Title: Wisconsin. Secretary of State: Volunteer Aid (Civil War)
Inclusive Dates: 1861-1868

Creator:

• Wisconsin. Secretary of State

Call Number: Series 248

Quantity: 7.6 c.f. (2 archives boxes, 3 flat boxes, and 7 volumes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Incoming correspondence and some outgoing correspondence, affidavits, and record books used by the Secretary of State in investigating irregularities in the dispersal of extra pay ($5 per month) to the wives, children, and dependent parents of Wisconsin Civil War volunteers. Several volumes document actual aid disbursed and list name of soldier, affidavit number, residence, company and regiment, when mustered in, name of wife or head of the family, amounts of monthly payments, and remarks concerning discharge, death, promotion, or transfer.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ser00248

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Incoming and some outgoing correspondence, affidavits and record books used by the Secretary of State in investigating irregularities in the dispersal of extra pay ($5 per month) to the wives, children, and dependent parents of Wisconsin Civil War volunteers. This extra pay was authorized by Chapter 8, Laws of 1861; Chapters 112 and 374, Laws of 1862; and Chapter 416, Laws of 1864. Several types of records documenting warrants drawn were possibly created by the State Treasurer in the process of disbursing aid and used by the Secretary of State in order to verify disbursements.

The Volunteer Aid correspondence, which is primarily arranged by case number, includes letters from Civil War soldiers, their dependents, or representatives; affidavits; and various printed forms used as part of the aid program. Several volumes document actual aid disbursed, 1861-1866 to Wisconsin soldiers and sailers in active service. These volumes list name of soldier, affidavit number, residence, company and regiment, when mustered in, name of wife or head of the family, amounts of monthly payments, and remarks concerning discharge, death, promotion, or transfer. The first volume contains a notation on the method used by the clerks working on this relief program. A separate volume records payments to dependents of soldiers transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. It lists warrant number, and name of soldier, residence, company and regiment, date mustered in, name of wife or head of family, amounts of monthly payments, and remarks, usually the date of discharge. Also included is a register (arranged by county) which lists the names of parents, name of soldier, and his company and regiment, and remarks usually indicating that an investigation into parental eligibility had been conducted.

Also used by the Secretary of State are rolls of volunteers completed by regimental company captains, 1862-1864, listing soldiers with families eligible for this aid program. Included on these printed forms is the name and residence of the family, the number of persons in the family and their relationship to the soldier, and his date of entry into service. Partial records for artillery, cavalry, and for infantry regiments 1-22 are included.

Acquisition Information

This series includes former Series 247, 277, 1398, 249, and 250 (Series 512 discarded).

Series 248	Correspondence
Box   1	Cases 1-465 Note: Some cases missing
Box   2 Folder   1	Unnumbered correspondence
Box   2 Folder   2	Correspondence in the Adjutant General's office Note: Was Series 1398
Box   2 Folder   3	Explanation of Chapter 117, Laws of 1864, 1864
	Register of warrants, 1861-1866
Volume   1	Regiments 1-19, 1861-1864
Volume   2	Regiments 20-34, 1862-1864
Volume   3	Regiments 1-19, 1863-1865
Volume   3	Artillery
Volume   3	1st-4th Cavalry
Volume   3	Brigade bands
Volume   3	Berdan's Sharpshooters
Volume   3	Benton Hussars
Volume   4	Regiments 20-37, 1864-1865
Volume   5	Regiments 5, 38-53, 1864-1865
Volume   5	3rd Cavalry
Volume   5	Artillery
Volume   5	Brigade bands
Volume   6	Regiments 1-19, 1865-1866
Volume   6	Cavalry 1-3
Volume   7	Regiments 38, 48, 50, 1865-1866
Volume   7	Artillery
Volume   7	Hancock's Corps
Volume   7	U.S. Navy
Volume   7	U.S. Colored Troops
Volume   7	Regular Army
Box   3 Folder   1	Register of parents drawing extra pay, undated Note: Was Series 249
Box   3 Folder   2	Register of warrants for the Veteran Reserve Corps, 1864-1865 Note: Was Series 250
	Volunteer Rolls Note: Was Series 247
Box   4	Infantry Regiments 1-16
Box   5	Infantry 17-19, 21-22; Artillery; Cavalry