Every family has something they have preserved, either directly related to the family’s history, like a family Bible, or photographs or personal items like jewelry.
But have you asked what your family has related to World War II or other wars? Who saved the letters? Do you think you know where they are but aren’t sure?
If you had asked me last fall, I am not sure what I would have said, but I certainly wouldn’t have expected my mother to give me a surprise Christmas gift of 22 pieces of correspondence from WWII.
These included 15 letters my father wrote in 1943 from Army training in California back to his in-laws in Columbus, two postcards my mother wrote to her parents, and my father’s only surviving letter from being overseas in Italy in 1944.
If, after working in genealogy for more than 50 years, I can be surprised, I assume anybody can be. So, ask your relatives, who has the letters? Can you copy them? Should they be donated to a local archives?
I know that cousins in Columbus, who had a Civil War diary and letters their ancestor wrote, donated them to the Columbus State University Special Collections. But don’t assume someone will do the right thing. Not everyone will look through all the drawers and books to see if anything is ferreted away.
With the end of the WWII 70th anniversary this year, it’s time to be sure you know what your family has saved and be sure you have a copy, if not possession, of such items.
Freedmen’s Bureau
The website mappingthefreedmensbureau.com was created to help those trying to find information about African-American ancestors better navigate the vast sea of records created by the Freedmen's Bureau after the Civil War.
The site helps you understand the structure of the agency, such as where the field offices were, and National Archives microfilm research guides are posted there. It is definitely worth exploring. It will be interesting to see what is added in the future.
Records of the bureau also are coming online at familysearch.org but are not fully indexed, so check their guides and updates. The bureau's South Carolina records can be found there.
Union veterans
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a national organization with several Georgia camps. Check suvcw.org to find out more.
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