Documenting a civilian

[LindaTrent]

Folks,

Hank's thread "Counterfeit orders, or real?" Got me to thinking:

At McDowell '03, as a traveler, I had a pass signed by the area provost, train ticket stub, journal, and letter of introduction from my husband (who wasn't traveling with me) and various other papers. And it satisfied the military that I was just a traveler caught in the middle of the two armies.

For the residents of McDowell, who were in an occupied town, I suppose if they wanted to come or go they'd need a pass? What about those who live in an area under dispute, where neither side has control? What kind of paperwork would residents have, if any? Would there be anything that the military would look for in particular? Would the answer differ if one was male or female?

What did the military look for in particular when they searched civilians (besides, of course, weapons)?

Thoughts, ideas...

Linda Trent
lindatrent@zoomnet.net

[Robert A Mosher]

Linda -

I'm going to cheat a little bit because I haven't ever seen any discussion in any of my readings that would answer your question. This may be another of those annoying things our forebears didn't think we would be interested in so they never bothered to write it down.

However, I have spent some of my career time working with applicants for visas, passports, or consular assistance and perhaps that experience with looking at documents and listening to people's stories can get us started here if I put a period spin on it.

There were, of course, no standard documents of identification in our period. Certainly nothing like a drivers license or other photo id. The letter of introduction was an essential part of travel for those of the middle and upper classes, easing their way into the right circles at their final destination or along the way. But just as with any passes issued by the army or some civil authority this almost never have anything to them that would confirm that you are who you claim to be.

So, if I am perhaps an Army officer confronted with a civilian and am trying to verify their claims of identity and their stated purpose in being in my area of operations, I start looking for anything consistent with that story as well as anything that raises questions about it.

Does the individual's overall appearance fit with their claimed identity and purpose? What if any papers do they carry such as letters of introduction, personal correspondence, books, etc and are the names on all of these various forms of paper consistent? If they are traveling for purposes of business, do they carry any correspondence, order books, ledgers, financial instruments other than cash that would support that story?

If the letter of introduction gives one identity but the individual is carrying opened correspondence of a personal nature addressed to a different individual - that raises a question about identity.

However, if the same name appears in the letter of introduction, on any other correspondence, on the flyleaf or elsewhere on any books or reading material carried (people often wrote their names inside of their books or even had labels pasted in them) this would not constitute proof of identity but would seriously support the claim of identity.

Do any addresses or references to place of residence or destination match the story being told? If you claim to be from a particular town and any opened personal letters you might be carrying also bear the name of that town, it supports the story being told.

I hope that helps get some discussion going on an intersting question.

Robert A. Mosher

[Hardtack Baker]

This is a great topic. I will research more now, as a civilian. I have papers (looking like an official form) my ancestors carried when they came to the U.S. written in German from the parish priest. They landed in New York and traveled by wagon and train (as far as it went) west, shortly after the war. They were to find a Catholic church and consult and show the papers only to a priest for trusted advice and directions. This provided safety and proof of their intent and needs, especially as strangers passing through communities. (Of course this is an immigrant experience, of non-English speaking persons, directly after the close of the war...but,) Would people during the period of the war seek the most known, highest authority they had access to, as civilians, to sign their documents? Any way to assure believability of identity and intent would be invaluable leverage for travel. This is a great question!
Sincerely,
Marie McNamara
Civilian Mother, Baker

[Silvana Siddali]

This is a great question. In my reading I've seen many letters of introduction for men, but none for women. Sarah Jane Hill's journal (published as Mrs. Hill's Journal, Chicago, 1989) discusses Julia Dent Grant's visits to her husband in Tennessee. Mrs. Grant generally had a military escort with her so she didn't require documentation. At least, there's no mention of that in the journal. Mrs. Hill carried letters written by her husband, a Major in the U.S. Army, asking her to visit. Later when he fell desperately ill, she was able to show letters written by his surgeon to explain her presence on the train. She was actually questioned about that -- apparently respectable women were a rare sight on dirty, overcrowded trains carrying soldiers southward.

I don't have a copy of Mark Twain's Huck Finn handy, but weren't the two mountebanks able to produce cards printed with their various fake aliases? My impression is that mid-19th century people used printed visiting cards to verify their identities. At least, that was true of people living in towns; probably not so much of farm dwellers. Slaves would have to carry freedom papers, manumission papers, or metal "dogtags" to prove that they had the right to be on public roads.

