What does " Mustered out" mean?

John Olexa

Corporal
Joined
Oct 7, 2012
Location
Charles County Maryland
I found a family member from the civil war, but while there I noticed a few "Mustered out with Company A, 3d Regiment Provisional Cavalry, October 31, 1865; Vet"
What does mustered out mean?
Under my My Great Grandfather x3 name it read "Discharged August 23, 1864; expiration of term"
 
Mr Wolf sir. I have to say the documents you post here for our enjoyment are absolutely exquisite.
The handwriting alone is a joy to behold. They really took pride in their style back then. I wonder about the time they took. Would it have become second nature?
For my own part. Note taking is a real scrawl. Mostly legible only unto myself. But recording incident details into a log-book (legal document) I do take care and effort to get it right. As others will read these entries, and possibly have them presented as evidence. For this I need total concentration.
 
Vote Here:
Although it is not true today, I do believe that during the Civil War, wounded men had to pay for the their train rides to from from hospitals. This was true if you rode on civilian trains or military trains. If you were expected to recover at home, or be on medical leave, you paid those transportation costs as well. One Michigan captain was wounded at Gettysburg and not able to provide the paper work explaining how he lost such a large number of weapons, equipment and uniforms. Most of his company was killed and capture. The resulting cost ruined him and his family was still typing to get the Army to clear this up decades after his death.

I went to a military school at an Army base which cost the government $40,000. For some reason my graduation certificate was lost in the mail and the proper people never got it I had thus spent the money without cause and I receive a letter telling me the military had issued a warrant for my arrest. I had a copy of my graduation certificate but they needed the original and the original was lost. They were nice enough to give me 24 hours to come up with the money. I sure had to pull in a lot of favors to clear this up. I still had to deal with the fact that a warrant for my arrest had been issued for years. I can verify that special agents who pull you secret clearance have no sense of humor what -so-ever. Try explaining this type of thing on a job application, the why were you arrested box is not nearly big enough to explain it.

Major Bill
 
Vote Here:
Mr Wolf sir. I have to say the documents you post here for our enjoyment are absolutely exquisite.
The handwriting alone is a joy to behold. They really took pride in their style back then. I wonder about the time they took. Would it have become second nature?
For my own part. Note taking is a real scrawl. Mostly legible only unto myself. But recording incident details into a log-book (legal document) I do take care and effort to get it right. As others will read these entries, and possibly have them presented as evidence. For this I need total concentration.

I'm certain a lot of guidance can be had from the www.buffsticks.org (articles) on Chirography by M. E. Weyraugh.

And, it should be noted that in the 1840's and before, the printing wasn't taught to students--it was long-hand right from the beginning. With understanding how a nib worked on how to control the shadings, etc., paper and importance of it being 'correctly' before the writer, etc., they had years of practice. You can see that some handwriting isn't exactly pretty but, readable. That is how you got detailed to headquarters--if you could write as to be able to read it.

And, yes--I do think people had a slower pace back then. Not high speed as we have now, plus the ballpoint pen really made people write faster than with a dip pen which isn't much different from a razor blade. It even sounds like scratching a paper against a day's growth of beard.

I've been able to write an order out in approximately 3 minutes with a seasoned nib. Actually, I prefer it--makes me be 'in the moment' rather than racing to the end of the sentence. I can get with one dip, with a Gillott 303 nib that is seasoned a rather long sentence if writing lightly (not pressing hard all the time)...or approximately ten words. I find it relaxing myself and easy on arthritic hands. I started in 2008. My writing in camp isn't 'neat' as if I am inside the house and warm, comfortable and undisturbed. But, it can be done and I admit I hated to write longhand as I had to print 20 years other than a signature and own notes, as a cop. I embarrassed myself on loosing my longhand skills. Got into calligraphy from there. Now, I show others 'how to' using M. E. Weyraugh's fast track class workshop on secrets of period writing.

