HG DEPARTMENT NEWS

GENEALOGY RECENT ADDITIONS

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:18:00 +0000

You can check our catalog or call our History & Genealogy Department (314-539-0385) to get further information about these titles or other recent additions to our Genealogy book collection.

Allen, Desmond W. Family History Detective: A Step-by-Step Guide to Investigating Your Family History. Cincinnati, Ohio: Family Tree Books, 2011. HG 929.1

Bockstruck, Lloyd D. W. Revolutionary War Pensions Awarded by State Governments 1775-1874, the General and Federal Governments Prior to 1814, and by Private Acts of Congress to 1905. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2011. HG 973.34

Carangelo, Lori. The Ultimate Search Book: Worldwide Adoption, Genealogy, & Other Search Secrets. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co. for Clearfield Co, 2011. HG 929.1

Clifford, Karen. The Complete Beginner's Guide to Genealogy, the Internet, and Your Genealogy Computer Program. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub. Co, 2001. HG, ST 929.1

Henselmeyer, Ulrich, and Sandra N. Funk. The Walter and Henselmeier Families: Coming to and Settling in America. Indianapolis, Ind: S.H. Funk & U. Henselmeyer, 2011. ST 929.2 WALTER

Jackson, Belford D. Deguire Dit La Rose and Allied Families: The French Ancestry of Emma Deguire of Iron County, Missouri. Lohman, Mo: B.D. Jackson, 2011. ST 929.2 DEGUIRE

Jefferson County, Missouri Marriages 1881-1890. High Ridge, Mo: Jefferson County Genealogical Society, 2011. HG 929.3778 JEFFERSON

Rising, Marsha H. The Family Tree Problem Solver: Tried-and-true Tactics for Tracing Elusive Ancestors. Cincinnati, Ohio: Family Tree Books, 2011. HG, BU 929.1072073

Robertsen, Thomas R. Historical and Genealogical Notes on the Ancestry and Life of Charles Linden Culler. St, Louis, Mo: T.R. Robertsen, 2011. ST 929.2 CULLER

Stockton, Robert D. Descendants of Robert Stockton of Pennsylvania. Emporia, Kan: Bob Stockton, 2011. ST 929.2 STOCKTON

RECENT ADDITIONS

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:58:00 +0000

These books were recently added to the collection of St. Louis Public Library.

Call number follows each item on this list. You can find owning locations, determine item status, and reserve items of interest by checking our online catalog (http://www.slpl.org/).

Berman, Morris. Why America Failed: The Roots of Imperial Decline. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. [973.9]

Borstelmann, Thomas. The 1970s: A New Global History from Civil Rights to Economic Inequality. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press, 2012. [909.827]

Collins, Gail. William Henry Harrison. New York: Times Books/Henry Holt and Co, 2012. [B HARRISON]

Denton, Sally. The Plots against the President: FDR, a Nation in Crisis, and the Rise of the American Right. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2012. [973.917092]

Fagan, Brian M. The First North Americans: An Archaeological Journey. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2012. [973.0497]

Frank, Thomas. Pity the Billionaire: The Hard Times Swindle and the Unlikely Comeback of the Right. New York: Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt, 2012. [973.932]

Khalil, Ashraf. Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2012. [962.055]

Palmer, James. Heaven Cracks, Earth Shakes: The Tangshan Earthquake and the Death of Mao's China. New York: Basic Books, 2012. [951.056]

Satter, David. It Was a Long Time Ago, and It Never Happened Anyway: Russia and the Communist Past. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012. [947.0842]

White, Matthew. The Great Big Book of Horrible Things: The Definitive Chronicle of History's 100 Worst Atrocities. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. [909]

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART X

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0000

Spanish-American War--Casualty Lists and Burial Records

104. Peterson, Clarence S. Known Military Dead During the Spanish-American War and the Philippines Insurrection, 1898-1901. Baltimore: C. S. Peterson, 1958. (Central-HG 973.89)

105. Pompey, Sherman L. A Partial Listing of Veterans of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War Buried in Certain Missouri Cemeteries. Warrensburg: Johnson County Historical Society, 1962. (Central-ST 353.6)

106. Tabb, Kathy, and Evelyn Sawyer. Index to Michigan Soldiers Obituaries: Civil, Spanish, and World War I. MI: Western Michigan Genealogical Society, 1989. (Central-HG 973.001)

World War I--Casualty Lists and Burial Records

107. Soldiers of the Great War. Washington, D.C.: Soldiers’ Record Publishing Co., 1920, 3 vols. Lists by state of World War I Army dead. (Central-ST 940.91)

108. United States. Navy Department. Bureau of Navigation. Officers and Enlisted Men of the United States Navy Who Lost Their Lives During the World War, from April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1920. (Central-ST 940.91)

109. Zimmer, Keith. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Obituaries. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library. Scroll down to Casualty Lists.

World War II--Casualty Lists and Burial Records

110. Mix, Ann B. Touchstones: a Guide to Records, Rights, and Resources for Families of American World War II Casualties. Bountiful, UT: AGLL, 1996. (Central-HG 929.1)

111. Steere, Edward. The Graves Registration Service in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Historical Section, Office of the Quartermaster General, 1951. (Central-ST 355.6)

112. United States. Navy Department of Information. State Summary of War Casualties, Missouri. Washington, D.C.: U.S.Government Printing Office, 1946. (Central-ST 940.5467778)

113. United States. Navy Department of Information. Combat Connected Naval Casualties, World War II, by States, 1946, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 2 vols. Missouri casualties are in vol. 2. (Central-HG 940.92)

114. Zimmer, Keith. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Newspaper Obituaries. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library. Scroll down to Casualty Lists.

