Henry Seale
Regimental History
Thu Jun 28 15:29:08 2001


Margaret, I am sorry to say that it will be a few years before I complete my task as I am not an author by trade and I do not have the time readily available that I desire to devote to this project, so I have to do a bit here and there as I can, but I assure you that I will have it completed and published before I go and meet face to face with the men of the 40TH. I will be glad to assist you with any information that I can on any relatives that you may have had in the 40TH. Are you familiar with the Bloomquist roster/book? I was under the impression that it was out of print and that I had litterally bought the last one available from Ann. Maybe she had a few more printed. She listed 1478 names from the Compiled Service Records. Some of these names are duplicate men with a differnt spelling of thier names. In my research, I have found a good number of men that I have documented to have been in the regiment, but have no record with the National Archives. I am compiling as detailed biography as possible on each man that I can identify as being in the regiment using the CSR, diaries, letters, casualty lists, prisoner of war records, etc. Ann's book contains only about a half dozen paragraphs as to the history of the regiment. She admits in her work that it is an informal listing, but I do find that it is a usefull roster and needless to say with only 6 or so paragraphs devoted to the history of the regiment, it is not very detailed. Also included is a map of Alabama detailing the various counties, but beware if consulting this map, it is not an 1861-65 era map. It is of modern times and several of the couty lines of this modern map are not the way they were at the time of the war. Some of the counties on this map were not even in existence during the war, so it is my understanding. Ann along with a relative of hers has edited and published a book of some 160 or so wartime letters that were written between Pvt. Grant Taylor of the 40TH and his wife. Taylor was a relative of hers. The book is titled "This Cruel War,The Civil War Letters of Grant and Malinda Taylor" edited by Ann K.Bloomquist and Robt.A.Taylor. I find that this book is a treasure for one interested in the day-to-day life of a common soldier of the regiment.

Let me know if I can help you.