It seems to me that 19th century people took hand-written letters and printed visiting cards seriously as documentation. I don't recall ever seeing formal identification cards per se, but I've certainly seen cards that showed membership invarious charitable, church, or benevolent organization.

[Miss Elodie]

Over the past couple of years I've been going through the papers of several families who lived along Bayou Lafourche in Assumption Parish, Louisiana during the Union occupation of the region and subsequent Recontruction years. I've posted a PDF featuring a few examples of wartime documentation including permits to transport products, to possess a gun, and to pass through the countryside. You can find it here:

http://www.geocities.com/jenpayne10/...ugh_family.pdf

Regards,
Jennifer Payne

[PvtWill]

This is a GREAT topic!! I too have seen letters of introduction for men. I think not many would be available for respectable women who it would be presumed would have an escort of some sort that could both introduce and verify her identification.

Papers were not just needed in areas of occupation. I have several letters of introduction, certificates, and state issued licenses for a teacher coming from Ohio to teach in Iowa in 1860. He had extensive documentation. This in a period with no photo id would be the norm I suppose.

As an aside, I wonder how many of our reenactor soldiers carry their appropriate documentation, and I don't mean just a pass..................

Regards,

Mark Williams

[PogueMahone]

This thread is a couple of years old, but I wanted to resurrect it to see if anyone had new information or suggestions about civilian identification papers.

I've done a google image search for "civil war oath of allegiance" and one thing I've noticed about the few available images ... they all appear to have been folded in half. Which makes me think they were being carried on the person of the affiant. This would make sense, as citizens might be challenged at any given point to prove they have signed an oath. Having it at home might not keep you from going to jail.

[cavman63]

I am glad you did too Joe!
I get a feeling that you and I are both reaching a certain point in our reenacting "careers" and are beginning to think along similar lines.

I have been wondering about this for some time now. I have a particular interest in all these civilian volunteer scouts and/or guides operating between the armies or acting as couriers. That sort of thing. What type of papers , if any, would a man working in that capacity carry?
Another one that interests me is I have read of men working for one side or the other as "agents", I suppose, to purchase horses or cattle etc. for the troops. Who would that authorization come from ? At what level? What papers would he carry?
How would he pay?

Unfortunately I am isolated where I live and have no real access for this kind of information and am not at all sure that if I did, I could find it. I wouldn't even know where to begin, brilliant researcher that I am

I know I haven't found much of anything useful using this magic glowing box.

[Elaine Kessinger]

I'm new enough I missed the last time this thread came around... so I'm glad you brought it up too. For an impression of mine I researched Oaths of Alligience, too. I couldn't find any issued to women. Is anyone's research showing they were?

[PogueMahone]

Well, Patrick, I'm mostly needing an alternative approach to the hobby before I completely burn out. I'm tired of scenarios gone bad and lousy officers screwing the rank and file. I'm attending the Atlanta LH and Bummers as a civilian and will be at Westville, as well.

I'm working up a role as a news correspondent for Bummers and have just finished a book written by G. A. Townsend about his adventures in the field. He gives some detailed information about the documents he receives from the government that allows him to be with the army. He signed an Oath of Allegiance at the War Department in D.C. that included additional language aimed at his profession and they gave him a pass of indefinite time to pass in and out of all camps and authorizing officers and government staff to provide him with information. No censorship here!! He also carried letters of introduction from his editor at the NY Times.

I've been able to reproduce a pass that was once issued to Alfred Waud, the artist, to ride the B & O railroad for a couple of days. I think this meant he did not have to purchase a ticket. I've changed it around to be a pass for a western railroad and have more research to do about the stops along the line from Nashville to Atlanta.

I've identified the adjutant for O. O. Howard, commander of the 15th Corps, so I can forge the adjutant's name to my pass to be in the field with the 15th Corps. I'd really like to find an example of his signature so I can get closer to the real thing.

I'm working on a letter of introduction now.

Also, among my paperwork, I plan to have a partially written story for the NYT covering the few days prior to the event date, but not yet printed in the paper.

If nothing else, my ink-stained hands should prove me to be a writer or an army clerk on french leave!

For more general information, I'm thinking the book "With Blood & Fire" has several references to citizens presenting soldiers with various pieces of paper, including loyalty oaths, paroles, and documents allowing them to purchase goods from local stores. I'd have to take the time to dig through it for some direct quotes, though.