Korean War--Casualty Lists and Burial Records

115. Korean War Dead. State-by-state lists available from the National Archives.

Vietnam War--Casualty Lists and Burial Records

116. Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Directory of Names. Washington, D.C.: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, 1982. (Central-HG 959.70433)

117. Vietnam War Dead. State-by-state lists available from the National Archives.

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART IX

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Revolutionary War-- Casualty Lists and Burial Records

92. Daughters of the American Revolution. Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Missouri. Kansas City: DAR, 1966. (Central-HG 973.74)

93. Hatcher, Patricia Law. Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Dallas: Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987-1988. (Central-HG 973.74)

94. Illinois State Genealogical Society. Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in Illinois: a Bicentennial Project of the Illinois State Genealogical Society. Springfield: The Society, 1975. (Central-HG 929.3773)

95. Peterson, Clarence S. Known Military Dead During the American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783. Baltimore: C. S. Peterson, 1959. (Central-HG 973.74)

War of 1812-- Casualty Lists and Burial Records

96. Peterson, Clarence S. Known Military Dead During the War of 1812. Baltimore: C. S. Peterson, 1955. (Central-HG 973.5)

Mexican-American War-- Casualty Lists and Burial Records

97. Peterson, Clarence S. Known Military Dead during the Mexican War, 1846-1848. Baltimore: the Author, 1957. (Central-HG 973.6)

Civil War-- Casualty Lists and Burial Records

98. Confederate Roll of Honor: Missouri. Ed. by Leslie Anders. Warrensburg, MO: West Central Missouri Genealogical Society and Library, Inc., 1989.(Central-HG 973.76)

99. Faehtz, Ernest F. M. The National Memorial Day: a Record of Ceremonies Over the Graves of the Union Soldiers, May 29 & 30, 1869. Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic, 1870. (Central-ST 973.7)

100. Praus, Alexis A. Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Civilians Who Died as Prisoners of War at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill., 1862-1865. Kalamazoo, MI: Gray Publications, 1968. (Central-HG, ST 973.76)

101. Reamy, Martha & William Reamy. Index to the Roll of Honor. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995. (Central-HG 973.76)

102. Soldiers Buried at Union Cemetery, Kansas City, MO. Kansas City: Union Cemetery Historical Society, 1988, 2 vols. (Central-HG 929.3778)

103. United States. War Department. Quartermaster’s Department. Roll of Honor: Names of Soldiers Who Died in Defense of the American Union, Interred in the National Cemeteries. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1994. Multi-volume set, indexed. Lists Union soldiers buried in national cemeteries during the Civil War, or reinterred in them shortly after the war. (Central-HG 973.76)

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART VIII

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Mexican-American War--Pension Records & Disability Payments

80. Payne, Dorothy E. Arkansas Pensioners, 1818-1900: Records of Some Arkansas Residents Who Applied to the Federal Government for Benefits Arising from Service in Federal Military Organizations (Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Indian and Mexican Wars). Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1985. (Central-HG 929.3767)

81. Troxel, Navena H. Mexican War Index to Pension Files, 1886-1926. Gore, OK: VT Publications, 1983, 3 vols. (Central-HG 973.74)

82. United States. Pension Bureau. List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, 5 vols. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970. (Central-HG 973.74)

Civil War--Pension Records & Disability Payments

83. Allen, Desmond Walls. Arkansas Union Soldiers Pension Application Index. Conway, AR: Rapid Rabbit Copy Co., 1987. (Central-HG 973.74)

84. Concannon, Marie. Index to Missouri Military Pensioners, 1883. Columbia: State Historical Society of Missouri, 1997. (Central-HG 973.74)

85. Fox, Peggy Barnes. Missouri Confederate Pensions and Confederate Home Applications Index. Hillsboro, TX: Hill College Press, 1996. (Central-HG 973.7448)

86. Kentucky. Division of Archives & Records Management. Kentucky Confederate Veteran and Widows Pension Index. Hartford, KY: Cook & McDowell, 1979. (Central-HG 929.3769)

87. Missouri. Federal Soldiers’ Home of St. James, Missouri. Biennial Reports (1901-1946). Jefferson City: Mid-State Publishing Co., 1902-1947. (Central-ST 362.8)

88. Oklahoma Genealogical Society. Index to Applications for Pensions from the State of Oklahoma Submitted by Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, & Their Widows. Oklahoma City: The Society, 1969. (Central-HG 929.3766)

89. Raff, George W. The War Claimant’s Guide: a Manual of Laws, Regulations, Instructions, Forms, and Official Decisions, Relating to Pensions, Bounty Pay, & Prize Money. Cincinnati: R. Clark, 1866. (Central-ST 336.73)

90. United States. Pension Bureau. List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1970, 5 vols. (Central-HG 973.74)

91. White, Virgil D. Index to Texas CSA Pension Files. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1989. (Central-HG 929.3764)

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART VII

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:45:00 +0000

Revolutionary War-- Pension Records & Disability Payments

68. Clark, Murtie June. The Pension Lists of 1792-1795: with Other Revolutionary War Pension Records. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991. (Central-HG 973.34)

69. Dorman, John F. Virginia Revolutionary Pension Applications, Abstracted. Washington, D.C.: J. F. Dorman, 1958-1980, 35 vols. (Central-HG 975.5)

70. United States. Department of the Interior. Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969. (Central-HG, ST 929.373)

71. United States. Pension Bureau. Pensioners of Revolutionary War Struck Off the Roll. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969. (Central-HG 355.151)

72. United States. War Department. Revolutionary Pensioners: a Transcript of the United States for 1813. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1959. (Central-HG 929.373)

73. United States. War Department. Pension Roll of 1835. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1968. (Central-ST 973.34)

74. White, Virgil D. Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1990-1992, 3 vols. (Central-HG 973.74)

War of 1812-- Pension Records & Disability Payments

75. McGhee, Lucy Kate. Missouri Revolutionary War Soldiers, War of 1812 and Indian Wars Pension List. Washington, D.C.: n.d. (Central-HG 977.8)

76.. The Pension Roll of 1835. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992, 4 vols. (Central-HG 973.34)

77. United States. Census Office. A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services; with Their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts in 1840. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967. (Central-HG 929.373)

78. United States. War Department. Kentucky Pensions of 1835. Baltimore: Southern Book Co., 1959. (Central-HG 976.9)

79. White, Virgil D. Index to War of 1812 Pension Files. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1992. (Central-HG 973.526)

