What happened to "The Index Project?"

[lupaglupa]

I have been doing research which led me to information taken from Thomas and Beverly Lowry's index of court martials. This index used to be housed online at a website which is now gone. Does anyone know where the index is now located? I've gone around in circles looking with no luck at all.

For context, here's an earlier post about the index:

Has anyone used "The Index Project"? | Civil War Potpourri

Just an inquiry to ask if anyone has used Thomas Lowry's Theindexproject.com. "The National Archives in Washington, D.C., home to thousands of cubic feet of records, including 75,961 Union army courts-martial, 1,500 Union navy courts-martial, and over 5,000 Confederate courts-martial (the...

civilwartalk.com

 

[Bob Velke]

I don't know the source of their index but the paper one that is in NARA's Consultation Room is accessible on Better Soldiers and Sailors. It is searched by default (with Soldiers, Sailors, Prisoners, Burials, etc.) but if you want the search to focus on only Courts Martial, then choose it from the "Search:" option at the top of the Advanced Search screen.

 

[Bob Velke]

It is not clear to me what was meant in the earlier thread by, "if something is found there is a $5 fee for an individual report." Do they purport to provide the full text of the Court Martial case file or is it just an index as the name suggests?

Also, they say that the scope of their project is 82,461 Court Martial cases. The Finding Aid in NARA's Consultation Room has 198,245 cases (178,014 Union, 20,231 Confederate). That's what's on "Better Soldiers and Sailors" ... plus an additional 2,751 alternate name spellings.

 

[lupaglupa]

Thanks @Bob Velke .

I have a footnote to the Nance case (the court martial you pulled for me) which says Nance's conviction was commuted and gives that index as their source. I can't find either the index or that fact elsewhere.

 

[Bob Velke]

I can't guess what that index used as a source but there doesn't seem to be a lot of overlap with the Finding Aid. Everything points to him being in a citizen. Have you encountered anything that suggests that he was a soldier (either before or after the known Court Martial)? I can ask around on Monday to see if anyone knows about The Index Project.

 

[lupaglupa]

I'm certain he never officially served and wasn't court martialed; the military commission is the trial he had just for that reason. The footnote is one of those which could address more than one fact. Short of my contacting the highly-likely-not-to-respond historian who wrote it, I may have to figure out another way to verify that info. I do know that he wasn't hanged as he moved to Texas and lived into the 20th century.

 

[CWdiaryPA]

He lists his email, & maybe has several inquiries per week about where his Index is, which means he may have an automated reply that instantly bounces back with info. It's quite odd he doesn't provide a location for this research, a link, or anything. https://web.archive.org/web/20210619213449/http://www.theindexproject.com/about-us.html

I was reading today about his lifetime ban from NARA facilities for supposedly using a pen to alter the date on a Lincoln document to read year 1865, the day he was assassinated. All very odd. --I hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[Bob Velke]

I was reading today about his lifetime ban from NARA facilities for supposedly using a pen to alter the date on a Lincoln document to read year 1865, the day he was assassinated.

Oh, I knew that I had seen the name somewhere!

FWIW, here is an archive of his site which does explain his source for the Court Martial data:

About Us

The Index Project, Inc. 6060 Lost Colony Drive Woodbridge, VA 22193 e-mail: [email protected]

web.archive.org

 

[Bob Velke]

FWIW, Thomas Lowry died last year. Here is his obituary:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/thomas-lowry-obituary?id=51812202

 

[CWdiaryPA]

FWIW, Thomas Lowry died last year. Here is his obituary:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/thomas-lowry-obituary?id=51812202

Well that would explain it. It's surprising he didn't (obstensibly) make arrangements to safeguard his voluminous work. Perhaps he did, & whoever he left in charge of it hasn't gotten around to dealing with it.