I’m not lucky enough to be among the people whose family’s Civil War records were digitized by the National Archives. So I decided to order Civil War records from the National Archives (through a third party service – my first time), hoping to make a break in some brick walls around the immigrant generation of the Colgan family.

Pennsylvania is not among the states that have their units’ individual solders’ full Service Records digitized online.

Boy, did I make a break: A suspected sibling of my research subject, Private James Colgan (Union soldier in the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment), disappeared from the records that I was able to follow online without some extra hints.

LO AND BEHOLD – AN AFFIDAVIT from the suspected sister, sworn before her son – an attorney in California (thus also verifying which of the many Hynes families I’d need to research further). The affidavit confirmed that she was in fact a sister of PVT Colgan, and provided enough facts about herself to help me break into researching her again.

Ordering Civil War Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs), Pension files, and military medical records from the National Archives can be a LONG wait (with no estimates on timetables from NARA), a bit expensive – and a multi-step chore if your records exceed 100 pages (and many do), they need to contact you with a quote adding 70 cents for each additional page – not to mention the extra correspondence time and effort.

So I chose to go with a third-party researcher: Gopher Records.

Gopher Records isn’t the only name in the game, but I decided on them because I find them to be:

1. Well-known
2. Well-respected
3. Reliable
4. Fast!
5. Working with integrity (they do not charge for records that are available free online – but will redirect you to the source of those without charge),
6. Inexpensive – and less expensive than records directly from the National Archives.
   Here’s the price break-downs from their website:

So what happened, what did I find out, and where am I going from here?

What records did I provide to the researcher?
I provided Service Record Index and Civil War Pension Index cards for PVT Colgan, his units of assignment found on those records (also available through the Civil War Soldier and Sailors database), and his record of enlistment from the Regular Army enlistment records – all available from Ancestry and Fold3.

An example of a Service Record Index card (left) and Civil War Pension Index card (right):

How long did it take to receive my records through Gopher Records?
Less than 4 days from my order. Although you should plan for extra time, just in case. Various things can pop up, not the least of which could be a government shutdown or other event.

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How many pages did I get?
I was sent 148 pages of records from Gopher Records (and a couple pages with notes), including a few extras they thought I should examine because the names and details were similar.

A preview of the extracted individual files of my requested records (Gopher Records provides organized, combined files – I divided my individual pages):

What did I receive?
First, I ordered a free records assessment from Gopher Records to determine what records were known or likely to be available for PVT Colgan. They have their own research tools and regular access to the National Archives to determine this.

Later, I ordered the Civil War Soldiers’ Bundle with a couple of add-ons to cover his 3 enlistments. My order included, and I received, full-color scanned copies of the following records for PVT James Colgan:

• Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) in the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1861-1864)
• Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) in the 3rd Regiment, U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry (1865-1866)
• Carded Medical Records for his service in both the 23rd Pennsylvania and 3rd U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiments
• Pension File for PVT Colgan’s Civil War service, and his widow’s pension following his 1912 death
• Enlistment Papers for his post-war re-enlistment into the Regular Army (17th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army) (1867-1870), in which he served Reconstruction duty in Texas, then Virginia, before a short posting to the Dakota Territory in 1870

What kind of information did my records contain?

• A little insight into his comrades from the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, including:
  • The pension application paperwork prepared and filed by fellow 23rd PA Volunteer Infantry soldier, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Sergeant William J. Wray – who helped soldiers prepare pension applications as an attorney after the war
  • An affidavit from another soldier – Corporal James J. Bolestridge
• Details of where PVT Colgan was during his service – whether present with his unit, in the hospital, on convalescence, or otherwise – which I am using to reconstruct his military service in detail by matching to unit and post records
• Street addresses valuable to genealogical research
• A sworn statement by a previously-unconfirmed sibling, in fact confirming that she was his sister, and providing enough information about herself to totally break open my stagnant research on her and her family.
• Enough information about his sister to determine that I have previously-unknown living cousins descended of her line, who I can contact and reconnect with about our family tree
• Medical information that helps fill in the story of his service, where he was at various times, and what he experienced
• Documentation and details with important genealogical facts, such as where and when he was born in Ireland, about when he met his wife, his occupations before the war and between enlistments, as well as his employment after the war (including his service as a night watchman for the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia)
• Post-war medical assessments from a physician
• Information about his daughters
• Samples of original handwriting and signatures from various research subjects
• An original copy of his death certificate in full color
• A copy of his marriage record and information about the church where he was married
• Names and addresses of additional associates to research
• Gopher Records also included copies of records for soldiers with a similar name and personal details, to assess as either a potential match or use to be aware of, and exclude those other individuals with very similar details in further research.
  This will be a huge help to me, because a SECOND James Colgan joined the same unit (17th U.S. Infantry in the Dakota Territory) directly after MY James Colgan was discharged. These extras they provided will give me the details to draw distinctions when making sure I have the right James.
  