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART VI

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:08:00 +0000

Korean War—Rosters & Reference Works

51. Blanchard, Carroll H. Korean War Bibliography and Maps of Korea. Albany: Korean Conflict Research Foundation, 1964. (Central-ST 016.9519)

52. Dornbusch, C. E. Histories of American Army Units, World Wars I and II and Korean Conflict, with Some Earlier Histories. Washington, D. C.: Department of the Army, 1956. (Central-ST 016.355)

53. United States. Marine Corps. First Division. First Marine Division. November 1-December 15, 1950, Chosin Reservoir. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951. (Central-ST 951.9)

Vietnam War—Rosters & Reference Works

54. Headhunters: Stories from the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, Vietnam, 1965-1971. Novato, CA: Presidio Press, 1987. (Central-ST 959.704342)

55. Stanton, Shelby L. Vietnam Order of Battle. Washington, D.C.: U.S. News Books, 1981. (Central-HG Oversize 959.70433)

56. The Marines in Vietnam, 1954-1973: an Anthology and Annotated Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Printing Office, 1974. (Central-ST 959.70434)

57. The United States Navy and the Vietnam Conflict. Washington, D.C.: U.S.Government Printing Office, 1976. (Central-ST 959.704345)

Revolutionary War-- Bounty Land Records

58. Bockstruck, Lloyd Dewitt. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants: Awarded by State Governments. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996. (Central- HG 973.34)

59. Cartwright, Betty Goff Cook. North Carolina Land Grants in Tennessee, 1778-1791. Memphis, TN: I. C. Harper Co., 1958. (Central-HG 973.34)

60. Jillson, Willard Rouse. The Kentucky Land Grants: a Systematic Index to All of the Land Grants Recorded in the State Land Office at Frankfort, Kentucky, 1782-1924. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1971. (Central-HG 976.9)

61. Mayo, Robert. Army and Navy Pension Laws, and Bounty Land Laws of the United States Including Sundry Resolutions of Congress from 1776-1852. Washington, D.C.: J. T. Towers, 1852. (Central-ST 355.115)

62. Smith, Clifford N. Federal Land Series: a Calendar of Archival Materials on the Land-Patents Issued by the United States Government, with Subject, Tract, and Name Indexes. Chicago: American Library Association, 1972-1982, 4 vols. Vol. 1 covers 1788-1810; vol. 2 covers 1799-1835; vol. 3 covers 1810-1814; vol. 4 covers land grants in the Virginia District of Ohio. Includes name and tract indexes in each volume. (Central-HG 333.16)

63. Wilson, Samuel M. Catalogue of Revolutionary Soldiers and Sailors of the Commonwealth of Virginia to Whom Land Bounty Warrants were Granted by Virginia for Military Services in the War for Independence. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967. (Central-HG, ST 973.34)

War of 1812-- Bounty Land Records

64. Christensen, Katherine. Arkansas Military Bounty Grants (War of 1812). Hot Springs: Arkansas Ancestors, 1971. (Central-HG 929.3767)

65. Dunaway, Maxine. Missouri Military Land Warrants, War of 1812. Springfield, MO: M. Dunaway, 1985. (Central-HG 929.3778)

66. United States. General Land Office. War of 1812 Bounty Lands in Illinois. Thomson, IL: Heritage House, 1977. (Central-HG 977.3)

67. Wardell, Patrick G. War of 1812: Virginia Bounty Land & Pension Applicants: a Quick Reference Guide to Ancestors having War of 1812 Service Who Served Lived, Died, or Married in Virginia or West Virginia. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1987. (Central-HG 973.52455)

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART V

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:26:00 +0000

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR--ROSTERS & REFERENCE WORKS

38. Pictorial Atlas Illustrating the Spanish-American War: Comprising a History of the Conflict. New York: G. F. Cram, 1898. (Central-ST 973.8)

39. Venzon, Anne C. The Spanish-American War: an Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1990. (Central-HG 016.97389)

WORLD WAR I--ROSTERS & REFERENCE WORKS

40. DeCastelbled, Maurice. History of the A.E.F. New York: Bookcraft, 1937. (Central-ST 940.91)

41. Livesey, Anthony. I. The Historical Atlas of World War. New York: H. Holt, 1994. (Central-HG 940.410223)

42. Ohio. Adjutant-General’s Office. The Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-1918. Columbus: F. J. Heer Printing Co., 1926-1929. (Central-ST 940.91)

43. Schaefer, Christina. The Great War: a Guide to the Service Records of All the World’s Fighting Men and Volunteers. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1998. (Central-HG 940.3)

WORLD WAR II--ROSTERS & REFERENCE WORKS

44. Conference on Research on the Second World War. World War II: an Account of Its Documents. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1976. (Central-ST 940.5307)

45. 42nd Rainbow Infantry Infantry Division. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Co., 1987. (Central-ST Oversize 940.541273)

46. Goodenough, Simon. War Maps: World War II, From September 1939, to August 1945, Air, Sea, and Land, Battle by Battle. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1982. (Central-HG Oversize 911)

47. Sixth Marine Division: the Striking Sixth. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Co.,1987. (Central-ST Oversize 940.541273)

48. Stanton, Shelby L. Order of Battle, U.S. Army, World War II. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1984. (Central-HG Oversize 355.30973)

49. 34th Bombardment Group (H), 1941-1945. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Co., 1988. (Central-ST Oversize 940.544973)

50. United States. National Archives. Federal Records of World War II. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1951, 2 vols. Vol. 1 covers civilian records; Vol. 2 covers military records. (Central-HG 940.92)

ELKHORN TAVERN

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Jones, Douglas C. Elkhorn Tavern. NY: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1980. ST-Fic

Civil War novels generally focus on either a particular battle or a particular character. This novel carries the name of a major Civil War battle, Pea Ridge (better known as Elkhorn Tavern in the South), but its real focus is a group of characters, the Hasford family, homesteaders in rural Arkansas, and how their lives are affected by the aftershocks of that battle. War has at least temporarily claimed the Hasford family patriarch, Martin, who is in the rebel army in Virginia. At home are his wife, Ora; daughter, Calpurnia; and son, Roman.

