March 2026 Issue 1 Vol 40

UNLOCKING THE PAST: STATE-LEVEL SECRETS OF CIVIL WAR RESEARCH

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Recently I researched abolition activities in Linn County and went to AI see what I could learn. I provided a few names and places and asked AI for help. Amazingly, it came with people, places and events. I was thrilled because I recognized the people and the places, but had never heard of the events. I asked for more details and even received a response directing me to a newspaper article in a specific publication on a specific date. Of course, I searched the newspaper from four different sites and could find nothing. Then I headed to Linn County Courthouse for help with old court cases and contacted my acquaintance at The Oregon Historical Society. A week passed with each individual spending their valuable time trying to assist me. No one could find any further details or anything that validated the information AI had supplied. With that lack of response, I copied the original AI response to my query into AI again, and I asked if the AI response was real or made up. The answer came up that “the response was created to answer your questions, but there is no proof the events actually occurred”! I was furious. I was furious at AI for wasting my time and sending me and others on a wild goose chase. I was furious at myself for being so gullible! But I DID LEARN from the experience and will always now ask AI “Is this fact or fiction ?” about any AI query.

by Stephanie Date

When researching ancestors who served in the Civil War, many genealogists start— and sometimes end—with federal records. However, some of the most rich and revealing details are actually held at the state level. While the National Archives houses federal service records, it is the individual states that often provide the most personal glimpses into the lives of the men in blue and gray. A crucial distinction for researchers is that while the federal government handled Union pensions, Confederate pensions were issued by the seceding states. This means that for those with Southern ancestry, state archives are not just a backup—they are the primary source for pension applications, which often include medical details, family affidavits, and proof of residence. WHY STATE RECORDS MATTER Even for Northern ancestors, state records like the Pennsylvania State Archives' Card File can provide physical descriptions (complexion, hair, and eye color) that aren't always found in federal files.

Happy researching!

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