Ancestry.com has now blocked online Library access to Fold3 & the CMSR

Dave D

Corporal
Joined
Feb 21, 2019
For the last several years I have been able to access the Compiled Military Services Records (CMSR) of Confederate Soldiers on Fold3 through online access by logging into my account at my public library. As of this morning it appears that Ancestry.com has now blocked this online access. The library posted a notice saying that patrons can still access Fold3 if you physically go to the library and use their computers, otherwise you have to cough up $$ for an Ancestry.com subscription.

Other online sources I have found for the CMSR (NARA, FamilySearch) also link to Fold3/Ancestry.com and the same money grab. Does anybody know of another online source for the CMSR?
 
Interesting. Is the avilability of Fold 3 for free at public libraries commonplace? I was not aware.

From NARA :

"Free access to Ancestry.com and Fold3.com is available in all Research Rooms at the National Archives, including those in our regional archives and Presidential libraries." [see https://www.archives.gov/digitization/digitized-by-partners ].

Some public libraries and local historical society offices have free access to Ancetsry.com on their computers; you'll have to call and see if they offer it. There is (or - there was) a Library edition of Fold3 : https://www.proquest.com/products-services/Fold3-Library-Edition.html
 
This sounds like a library decision rather than a new policy of Ancestry.

I'm more inclined to think this is an Ancestry decision. They are quick to limit access. The fact that they only allow onsite searching through the library version is a good example - most databases allow for remote access with a valid library card.
 
Once again I'm reminded of why I despise Ancestry with a passion. In my mind those old records should be PUBLIC domain not the monopoly of some company.

If I had my way Ancestry's little monopoly would be taken away and some way to put all those records in a free public domain. I'm sure Ancestry could do well sticking with their DNA tests for profit.
 
I haven't found a free way. I save up all my Fold3 inquiries and when I have enough I buy a one month membership, work them all, and quit. Not a perfect system but it's pretty low cost.

OK - I think I've found a way to search CMSR scans at the National Archives - it's pretty hacky and I'm not absolutely sure I'm finding all the images I'm looking for but, here's the deal ...

Go to the National Archives Catalog advanced search page : https://catalog.archives.gov/advancedsearch and enter the Microfilm Roll Number and last name of the soldier you're searching for into the box labeled "Search Term:", an then click on the search button at the top or bottom of the page.

Here's the search page :

NARA_Search_CMSR.jpg


You can find the Microfilm Roll Number here : https://www.archives.gov/digitization/digitized-by-partners , search for the state name. For example, when I search for "Organizations from the State of Virginia", I'll find the microfilm records of the Indexes (roll 382), then the Union soldiers (roll 398) , and finally the Confederate soldiers (roll M324). I searching the names from roll M324.

If you want to search for a soldier in a particular regiment, add the full regiment name and designation. In my search page example, I am looking for all soldiers named Baker in the Twelfth Virginia Infantry.
 
Once again I'm reminded of why I despise Ancestry with a passion. In my mind those old records should be PUBLIC domain not the monopoly of some company.

If I had my way Ancestry's little monopoly would be taken away and some way to put all those records in a free public domain. I'm sure Ancestry could do well sticking with their DNA tests for profit.
Someone has to pay for it. You're kidding yourself if you think someone is going to scan, upload, house and index those records for no cost.

Actually...you want access to them? See how much it will cost you to travel to D.C. to access them for free.
 
Someone has to pay for it. You're kidding yourself if you think someone is going to scan, upload, house and index those records for no cost.

Actually...you want access to them? See how much it will cost you to travel to D.C. to access them for free.

Lets not forget that more than several somebodies have done that with the OR's.

Going to DC and sifting through the actual 100 year plus documents is entirely different from being allowed to see copies. Government was behind the creation of and recording of the records, and I see absolutely no reason why originally public records shouldn't remain public, instead of going to a for profit company.

Besides the government began and digitized most of those old records before Ancestry came along, (I remember the records in my home county being done this way at least 15 years ago, and now they can't be viewed as they belong to Ancestry).
 
Well, Library of Congress has Chronicling America, which seems to me to contain much more information and scanned material than would be required for scanning the service records, it has millions of pages of newspapers with a fairly good search function. I did scold someone at the LOC because the New York Times is not available on Chronicling America, it still isn't available except through the Times paywall, which seems a bit fishy to me. I was relieved to finally locate the microfilm for the NYTimes through Internet Archive. Here is the link to the various years.

https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=nytimes
 
Well, Library of Congress has Chronicling America, which seems to me to contain much more information and scanned material than would be required for scanning the service records, it has millions of pages of newspapers with a fairly good search function. I did scold someone at the LOC because the New York Times is not available on Chronicling America, it still isn't available except through the Times paywall, which seems a bit fishy to me. I was relieved to finally locate the microfilm for the NYTimes through Internet Archive. Here is the link to the various years.

https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=nytimes

Thank you for that awesome info and link!
 