A casualty of the battle, a wounded Union Army officer, finds his way to the Hasford doorstep. Ora Hasford and Tulip Crozier, an eccentric neighbor, are forced to amputate the officer's gangrenous left hand with makeshift tools in a harrowing scene that helps lend a human face to the horrors of war.

Elkhorn Tavern tells us the story of how an amputee learns to embrace love and cope with the difficulties that his missing hand presents. It also has several other stories to tell, however: how a woman in a perilous time and place faces life without the husband on whom she has depended; how a teen-aged boy and girl grow to maturity in that same perilous time and place; and how a family copes with predators of all stripes that the war has inadvertently unleashed.

Elkhorn Tavern is a great read for Civil War buffs, but will also interest persons who just like a good story well told. It's similar in some ways to Cold Mountain, but was published 17 years before that book first saw light of day. If you like this book I've got good news for you: author Jones has written a number of other novels about the Hasfords (Come Winter; Remember Santiago; Roman; and Winding Stair)- so your stay as a temporary guest of the family needn't end here.

I'LL BET AT LEAST ONE GUY WAS DISMAYED

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:43:00 +0000

Brighton, Terry. Hell Riders: the True Story of the Charge of the Light Brigade. NY: Henry Holt & Co., 2004. Central-HG, BU 947.073842

On October 25, 1854, nearly 700 members of the Light Brigade, British Cavalry Division, armed only with sabres and lances, charged up a Crimean valley ringed on three sides by Russian artillery and infantry. The charge, which covered about a mile and a quarter in seven minutes' time, resulted in nearly 300 British soldiers being killed, wounded, or taken prisoner, and at least as many British horses lying dead on the field. Was the charge really the tragic result of missed communications, as has long been claimed, and was it in fact a complete waste of the lives of good men and horses? The conclusions reached by the author after extensive research may surprise you.

FIRST SPOOK

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:31:00 +0000

Rose, Alexander. Washington's Spies: the Story of America's First Spy Ring. NY: Bantam Books, 2006. HG, BU, MA 973.385

It's fairly common knowledge at this point that George Washington was not America's best general ever. He wasn't our best-ever strategist or tactician, and he came close at several points during the Revolution to losing it all due to strategic or tactical errors. But it's long been known that old George was quite good at one thing, certainly-- learning from his mistakes.

It seems, however, that scholars of the period have discovered that George was good at something else as well. Not just good, in fact: he was something of a visionary when it came to intelligence gathering and espionage. Now, things started badly for Washington here as in so many of his endeavors-- initial forays into the "spy game" resulted in blunders like the Nathan Hale affair, in which schoolteacher turned spy Hale was sent into the lion's den to gather intelligence. He had nearly succeeded despite the overwhelming odds, only to be taken into custody when he mistakenly flagged down a British frigate instead of the colonial navy ship he had been expecting. Washington was thus left hanging (as, alas, was poor Nathan) while a new agent was recruited.

Washington soon hit on the idea of using spies who remained in place behind enemy lines, and were thus less conspicuous to the British and local Loyalists, instead of spies sent in from outside who stood out like sore thumbs as they observed British activities and attempted to question locals and British soldiers about British numbers, movements, and armaments. The problem then was getting out messages from spies to the First Spook-- a problem solved by the use of, among other things, invisible ink.

Washington's (largely successful) effort to build what modern-day spooks would call an all-source intelligence network was one of the main reasons that he was able, with a poorly equipped and nearly always outnumbered army, to defeat the British and help a fledgling nation gain its independence. Read this book, and you'll discover how this most remarkable man accomplished this most remarkable feat.

THE FROZEN SOUTH: JOURNEYS TO ANTARCTICA

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Hopefully we won't face any great weather extremes this winter--but reading about a place that's a whole lot colder than St. Louis should make whatever we face seem no big deal by comparison!

Arneson, Liv, Bancroft, Ann, and Cheryl Dahle. No Horizon is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. HG 919.8904

Antarctica: Great Stories From the Frozen Continent. Sydney: Reader's Digest, 1985. ST-Oversize 919.8904

Campbell, David G. The Crystal Desert: Summers in Antarctica. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1992. ST 508.98

Parfit, Michael. South Light: a Journey to the Lost Continent. NY: Macmillan, 1985. ST 919.8904

Free-lance writer Parfit spent a full season in Antarctica under the auspices of the National Science Foundation. He was able to travel widely while there, visiting McMurdo Station, South Pole Station, and Russian and Chilean research stations to name but a few places, traveling at times in an ice-breaker to get there. Although his main focus is the people who choose to live and work at research stations in Antarctica, he also manages to paint unforgettable glimpses of the polar landscape and the frozen continent's amazing fauna. He captures in lively and lovely prose the thrill of adventure and the pursuit of scientific discovery, and will make readers who have even the slightest interest in the place very sorry that they have never been there. A first-rate book about a fascinating place.

Pyne, Stephen J. The Ice: a Journey to Antarctica. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998. ST 919.8904

Rosove, Michael H. Let Heroes Speak: Antarctic Explorers, 1772-1922. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000. HG 919.89904

It's remarkable how many explorers of the Antarctic were also gifted writers, and compiler Rosove here allows them to speak for themselves. Famous Antarctic explorers like Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton are accorded their due, but so are other, less well-known adventurers. Nearly all of them appear to have been involved in a love-hate relationship with the Frozen South: all speak of its bleakness and unforgiving nature (Scott wrote, "Great God! This is an awful place!"), yet most also speak of encountering scenes of awesome beauty and grandeur (a member of Shackleton's expedition said of a thousand-foot-wide ice crevasse that, "The whole was the wildest, maddest, and yet the grandest thing imaginable."). The English poet John Keats wrote a poem titled "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," which translates as the beautiful lady without mercy. Judging by their writings, it seems obvious that these explorers would have no trouble believing that the subject of Keat's poem was Antarctica, a beautiful but forbidding mistress every bit as cruel and then some as any that exists in fact or fiction.