M. E. Wolf
 
Vote Here:
Although it is not true today, I do believe that during the Civil War, wounded men had to pay for the their train rides to from from hospitals. This was true if you rode on civilian trains or military trains. If you were expected to recover at home, or be on medical leave, you paid those transportation costs as well. One Michigan captain was wounded at Gettysburg and not able to provide the paper work explaining how he lost such a large number of weapons, equipment and uniforms. Most of his company was killed and capture. The resulting cost ruined him and his family was still typing to get the Army to clear this up decades after his death.

I went to a military school at an Army base which cost the government $40,000. For some reason my graduation certificate was lost in the mail and the proper people never got it I had thus spent the money without cause and I receive a letter telling me the military had issued a warrant for my arrest. I had a copy of my graduation certificate but they needed the original and the original was lost. They were nice enough to give me 24 hours to come up with the money. I sure had to pull in a lot of favors to clear this up. I still had to deal with the fact that a warrant for my arrest had been issued for years. I can verify that special agents who pull you secret clearance have no sense of humor what -so-ever. Try explaining this type of thing on a job application, the why were you arrested box is not nearly big enough to explain it.

Major Bill

Major Bill,

I am so sorry for your troubles of the modern military.

As for transportation, not all wounded had to pay to travel home. I think it was more 'distance' beyond military transportation. Passes with notation of Quarter Master providing transportation exist.

For example:
(Document owned by M. E. Weyraugh Copyright & All Rights Reserved)
Discharge Camp, Fort Monroe - Virginia

Ninety-five men were transported by this document from Fort Monroe's Discharge Camp to Baltimore, Maryland.

M. E. Wolf
 

Attachments

  • Discharge Camp, Ft. Monroe-VA 001.jpg
    Discharge Camp, Ft. Monroe-VA 001.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 238
Vote Here:
Unfortunately the link is not taking me to the desired site Mr Wolf. But I will explore more chirography of the times. Or should it be calligraphy?
That withstanding, your post was highly informative in its own right. Thank You.
 
Vote Here:
Military Passes were also issued as such:
(Document owned by M. E. Weyraugh - Copyright & All Rights Reserved)

Col. James Allen Hardie pass to a doctor 001.jpg


This military pass provided transportation to Savannah, GA back to New York. Collecting a relative from Georgia to New York.

I have also seen Military Passes for Railroad use for officers and soldiers; from individual to Company--other higher level troop movements, e.g. Battalion on up--usually were issued via orders by Head-Quarters to the Quarter-Master General's office and telegraphed to the Military Railroads who worked with these privately owned railroads used for military purposes.

I am not fully convinced that 'a blanket statement' can be made that zero means of transportation was provided to the men. I believe if the Quarter-Master provided it, it was within the scope of their operations as a Union Army and outside that theater, the transportation had to be met out of pocket.

Just my observations and opinions.

M. E. Wolf

M. E. Wolf
 
Vote Here:
Unfortunately the link is not taking me to the desired site Mr Wolf. But I will explore more chirography of the times. Or should it be calligraphy?
That withstanding, your post was highly informative in its own right. Thank You.

Try this link then --

http://www.buffsticks.us/articles.html

It is in two formats to choose from -- One will be easier to follow as the pictures are embedded.

Glad to be of assistance - M. E. Weyraugh does refer to chirography majority of times when speaking of period writing during the Civil War. Now days, a near lost art--it is called calligraphy (or fancy writing). With schools the way they are going--our scratch may be studied as Calligraphy. :rofl:

M. E. Wolf
 
Vote Here:
Lets keep close to the topic ...it is so easy to go on a tangent on writing. (Points to self as easily slipping off topic about writing ...still excited about it still)

Since mustering out of service, is in line to transportation after discharge-- it is somewhat still on topic.

Use "Forum Search" as a means to revive old thread(s) on period writing; e.g. Chirography or Period Writing

:smile:

M. E. Wolf
 
Vote Here:
My wife's great, great, great grandfather was listed as a deserter. When he heard that the war ended he just went home! It was fialyy cleared up though.

Ben
 
Vote Here:
Back
Top