Help with Civil War military records?

[Rob Wick]

El Core,

The first source I would guide you toward is an old book called Loyal West Virginia by Theodore F. Lang, which in addition to having a detailed history of the creation of the state, lists the various regiments that came from there. I have a reprint, but it is available online for free.

https://books.google.com/books?id=Cm4MAA...&q&f=false

As to your question as to why if he was from Pennsylvania he would enlist in what would become a West Virginia regiment, my guess (and this is only a guess) is that Pennsylvania had met its original quota and was not accepting new companies. Everton Conger was from Ohio, but created the Third Virginia Cavalry (later the Third West Virginia Cavalry) because Ohio had far exceeded its quota. He originally started in the 8th Ohio Infantry, but that regiment never even made it into the field after its 90 days of service expired. Conger met future president Rutherford B. Hayes (whose uncle, Sardis Birchard, knew Conger's family in Fremont, Ohio), who suggested he form a company of his own. I suspect that given the fluidity of loyal Virginia, it was easier to form a company there then in already-established states.

My great-grandfather was from southern Illinois but signed up with a Kentucky Union cavalry regiment. Even though I have all his known records, I have absolutely no idea why he traveled to Kentucky to enlist.

As for the poor reading quality of the records, I understand where you're coming from. Part of the problem is the lousy handwriting that many War Department clerks had, and part of it is the crappy job the National Archives did in microfilming the lousy handwriting. Everton's brother, Seymour, got into trouble at the beginning of the war, but the original records on which the microfilm was made is no longer available and whomever microfilmed them made them just out of focus enough to be unreadable.

I would recommend either finding the reprint of Lang's book or scour a local library and find a copy. That would be the best place to start. This site may also provide you with some information after West Virginia became a state.

https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/research/guides/military

Hope this helps.

Best
Rob