Shackleton, Ernest Henry. South: the Last Antarctic Expedition of Shackleton and the Endurance. NY: Lyons Press, 1998. ST 919.8904092

Smith, Roff Martin. Life on the Ice: No One Goes to Antarctica Alone. Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2005. HG 919.89

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART IV

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Civil War-- Military Service Records & Rosters

Microfilm

19. Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Missouri, 193 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

20. Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Missouri, 854 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

21. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Illinois, 101 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

22. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Missouri, 54 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

23. Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1897, 70 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

Books

24. Dornbusch, C. E. Military Bibliography of the Civil War. Dayton, OH: Morningside Books, 1987, 4 vols. Vol. 1 covers northern states, vol. 2 southern and border states. (Central-HG 016.973)

25. Groene, Bertram H. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. Winston-Salem, NC: J. F. Blair, 1973. (Central-HG 016.9293)

26. Hewett, Janet B. The Roster of Confederate Soldiers. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing Co., 1995. Mutilvolume set. (Central-HG 973.741)

27. Hewett, Janet B. The Roster of Union Soldiers. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing Co., 1997. Multi-volume set. (Central-HG 973.741)

28. Illinois. Adjutant-General’s Office. Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of Illinois. Springfield, IL: Phillips Brothers, 1900-1902, 9 vols. Organized by regiment: check website of Illinois Secretary of State to find out a man’s regiment. First 8 volumes cover Civil War regiments; last volume covers Black Hawk War, Mexican-American War, and Spanish-American War. (Central-HG 353.9)

29. Iowa. Adjutant General’s Office. List of Ex-Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines Living in Iowa (1886). Decorah, IA: Decorah Genealogy Association, 1997. (Central-HG 929.373)

30. Munden, Kenneth W. and Henry P. Beers. Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1962. (Central-ST 016.9737)

31. Neagle, James C. U.S. Military Records: a Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994. (Central-HG 929.30973)

32. Pearson, Thomas A. Missouri Men Who Served in Illinois Civil War Regiments. St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library. (http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/library.htm)

33. Pearson, Thomas A. Missouri Men Who Served in Kansas Civil War Regiments.St. Louis: St. Louis Public Library. (http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/library.htm)

34. Schweitzer, George K. Civil War Genealogy: a Basic Research Guide for Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors, with Detailed Sources and Precise Instructions for Obtaining Information from Them. Knoxville, TN: G. Schweitzer, 1980.(Central-HG 016.9293)

35. United States. War Department. The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. New York: Gramercy Books, 1983. (Central-HG, ST Oversize 973.7)

36. United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 volumes. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1880-1901. Last volume is a general index to entire set: each volume also has its own index. (Central-HG, ST 973.7)

37. Welcher, Frank J. The Union Army, 1861-1865: Organization and Operations. Bloomington: University of Indiana, 1989, 2 vols. Vol. 1- Eastern Theater, Vol. 2- Western Theater. (Central-HG 973.41)

GENEALOGY & LOCAL HISTORY PROGRAMS NOV 2011-MAR 2012

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Here's the latest list of upcoming programs I'll be doing at various locations. All are sponsored or co-sponsored by St. Louis Public Library. All are free and open to the public. Please note that locations vary.

Sat, Nov 19, 2011, 10 AM-Noon--Squeezing Your Sources: Extracting All the Info You Can From Civil War Service and Pension Records. Join us as Tom Pearson describes ways to extract all the info that you possibly can from compiled military service records and pension records. Buder Branch. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info, email us at tpearson@slpl.org.

Sat, Dec 17, 2011, 10 AM-Noon--Take Your Best Shot: Civil War Artillery! Join us as Tom Pearson discusses Civil War cannon and cannoneers. Buder Branch. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info: tpearson@slpl.org.

Saturday, January 28, 2012, 10 am-Noon—Cavalry Raids: Secret Weapons or Flashy Sideshows? Buder Branch. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses Civil War cavalry weapons, equipment, and tactics. Was the cavalry raid a legitimate military tactic, or was it a waste of essential resources? Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info, email us at tpearson@slpl.org.

Thursday, March 22, 2012, 10 am-Noon—Civil War 24/7: Researching Civil War Soldiers & Regiments on the Internet. Buder Branch. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses ways to thoroughly research Civil War soldiers and military units using the Internet (free and subscription sources discussed). Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info, email us at tpearson@slpl.org.

SLPL branch library locations and hours

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART III

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:20:00 +0000

War of 1812-- Military Service Records & Rosters

Microfilm

12. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812, 234 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

Books

13. Coles, Harry Lewis. The War of 1812. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965. (Central-ST 973.5)

14. North Carolina. Adjutant-General. Muster Rolls of the Soldiers of the War of 1812. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976. (Central-HG 973.524)

Mexican-American War-- Military Service Records & Rosters

Microfilm

15. Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the Mexican-American War, 41 reels. (Central-Microfilm)

Books

16. Dufour, Charles. The Mexican War: a Compact History. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1968. Maps. (Central-ST 973.6)

17. Hackenburg, Randy W. Pennsylvania in the War With Mexico. Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Publishing Co., 1992. (Central-HG 972.05)

18. Nebraska. Secretary of State. Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines of the War of 1812, Mexican War, and the War of the Rebellion, Residing in Nebraska, June 1, 1893. Lincoln: Jacob North & Co., 1893. (Central-ST 973.74)

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART II

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:16:00 +0000

REVOLUTIONARY WAR-- MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS & ROSTERS

Microfilm

1. General Index to Compiled Service Records of Revolutionary War Veterans [58 reels]. (Central-Microfilm)

2. Revolutionary War Service Records [138 reels]. (Central-Microfilm)

Books

3. Atwood, Rodney. The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen-Kassel in the American Revolution. NY: Cambridge University Press, 1980. (Central-ST 973.342)

4. Carrington, Henry B. Battles of the American Revolution: Battle Maps and Charts of the Revolution. New York: New York Times, 1968. (Central-ST 973.33)

5. Daughters of the American Revolution. Index of the Rolls of Honor (Ancestor’s Index) in the Lineage Books of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1972 [160 volumes].(Central-HG 929.373)

6. Myers, Paul W. Pennsylvania Soldiers of the Revolutionary War, Living in States Other Than Pennsylvania. Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1987. (Central-HG 973.3448)

7. Smith, Clifford Neal. Brunswick Deserter-Immigrants of the American Revolution. Thomson, IL: Heritage House, 1973. (Central-HG 929.343)

8. Smith, Clifford Neal. Mercenaries from Ansbach and Bayreuth, Germany, Who Remained in America after the Revolution. McNeal, AZ: Westland Publications, 1979. (Central-HG 973.342)

9. Smith, Clifford Neal. Muster Rolls and Prisoner of War Lists in American Archival Collections Pertaining to the German Mercenary Troops who Served with the British Forces during the American Revolution. DeKalb, IL: Westland Publications, 1976. (Central-HG 973.342)

10. The State Records of North Carolina. Raleigh: P. M. Hale, 1886-1914 [30 vols]. (Central-ST 975.6)

Volume 16 has a list of soldiers in the North Carolina Continental Line.