Was it worth trying a 3rd party service, over ordering direct from the National Archives?
YES! (💯) Absolutely. Even though it was my first time going around the direct process of using the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) direct request process, it was completely worth it, because:

• It was much less expensive than the National Archives
• It was MUCH faster
• It lacked the red tape and back-and-forth experience of corresponding with the Archives, waiting for a quote on copies, etc.
  • 🥷 FUN SIDE FACT: Where does the term “red tape” come from? It’s the ribbon with which these Civil War records and others were originally bound. You can actually BUY a piece of real-life original red tape from the National Archives, who sells it through their gift shop! The National Archives gift shop sells several different types of red tape gifts – from paperweights to earrings and cuff links. It’s a fun gift for government types, historians (pro and amateur), etc. – and a way to support the work of the National Archives Foundation. 🎀
• There were no BAD surprises, since the National Archives fees can vary and add up quickly (especially the 70 cents per-page add-on cost for larger files)
• No misunderstandings (in the past, the National Archives have sent me incomplete records, despite my very specific and clear requests)
• Helpful service and support from Gopher Archives, with questions answered when I needed it

Where do I go from here?

• Finish outlining and making a timeline of PVT Colgan’s military service
• Create a complete narrative summary of PVT Colgan’s military service and experience
• Research more on his service through books, dissertations, and records that cover the battles, campaigns, Reconstruction Era assignments, and time in the Dakota Territory
• Track down photographs of the locations and military units involved, including hopefully, eventually tracking down a photo of PVT James Colgan and/or his wife Emma (née Lowe)
• Research the associates mentioned in the records
• Add copies of the documentation to the family tree, family website (www.colgan.family), and our collection of genealogical records for the family
• Contact my newly-found, previously-unknown living cousins 😀
• I plan to use Gopher Records in the future to request more records from the National Archives, including War of 1812, Civil War, and others (Side note: They have also been responsive to questions and helpful in several ways. The service was excellent overall.)
• Request a free U.S. Veterans Administration headstone to finally mark and honor the currently-unmarked grave of PVT Colgan and his wife, Emma in Philadelphia – part of my wider project to mark the graves of our family’s soldiers, and make sure it’s done accurately:

Where do YOU get started?
Some of my recommended search tools and articles:

• Ancestry.com Civil War Collection ($)
• Fold3 Civil War Collection ($)
• Better Soldiers and Sailors (FREE) – A free search website offered by Gopher Records, that improves on the search functions and capabilities of the NPS system (below)
• National Park Service Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) (FREE)
• FamilySearch United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865 (FREE)
• Gopher Records – National Archives professional records retrieval service
  

• VIDEO: Union Civil War Pension Files (2013 Genealogy Fair) – National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) video presentation
• How to Research Your Civil War Ancestor – Article from Gopher Records
• Beginning United States Civil War Research – Article from FamilySearch Wiki
• Union Service Records – Article from FamilySearch Wiki
• Begin a Search for Union Records – Article from FamilySearch Wiki
• Confederate Service Records – Article from FamilySearch Wiki
• Begin a Search for Confederate Records – Article from FamilySearch Wiki
• Civil War Records: Basic Research Sources – National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Article

If you have any questions, or would like some pointers, feel free to get in touch with me.
Find my Contact Form here.
You can donate a book or a tip to support my work here.

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