eyes and hair, where born, occupation and details of enlistment recorded. A column of the book also noted details of the soldiers character, and any disciplinary action that may have been taken, wounds or anything else "descriptive" of the individual soldier. Some also list the type of weapon and serial number carried by the soldier.
5) Clothing Book - A record of the clothing issued to privates and NCOs. Enlisted men were given a clothing allowance. This book kept a record of that balance. With muster out, a final statement determined if the soldier owed for overdrawing on this allowance or if he was due payment for "clothing not drawn." Some units balanced the account on a quarterly basis, drawing from a soldiers pay on a regular basis. Others let this detail go until muster out.
6) Order Book - In this book, all general orders from the regiment, and special orders pertaining to individuals in the company were recorded.
7) Company Fund Book - Individual companies maintained a fund to benefit the enlisted men. The money came into the fund from regimental and higher, from a tax levied on sutlers, and savings from company rations. The fund was usually used to provide things like butter, milk and other food stuffs not issued.
8) Register of Issued Equipment - A record of arms and accoutrements issued to enlisted men. As with the clothing book, lost or missing items were charged against a soldier's pay.
9) Record of Target Practice - A case where not many units actually kept this book. While a nice idea, target practice was not high on the list of many units.
10) Monthly Return - A history of the operations of the company for the month. It included a list of those killed or wounded, all orders, transfers, and details on the number of soldiers present, absent, or detached.
11) Bimonthly Muster Rolls - Muster Rolls were probably the most important document to the soldier. It was what their pay was based on. The muster roll was prepared on the last day of February, April, June, August, October, and December. One roll was to be made out to the adjutant general, one for the paymaster, and one to be kept as a company record.
12) Quarterly Returns - made out in quadruplicate - of Clothing, of Equipment, of Ordnance, of Quartermaster property, of Deceased Soldiers, and of Company Fund.
13) Annual Return of Casualties - yearly, to the regimental commander.
14) Certificates of Disability - filled out by the company commander and the surgeon, in duplicate, approved by the medical director and returned with an order for discharge. The forms are then sent to the Adjutant
General's office in Washington D. C.
15) Hospital Book - In many units a Hospital Book recorded the wounded and sick, where they were being treated and for what, along with information on the soldiers return to the unit or discharge.
Final Statements - A document issued in addition to the discharge. It is a settlement of pay, clothing and equipment accounts.
Discharges - signed by a field officer of the regiment.
Descriptive Rolls - a copy of the information pertaining to a specific soldier found in the Descriptive Book, it goes with a soldier on detached duty.
Furloughs - Passes - Affidavits - Inventories Proceedings of Company Administration - Charges and Specifications - along with Requisitions - Regular and Special, the proper form was needed to get food, fuel (wood), forage for the horses, straw and even the books and forms the the army now depended on for its day to day operation.
You can see from this short description of the books and papers used within a company organization, that paperwork had begun to run the army by the time of the Civil War.
As students of the war, we are the recipients of this potential mountain of information. While it did not all survive, there are tons of documents and books to be found in State Historical Society's and Archives. If you ever have the opportunity, go to your state archives, pick a unit and see what you can find. You will be amazed.
If you are really digging for unit history, say on Company A, 3rd New York Cavalry, it is a treat to find out that Charles G. VanSchuyver, carried a Sharps & Hankins carbine, serial number 2591. Or, that Wilsey Sawtell, of the 11th Indiana Battery, was charged $10.31 for a Colt Army .44 revolver that he lost. Or, that when Private John Karn, 11th Indiana Battery, died at Jeffersonville, Indiana Hospital, his suspenders and two shirts were sold at auction at the hospital, to an officer, for $1.40.
You can get loads out of books, but don't neglect these records. They put the war on a whole different level, and I like to think that use of them is some small thanks to those clerks / soldiers who worked without any recognition maintaining them.
I was able to find much information about my great-grandfather's Civil War service through the National Archives and through the MA National Guard. Both provided reports for WIA, MIA, POW, medical, furlough, travel, recommendations.
__________________ "Those who forget to remember the past are condemned to repeat it", George Santayana.
Wisconsin probably has the most complete set of records... they are indeed a treasure trove when available. Regardless those still in existance are priceless.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
At some of my past Civil War reenactments, I have played the part of a company clerk.
Thank GOD I only played at it!
Thanks for this interesting bit of history to show one and all it wasn't all glory and fighting.
It could be desperately dull and unexciting.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
Always made sure my men treated the ones in the rear with the gear with respect. They took care of everything so we could concentrate on getting the enemy on the pointy end of the spear.
I learned while in the army, the two people you did not want to p*** off was the company clerk or the supply sergeant.
The company clerk could lose your orders, discharge papers, promotion reccomendations, pay inquires, awards, personel records, etc.
The supply sergeant could just plain screw you when it came to getting those needed supplies, like toilet paper, floor wax, cleaning materials, mops, brooms, etc.
It was amazing how uncomfortable life in the barracks could become without the everyday articles needed for living, cleaning and staying sanitary.
Sincerely,
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
The only person we treated better than the clerk or supply Sgt. was the Navy Corpsman. The Corpsman was treated like your best friend or brother. He was the one who came and got you when you zigged instead of zagging.
Wen I was in the Navy. I learned to make friends with the cooks, the Captian's Yeoman, and the Dispersing Clerk who was in charge of your pay records. Got bit by a Corpsman who didn't put my shot card in my records when I was sent back to the States. He was just an SOB did it to a lot of people just for grins. He better hope that I never see him walking down the street.
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