Bryan Howerton
CSR Index Numbers
Thu Mar 15 09:37:08 2001


The Compiled Service Records consist mostly of cards on which U.S. War Department clerks entered information pertaining to a particular soldier abstracted from original documents. This was done between 1903 and 1927. The documents included Federal records (mostly POW and parole records), captured Confederate documents, and documents loaned by various State archives. Each original document was identified by a serial number. Presumably there is a master list somewhere in NARA that cross-references the source documents and serial numbers. The serial number was noted on the abstract card, so that the source of the abstracted information could be documented. For example, a soldier's record might include a card stating that on a muster roll, dated X, of Company Y, Regiment Z, the soldier was marked "Present". That muster roll would be marked as 1234567, and this number would be noted on the abstract card.

• Multiple numbers — Hayes Lowe, Thu Mar 15 10:09
• Ascension Numbers — Bryan Howerton, Thu Mar 15 13:34