Civil War Paperwork Links
Morning Report http://humphreys1625.homestead.com/Form_201.pdf Safety Report http://humphreys1625.homestead.com/Form_20100.pdf Battalion Report http://humphreys1625.homestead.com/Form_20200.pdf Guard Mount Form http://www.firstfederaldivision.com/pdfs/GuardMountReportForm.pdf |  |
Civil War Paperwork
The company commander and the first sergeant depended heavily upon a company clerk to maintain the company paperwork. The company clerk was often a soldier who had been a clerk in civilian life. Penmanship and organizational skills were a must. The company clerk was excused from most other duty, such as guard and work details, but he received no additional pay for his work. He was still a "grunt" and not excused from combat.
The company clerk kept the following books and papers in order;
1) Morning Report Book - Details of men for guard duty and detachments, men present for duty, or absent, a morning report was signed by the first sergeant and the commanding officer each day. It was to be sent to the adjutant's office before 8:00 a.m.
2) Sick Book - A daily list of the sick was kept. A NCO was to take the book with him when the sick were marched to see the surgeon for sick call. The surgeon determined the disposition of each case, and the book was returned to the first sergeant so he could make out the morning report.
3) Roster - Rosters were kept for A) Guard, B) Detachments and C) Fatigue (work detail). Additional rosters were kept for passes and furloughs.
4) Descriptive Book - The descriptive book was an alphabetical listing of the men of the company. Each soldier had his age, height, complexion, color of eyes and hair, where born, occupation and details of enlistment recorded. A column of the book also noted details of the soldiers character, and any disciplinary action that may have been taken, wounds or anything else "descriptive" of the individual soldier. Some also list the type of weapon and serial number carried by the soldier.
5) Clothing Book - A record of the clothing issued to privates and NCOs. Enlisted men were given a clothing allowance. This book kept a record of that balance. With muster out, a final statement determined if the soldier owed for overdrawing on this allowance or if he was due payment for "clothing not drawn." Some units balanced the account on a quarterly basis, drawing from a soldiers pay on a regular basis. Others let this detail go until muster out.
6) Order Book - In this book, all general orders from the regiment, and special orders pertaining to individuals in the company were recorded.
7) Company Fund Book - Individual companies maintained a fund to benefit the enlisted men. The money came into the fund from regimental and higher, from a tax levied on sutlers, and savings from company rations. The fund was usually used to provide things like butter, milk and other food stuffs not issued.
8) Register of Issued Equipment - A record of arms and accoutrements issued to enlisted men. As with the clothing book, lost or missing items were charged against a soldier's pay.
9) Record of Target Practice - A case where not many units actually kept this book. While a nice idea, target practice was not high on the list of many units.
10) Monthly Return - A history of the operations of the company for the month. It included a list of those killed or wounded, all orders, transfers, and details on the number of soldiers present, absent, or detached.
11) Bimonthly Muster Rolls - Muster Rolls were probably the most important document to the soldier. It was what their pay was based on. The muster roll was prepared on the last day of February, April, June, August, October, and December. One roll was to be made out to the adjutant general, one for the paymaster, and one to be kept as a company record.
12) Quarterly Returns - made out in quadruplicate - of Clothing, of Equipment, of Ordnance, of Quartermaster property, of Deceased Soldiers, and of Company Fund.
13) Annual Return of Casualties - yearly, to the regimental commander.
14) Certificates of Disability - filled out by the company commander and the surgeon, in duplicate, approved by the medical director and returned with an order for discharge. The forms are then sent to the Adjutant
General's office in Washington D. C.
15) Hospital Book - In many units a Hospital Book recorded the wounded and sick, where they were being treated and for what, along with information on the soldiers return to the unit or discharge.
Final Statements - A document issued in addition to the discharge. It is a settlement of pay, clothing and equipment accounts.
Discharges - signed by a field officer of the regiment.
Descriptive Rolls - a copy of the information pertaining to a specific soldier found in the Descriptive Book, it goes with a soldier on detached duty.
Furloughs - Passes - Affidavits - Inventories Proceedings of Company Administration - Charges and Specifications - along with Requisitions - Regular and Special, the proper form was needed to get food, fuel (wood), forage for the horses, straw and even the books and forms the the army now depended on for its day to day operation.
