Two skeletons of sailors were found on the USS Monitor when it was raised from the ocean floor. DNA testing has failed to produce a match with the sailors’ living descendants. Forensic facial reconstruction is now being done, in the hopes of identifying the unknown sailors, and perhaps finding their families. The USS Monitor was an ironclad ship that was used by the Union during the Civil War. The ship has been described as a “cheese box on a raft”. It was not designed to withstand sailing on rough water, and it was being towed by the USS Rhode Island … Continue reading →

Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day. I am sure that everyone knows at least one man or woman who has served our nation, and many of us are proud to have one or more of these brave individuals in our family trees. Each veteran’s experience with serving our nation was different from the experience of any other veteran. Veterans of the same war may have experienced similar things because they were serving at the same time and place, but each has his or her own unique story to tell. In honor of Veterans Day and in honor of my favorite … Continue reading →

Today I met an interesting individual who, among other things, has a very active interest in the Civil War. Many Americans, including myself, have ancestors who fought in the Civil War. Today I learned a little bit about how the history of the war that our ancestors fought comes to life every year through Civil War reenactments. The gentleman that I was speaking with today has been a part of many Civil War reenactments and they are a staple of his summer vacation plans each year. Historic battles like Gettysburg and Fort Sumter are reenacted by passionate folks who truly … Continue reading →

It really is possible to learn something new each time you have a chance to go and visit family. This weekend, I went to visit my mom and dad and during my trip I also attended a baby shower for my cousin and visited with one of my uncles. While we were sitting in my uncle’s living room, I noticed a very nice picture of my paternal grandfather, whom I never met because he had passed away before I was born. Until this weekend, I never really knew how he had passed away. I had assumed that it was cancer, … Continue reading →

Although there is much dispute over the exact location of the first Memorial Day celebration, it is commonly said that Memorial Day (formerly called Decoration Day) was first celebrated on May 30, 1868. In a fitting tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Civil War, a large group of people gathered in Arlington National Cemetery. They listened to speeches, they prayed and sang hymns, and they walked through the cemetery decorating the graves with flowers. Many years have passed since that first Memorial Day, and while we still decorate graves and sing and pray, we have found … Continue reading →

Memorial Day was once called Decoration Day. One of the ways to celebrate Memorial Day is to visit a graveyard, and decorate the graves of your ancestors who were in the military. This gives a genealogist the opportunity to record the information that is found on their gravestones. If you are unable to travel to a cemetery on Memorial Day weekend, you might still be able to obtain the information on a grave from an online resource. If you are visiting a cemetery this Memorial Day weekend, it is traditional to decorate the graves of your ancestors who served in … Continue reading →

National Geographic makes documentaries like no other channel can. There is just something about the level of details involved in their research, as well as the quality of the filmmaking itself that is impressive. They have a new series called “Civil Warriors” that involves a lot of genealogy. Almost all genealogists will put together their family tree. Many will spend some extra time and effort to create a medical family history. If your family has a lot of ancestors who have been in the military, then your genealogy research may have led you to search through war records on various … Continue reading →

There are so many different records that genealogists can use to try to get around a brick wall. Some types of records are surprisingly jam-packed with useful information. For example, World War II ration books include the person’s name, age, address, occupation, and even their height and weight. Today, I decided to learn a little more about ration books because they are an interesting historical artifact in addition to being a useful genealogy aid. In the spring of 1942, the United States began a nationwide food rationing program to ensure that everyone got his or her fair share of items … Continue reading →

Many families contain at least a few people who have served in the military. Often, military service becomes something that runs in the family. Your mother or father may have had a parent who served our country, and grandparents who served our country as well. Some families can trace their family’s history of military service back to the Civil War, or even the Revolutionary War, with each generation having family members that were in the military. Sometimes, family members talk freely about their military experiences, sharing detailed stories of where they went and what happened there. Others are reluctant to … Continue reading →