11. White, Virgil D. Index to Revolutionary War Service Records. Waynesboro, TN: National Historical Publishing Co., 1995 [4 vols]. (Central-HG 973.4)

DOWNLOADABLE HISTORY FROM SLPL!

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:30:00 +0000

SLPL now offers loans of ebooks to our cardholders.

We support the following ebook formats:

Kindle and Kindle for PC
Adobe EPUB
Adobe PDF
Open EPUB
Open PDF

We also offer downloads of audiobooks for our cardholders. We support the following audiobook formats:

MP3 Audiobooks
WMA Audiobooks

You can go here for a list of supported devices:

You need to download the Overdrive Media Console to get started (don’t worry—it’s quick and pain-free).

Here’s a list of just a few of the history ebooks available:

Bryson, Bill. At Home: an Informal History of Private Life.

Haskin, Leslie. Escape From the World Trade Center.

Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken: a World War Ii Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

Hornfischer, James D. Neptune’s Inferno: the U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal.

Kissinger, Henry. On China.

McClure, Wendy. The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie.

Millard, Candice. The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey.

Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarches: a History of the Papacy.
Smith, Dennis. A Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance from 9/11 Families & Friends.

Vaillant, John. In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin.

Wilkerson, Isabelle. The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.

MAJOR AMERICAN MILITARY CONFLICTS, PART I

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:37:00 +0000

1775-1783--Revolutionary War (Was your male ancestor 10-45 years of age in 1775?)

1812-1814--War of 1812 (Was your male ancestor 15-45 years of age in 1812?)

1846-1848--Mexican-American War (Was your male ancestor 16-45 years of age in 1846?)

1861-1865--Civil War (Was your male ancestor 13-45 years of age in 1861?)

1898--Spanish-American War (Was your male ancestor 18-45 years of age in 1898?)

1917-1918--World War I (Was your ancestor 17-45 years of age in 1917?)

1941-1945--World War II (Was your ancestor 13-45 years of age in 1941?)

1950-1953--Korean War (Was your ancestor 15-45 years of age in 1950?)

1964-1973--Vietnam War (Was your ancestor 9-45 years of age in 1964?)

1990-1991--Gulf War (Was your ancestor 17-45 years of age in 1990?)

If you know when an American man (or woman) was born, it is fairly easy to figure out in which war(s) he may have served. Just figure that men have generally been liable for military service between the ages of 18-45, with those between the ages of 18-35 being the ones most likely to enlist/be drafted. Also be aware that it would have been hard for men 18-35 to avoid serving in several of these wars, notably the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II, while it would have been relatively easy to avoid serving in the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War, and the Gulf War.

Men who have served in America’s wars have been eligible at various times for special government programs, including bounty land grants and military pensions. Bounty land warrants were granted at various times during the period 1788-1855. Warrantees could receive up to 160 acres each (privates or seamen), all of which need not have been awarded under the provisions of one particular piece of legislation. A soldier’s heirs could also receive a grant for land based on his service, so long as total acreage awarded to that man and his heirs did not exceed 160 acres.

Land warrants initially would have been redeemable in specially earmarked military districts: men receiving warrants in 1847 and after could redeem them for any open public lands, not just land in military districts. Civil War Union soldiers did not receive bounty lands, although they could deduct time in service from the residency requirements of the 1862 Homestead Act.

Most bounty land was located in the present-day states of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois, with smaller amounts in the present-day states of New York, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Missouri. Most land warrants were issued by the federal government, although some state governments, notably Pennsylvania and New York, also rewarded Revolutionary War soldiers with land grants.

Immediately after each of these wars, pensions were available only to those men permanently disabled by their service, and to widows or orphans of men killed in the war. Pensions would become available later to any man who had served in the war who was unable to support himself and/or his family due to age and/or infirmity; then at some later point would be available to any surviving soldier of a particular war. For example, Revolutionary War vets became eligible in 1818 for pensions if they had financial need for support, and if they had either 9 months total service or had served to the end of the war.

Civil War Union soldiers received pensions from the federal government, while Confederate soldiers received pensions directly from the Southern or border state they were living in after the war (surviving Confederate widows only became eligible for federal pensions in 1959--after the last Confederate vet had passed on).

Men entering military service sometimes received one-time payments for enlisting (bounties were more widely available in the North than in the South). These payments could come from the soldier’s town, county, state, or the federal government, or from all four (some soldiers enlisting in the Union Army in late 1864/early 1865 received bonuses of up to $1,200, a very substantial sum at the time).

Certain types of aid to soldiers and/or their families were made only by state/local governments. While in service, a man’s family (in some states) could receive relief payments if receipt of a soldier’s meager pay ($13.00/month) was causing family hardship. Victims of amputation could receive artificial limbs from some states (1/3 of Mississippi’s budget in 1866 consisted of payments for artificial limbs and eyes).

Families of deceased veterans were also eligible for certain forms of aid. The family of a Union soldier killed during the war received a one-time payment of $100 from the federal government. The man’s body could be buried by the U.S. Army on or near the place where he fell, or the family could pay to transport the body home. The U.S. government furnished a headstone to a veteran’s family free of charge (and maintains a list of veterans for whom a headstone was furnished).

UPCOMING CLASSES AT SLPL

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Here's the latest list of upcoming programs we’ll be offering at various metro-area locations. All are sponsored or co-sponsored by St. Louis Public Library. All are free and open to the public. Please note that locations vary.

