Where can I find military desertion records for my Great, great grandfather during the Civil War?

Question

U.S. Returns from Regular Army Infantry Regiments, 1821-1916 indicate my great, great grandfather deserted from the 1st Infantry, Company 6, at Benton Barracks, MO on 21 Sep., 1861. Where might I search for more detailed information about this. I have received his military records from the NARA but they contain no information about this.

Jonathan Deiss · Answer

If he deserted but was not caught, then there would not be a Courts Martial proceeding.&#160; If he was arrested but not tried, and returned to duty, that would be stated in the Company Muster Rolls in NARA RG94, entry 53 (I think).&#160; Also check RG94, entry 529, Carded Medical Records (regulars), organized by regiment, then surname.&#160; There may also be records in RG391 for the 1st Reg't US Infantry. What is his name? When asking a question like this, it i helpful to give as much data as possible; especially a name.&#160; When you stated vaguely that you received his 'records from NARA', what exactly did you receive?&#160; I ask because regular Army soldiers do not have Compiled Military Service Records. Did you just get an enlistment paper, or more?&#160; If he received a pension, then he cleared his desertion charge and data should be in the pension. Did you verify that he served only in the 1st Regiment United States Infantry (regulars), and not also from a state (volunteers and militia)?&#160; BTW - companies within regiments were lettered, not numbered, so which company was it besides "Company 6"? Hope this gets you to the next step.

Jake Ersland · Answer

Another possible place to look is in the Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau, Record Group 110.&#160; The National Archives at Kansas City has a number of series that list deserters.&#160; These records generally list the name of the individual that deserted, the unit they deserted from, when and where they deserted, and when arrested if applicable.&#160; Here is one possible series:&#160; "List of Deserters Reported by the Provost Marshal General, 1861-1863" (NAID 2770214).&#160; This is the only series that we have that goes as early as 1861.&#160; It is possible that it could be recorded in a later volume as well.

Alan Walker · Answer

Here is an article from the journal Prologue about Civil War Courts Martial records: The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Civil War Union Court-Martial Case Files Hope this helps!

Daria Labinsky · Answer

We may have a court-martial record -- https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12459579 &#160; -- for him, or his military personnel file -- https://catalog.archives.gov/id/299741 -- at the National Archives at St. Louis. See Military and Veterans Research and Resources at The National Archives | National Archives &#160; for information on how to request a search. Please fill out a separate form for each request.

Chipp Reid · Answer

Have you contacted the US Army Center for Military History at Carlisle Barracks, Pa.? A large number of regimental histories were written immediately after the Civil War, most by veterans of the units. The folks at Carlisle might be able to point you in the right direction regarding any histories of the 1st U.S. out West. Since the regiment spent the war essentially divided between the Army of the Ohio and the Army of the Potomac, there could well be some scholarship specifically on the battalion of the 1st in the West. As for births, etc., search for post returns of various forts/barracks for the antebellum time period. These records would contain (or should) contain family information as dependents were almost always recorded.

Megan Dwyre · Answer

For the Civil War period, the records would most likely be at the National Archives in Washington, DC. You may want to check out Trevor Plante's in-depth Prologue article, The Shady Side of the Family Tree: Civil War Union Court-Martial Case Files. In the article, he mentions that, "Desertion is a very common charge found in Civil War court-martial case files. Many of these cases are brief and provide little testimony. There are examples, however, of cases where the finding of the court resulted in a flurry of activity, including new information being brought to light after the trial ended." According to the article, the court-martial case files are arranged numerically and are not included in the registers reproduced on microfilm publication M1105. The only index to this series is in the Old Military and Civil Records Section at the National Archives in Washington, DC. You may e-mail the reference staff at archives1reference@nara.gov to request a search of the records. The index is arranged alphabetically by surname and is followed by brief descriptions of each case file including case number; the individual's name, rank, and unit; the trial date; charges; and a summary of findings.

Hope this helps.

Megan Dwyre

Textual Reference Archives II Branch

National Archives at College Park, MD

Cherkea Howery · Answer

At the National Archives in Washington DC, we have a number of finding aids for the Court Martial case files (RG 153).&#160; They are located in the consultation room and they are organized according to time period.&#160; These finding aids were searched for the names of the three service men discussed in this thread in the 1859-1868 and the 1894-1917 groups, according to service dates provided.&#160; None of their names or the alternative spellings of their names were located in our indexes.&#160;

Megan Dwyre · Answer

Hi Marcella, Since you're also looking at the time period around the Civil War, I would check out the Prologue article, and contact archives1reference@nara.gov to request the compiled Military Service Record, any courts-martial records, and any other records that may be related to his service. If you've been following the thread, there have been some other good suggestions too! Megan Dwyre Textual Reference Archives II Branch National Archives at College Park, MD

Megan Dwyre · Answer

It looks like the Courts-Martial Case Files 1894-1917 are in the custody of the National Archives in Washington, DC. You may write to archives1reference@nara.gov to request a search of these records.

Where can I find military desertion records for my Great, great grandfather during the Civil War?

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