I just tried pulling up fold3 through my library's website, which I have been doing for several years.

It came up as normal. No problems. It does sound like a local or library issue in Dave D's area.
Hmm ...

I'll give it another shot today when the library's internet web crew gets back in from the weekend. However, what is currently happening is that I can access Fold3's browse page from my library login as I usually do and search for a specific soldier's records; the thumbnails of the search result will show but when I click on one to view the full image, I get a popup window that says "You need a Premium Membership to View this Image". This is similar to how Ancestry.com took over Genforum and Genealogy.com a few years ago.
 
Hmm ...

I'll give it another shot today when the library's internet web crew gets back in from the weekend. However, what is currently happening is that I can access Fold3's browse page from my library login as I usually do and search for a specific soldier's records; the thumbnails of the search result will show but when I click on one to view the full image, I get a popup window that says "You need a Premium Membership to View this Image". This is similar to how Ancestry.com took over Genforum and Genealogy.com a few years ago.
Okay, I just did it again and it went straight through to the images of the transcription cards from the turn-of-the century. I am assuming that is what your are saying you could not pull up.
 
Some libraries have a subscription to Ancestry, but it's on the expensive side. I looked into funding it for my local library a few years ago, and it was going to be close to $500 for the library to have access for one year. I suspect that your local library decided that, given the number of patrons who were using it, it was no longer worth the cost of the subscription. Since Ancestry owns Fold3 (which used to be a free site named Footnotes until Ancestry bought and renamed it), I think its disappearance is probably for a similar cause.

There are some military records available for free on Family Search, notably the 1890 Census of Civil War Veterans and Widows. Go to Family Search, search for the name, date and location you are looking for, then go up to the "Collections" tab. Scroll down and it has a section on Military Records. Click on the record you want to look at and you'll get either the actual record, or a link to Fold3 or FindMyPast (in which case, it's going to cost you). I've found a lot of aliases using the 1890 Veterans and Widows Census.

Good luck!
 
... Ancestry owns Fold3 (which used to be a free site named Footnotes until Ancestry bought and renamed it) ...

There are some military records available for free on Family Search, notably the 1890 Census of Civil War Veterans and Widows. Go to Family Search, search for the name, date and location you are looking for, then go up to the "Collections" tab. Scroll down and it has a section on Military Records. Click on the record you want to look at and you'll get either the actual record, or a link to Fold3 or FindMyPast (in which case, it's going to cost you). I've found a lot of aliases using the 1890 Veterans and Widows Census.

Yeah, I used to use Footnote until Ancestry.com took them over. Afterwards, I was really happy to be able to access Fold3 through my library account - I'm afraid that has come to an end. The library is making a big deal about how I can "still use this resource from inside a library location". One problem with that is that I live about 90 miles from the library.

I've read that the 1890 Veterans Census was supposed to be only for Union veterans but my ex-Confederate gr gr grandfather was living in Paulding county, Ohio and the enumerator there counted everybody, Yankee or Rebel. Later, someone went through the list of names and put a single line strike through on each of the recorded Confederate Vets and wrote "Conf" in the margin next to the name.

Regarding Ancestry.com - they recently bought Find-A-Grave; it probably won't be long before that free usage goes away.
 
Regarding Ancestry.com - they recently bought Find-A-Grave; it probably won't be long before that free usage goes away.

It depends on the conditions that the seller of Find a Grave set in the sale. When Ancestry bought Rootsweb, one of the conditions was that the World Connect feature, which was contributor's family trees, stay accessible for free. You can't add to it, but it's been a few years now and you can still access it for free.

Personally, I think Military Records should always be free and open to the Public. No corporation should be profiting on the sacrifices our military made.
 
I'm happy to pay...I happen to remember when you had to hotfoot it all over the place to get records. Let's face it, a trip to Massachusetts just to do lookups it pretty darned expensive. Ancestry (especially if you're living in the a@@ end of nowhere) is cheap at the price, and they are constantly working to add more records from all over the world. My cousin could afford to run up to Maine and Massachusetts--I don't have the time, $$ or energy, but I'm glad he did the original footwork on that side of the family way back when. That being said, I didn't have the info on the other side of my family--and Ancestry has provided that in spades. Our local library does pay for a subscription, for those who don't have it--and our genealogy group goes once a week and helps folks, and those of us with Ancestry do lookups for anyone who leaves a note with info.
 
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