Tues, Oct 18, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM—Over There: Researching World War I Ancestors. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses print, microfilm, manuscript, and Internet sources of info on ancestors who served during World War I. Hayner Public Library, 401 State Street, Alton, IL 62002. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more information: tpearson@slpl.org.

Thurs, Oct 20, 10 AM-Noon— The Second War of American Independence: Researching War of 1812 Ancestors. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses book, manuscript, and Internet sources of information about War of 1812 ancestors. Buder Branch. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info, email us at tpearson@slpl.org.

Tues, Oct 25, 2:00 PM-3:30 PM—Research at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. Join us as Tom Pearson discusses print, microfilm, manuscript, and Internet sources of info on ancestors available via ALPL (located in Springfield, IL). Belleville Public Library, 121 E. Washington Street, Belleville, IL 62220. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more information: tpearson@slpl.org.

Sat, Nov 19, 10 AM-Noon--Squeezing Your Sources: Extracting All the Info You Can From Civil War Service and Pension Records. Join us as Tom Pearson describes ways to extract all the info that you possibly can from compiled military service records and pension records. Buder Branch. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info, email us at tpearson@slpl.org.

Sat, Dec 17, 10 AM-Noon--Take Your Best Shot: Civil War Artillery! Join us as Tom Pearson discusses Civil War cannon and cannoneers. Buder Branch. Pre-registration recommended but not required. To register or for more info: tpearson@slpl.org.

Buder Branch Library
4401 Hampton Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63109
(314) 352-2900

9am - 9pm Monday-Thursday
9am - 6pm Friday and Saturday
1pm - 5pm Sunday

Free parking is available on Buder Branch parking lot.

Tom Pearson, Reference Librarian
Special Collections Department
St. Louis Public Library
1415 Olive Street
St. Louis, MO 63103

READING LISTS--CIVIL WAR BATTLES, PT. 2

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:31:00 +0000

THE BATTLE OF WILSON'S CREEK (10 August 1861)

Place: Near Springfield, Missouri

Commanders: Ben McCulloch (CSA)
Franz Sigel (USA)
Nathaniel Lyon (USA)
Sterling Price (CSA)

Engaged Forces: Confederate-11,300; Union-5,400

Casualties: KIA--Confederate-257; Union-223
WIA--Confederate-900; Union-721
MIA--Confederate-27; Union-291
TOTAL--Confederate-1,184; Union-1,235

BOOKS OF INTEREST

Adamson, Hans C. Rebellion in Missouri, 1861: Nathaniel Lyon and His Army of the West. Philadelphia: Chilton Co., Book Division, 1961. HG-973.73

Castel, Albert E. General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1968. HG,ST 973.742

The Battle of Wilson's Creek, August 10, 1861: Wilson's Creek Centennial Commemoration, August 10, 1961. Springfield, Mo, 1961. ST-973.73

Brooksher, William R. Bloody Hill: The Civil War Battle of Wilson's Creek. Washington: Brassey's, 1995. ST,HG,BU-973.731

Holcombe, R. I. An Account of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Springfield, Mo: Greene County Historical Society, 1998. HG-973.731

Kemp, Hardy A. About Nathaniel Lyon, Brigadier General, United States Army Volunteers and Wilson's Creek. S.l: s.n., 1978. ST-B

Patrick, Jeffrey L. Campaign for Wilson’s Creek: the Fight for Missouri Begins. Buffalo Gap Press: McWhiney Foundation, 2011. 973.731 (most branches)

Phillips, Christopher. Damned Yankee: The Life of General Nathaniel Lyon. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1990. ST,SLAS,HU-B

Piston, William G, and Richard W. Hatcher. Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. HG,SLAS-973.731

Rea, Ralph R. Sterling Price: the Lee of the West. Little Rock: Pioneer Press, 1959. HG-L B PRICE

MISSOURI ODD PHENOMENA FILE, PT. 7

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:08:00 +0000

Tombstone, Portable. See Sellers, Isaac.

Valle House. The Valle House, home of one of the early French settlers of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, is reputedly haunted. Brandon, Jim. Weird America (1978), p. 123.

Wadlow, Robert Pershing. The so-called "Alton Giant" died in 1940 at age 22. He was at that time 8 feet, 11 inches tall, and was supposedly the kindest, gentlest man you could ever imagine meeting. There is a life-sized statue of Wadlow on Pershing Avenue in Alton, Illinois. Midwest Motorist, September-October 1991, pp. 34-35.

Worth, Patience. In 1913, a St. Louis housewife named Pearl (Rogers) Curran claimed to be in continuing contact with a spirit named Patience Worth. The spirit said she had been born in Dorsetshire, England, removed to America, and been killed by Indians approximately three hundred years before she made contact with Curran. Patience was an industrious spirit, and for the next ten years dictated a rather dizzying stream of poems, short stories, and novels to Curran. More than 5,000 poems passed from Patience through Curran's pen, plus a play and several novels, including one called Telka, which some critics said did not possess a single word that entered the English language after 1700. Yost, Casper S. Patience Worth: a Psychic Mystery (1916).

READING LISTS--CIVIL WAR BATTLES, PT. 1

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:58:00 +0000

THE BATTLE OF 1st BULL RUN (aka FIRST MANASSAS)

PLACE: Manassas Junction, Virginia
DATE: July 21, 1861

COMMANDERS

CSA: Pierre G. T. Beauregard
Joseph Johnston

USA: Irvin McDowell

TROOPS INVOLVED

CSA: 32,500 troops available for battle (18, 053 actually involved in the fighting)
387 men killed in action or mortally wounded
1,582 men wounded
13 men captured or missing in action
1,982 casualties total

USA: 35,000 troops available for battle (18,572 actually involved in the fighting)
460 men killed in action or mortally wounded
1,124 men wounded
1,312 men captured or missing in action
2,996 casualties total

BOOKS OF INTEREST

Ballard, Ted. Battle of 1st Bull Run. Washington, DC: Center for Military History, 2007. DO- D114.12: B32/2.

Davis, William C. Battle at Bull Run: A History of the First Major Campaign of the Civil War. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1977. ST-973.731

Detzer, David. Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2004. HG-973.731

First Manassas. Arlington, VA: Time-Life Books, 1997. ST,MA-973.731

Johnston, R. M. Bull Run: Its Strategy and Tactics. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1913. ST-973.73

McDonald, JoAnna M. Give Them the Bayonet! A Guide to the Battle for Henry Hill, July 21, 1861. Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 1999. ST-973.731

McDonald, JoAnna M. “We Shall Meet Again”: the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), July 18-21, 1861. Shippensburg, PA: White Mane Books, 1999. ST-973.731

Nofi, Albert A. The Opening Guns: Fort Sumter to Bull Run, 1861. NY: Gallery Books, 1988. ST-973.731

Rafuse, Ethan S. A Single Grand Victory: The First Campaign and Battle of Manassas. Wilmington, Del: SR Books, 2002. HG-973.731

Roman, Alfred. The Military Operations of General Beauregard in the War Between the States, 1861 to 1865: Including a Brief Personal Sketch and a Narrative of His Services in the War with Mexico, 1846-8. NY: Harper, 1883. ST-973.73302

Wheeler, Richard. A Rising Thunder: From Lincoln's Election to the Battle of Bull Run : an Eyewitness History. NY: HarperCollins, 1994. ST-973.73

MISSOURI ODD PHENOMENA FILE, PT. 6

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:45:00 +0000

National Odd Shoe Exchange. This local organization for a time offered a way for persons with two different-sized feet to exchange shoes with others in similar situations, so that each person could purchase one pair of shoes and still have a shoe that fit each foot perfectly in spite of the size difference. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Magazine, March 29, 1992, p. 4.

Neosho Ghost Light. A mysterious "Ghost Light" is sometimes seen outside Neosho, Missouri. Brandon, Jim. Weird America (1978), pp. 120-122.

Nun Brains. A scientific study was conducted locally that required tissue samples from the brains of elderly nuns. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 26, 1994, p. 1D.

"Old Knobber." In the 19th century, an elderly man from Knob Noster, Missouri, known as "Old Knobber" was noted for his habit of wandering the back woods at night while carrying a lantern. After he died during a sudden, violent storm of unknown origin, local persons on many occasions have reported seeing "Old Knobber's" lantern. Collins, Earl. Folk Tales of Missouri (1935), pp. 119-121.

Pandas. The St. Louis Pandas were players on a semi-professional softball team, not large cuddly-looking fur-bearing mammals from China. In 1939, the team began playing a winter schedule, but was abruptedly disbanded after only two weeks of play (this story is not really an odd phenomenon, I just like the team name). St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 5, 1972, p. 6C.

Petrified Girl. Dr. Joseph Nash McDowell, head of a 19th century St. Louis medical school, placed the body of a teen-aged girl in a cave near Hannibal, Missouri. The body was fretted with stalactites to see if it would petrify. Havighurst, Walter. Upper Mississippi: A Wilderness Saga (1944), p. 198.

Pirates. For a time in the colonial era, the Mississippi River south of St. Louis was a haven for pirates, who robbed and sometimes murdered unwary travelers. Outraged citizens finally formed a makeshift flotilla and attacked the pirates, killing some and dispersing the rest. KSD Radio. St. Louis: A History of the City on the Eve of Its Two-Hundredth Anniversary (1962), p. 9.

Police Dogs, Cultured. The first police dogs used in St. Louis were trained in London, England. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 7, 1958.

Pygmy Graves. Early explorers of the St. Louis area reported finding the graves of mysterious aborigines of pygmy proportions. Flint, Timothy. Recollections of the Past Ten Years in the Valley of the Mississippi (1826), p. 173.

REMEMBERING KEITH

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:27:00 +0000

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has run an obit (with color photo) of our friend and co-worker, Keith Zimmer, who passed away on 30 July 2011. Keith is the guy who (singlehandedly) produced the St. Louis Obituary Index that is an invaluable resource for so many of us:

LINK

Here's the link to do a search of Keith's index:

LINK

Click on "Reference and Research," then "Genealogy."

MISSOURI ODD PHENOMENA FILE, PT. 5

noreply@blogger.com (hgblogger) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Inaugural Ball, Underground. See Fletcher, Thomas C.

"Jack-the-Stabber." St. Louis had its own lesser-scale "Jack the Ripper" type criminal, as recounted in Jones, J. E. Review of Famous Cases Solved by St. Louis Policemen (1924), pp. 100-102.

King Edward I. A St. Louis man, Edward C. Schafer, was elected King by the grateful people of Biffeche, a tiny African country to which he had made numerous charitable donations. Nine Magazine (March 1998): 18.

Koch, Albert. See Missouri Leviathan.

Lake of the Ozarks Monster. See Sea Serpent- Lake of the Ozarks.

Missouri Leviathan. A 19th century entrepreneur named Albert Koch assembled the skeleton of a huge prehistoric beast that he called "Leviathan Missouriensis" (the huge beast from Missouri). For a time he sold tickets to persons interested in viewing the unknown creature. Koch later sold the skeleton to the British Museum (which was able to assemble it correctly- Koch had made a number of crowd-pleasing but anatomically inaccurate modifications to the skeleton). Beveridge, Thomas. Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri (1978), pp. 394-395.

Muir Mansion Ghost. This mansion near Boonville, Missouri, is supposedly haunted by Nancy Muir, daughter of the mansion's first owner, Howard Muir. Collins, Earl. Folk Tales of Missouri (1935), pp. 125-128.

Murder Rocks. The name given to a rock formation in Taney County, Missouri, which had eroded so oddly that it offered a perfect hiding place for Civil War bushwhackers, who used it to ambush Union troops and Union supporters. Beveridge, Thomas. Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri (1978), pp. 227-228.

Mystery Star. A mysterious bright light, described as a "star" by family members, appeared repeatedly to the Davidson family of Columbus, Missouri. The head of the household finally went out to investigate the phenomena and mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again. Collins, Earl. Folk Tales of Missouri (1935), pp. 114-116.