Genealogy Connection #085 – Brian Rhinehart, Civil War Records

Podcast: The Genealogy Guys Podcast & Genealogy Connection
Host: Drew Smith
Guest: Brian Rhinehart, CivilWarRecords.com
Date: December 9, 2024

Overview

In this episode, host Drew Smith interviews Brian Rhinehart, genealogist and owner of CivilWarRecords.com. Their conversation dives deep into U.S. Civil War-era military records available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., especially focusing on pension, service, and bounty land files. Brian shares his own entry into genealogy, the evolution of his business, advice for researchers, and memorable experiences encountered in original records. The episode provides a valuable guide for genealogists interested in military research, covering what sources exist, how to access them, and the unique stories hidden in historical documents.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Brian Rhinehart’s Genealogy Journey

• How Brian got started:
  • Began in college, almost exactly 25 years ago, after discovering Ancestry.com as a way to procrastinate on a term paper.
  • "Logged into Ancestry, signed up for a free trial, put a couple family names in there, and within an hour or two I was back into the 1800s on this one particular family line. And I thought this was amazing." (02:02, Brian)
• Turning genealogy into a profession:
  • Laid off from job in late 2016, saw it as an opportunity to pursue genealogy full-time.
  • Immersed in formal education: ProGen study group, Boston University course, GRIP, and genealogy conferences.
  • Realized a business need by visiting the National Archives for personal research, helping others at the same time and recognizing the niche for obtaining military records.

The Importance of Genealogy Education & Networking

• Formal learning was key:
  • Courses in organizing, arguing proof, and research methodology (e.g. Kimberly Powell’s proof argument course at GRIP).
  • "The real benefit that I didn't realize would happen was the networking that happened there, that I met a lot of people who were either already in the professional genealogy field or were...kind of casually interested in it, but I got to get to know them and bounce ideas off each other." (06:36, Brian)
• Networking leads to professional opportunities:
  • Ongoing relationships from study groups; exposure to the professional world.

The National Archives and Military Records: What’s Available

• Key Location & Record Types:
  • Pre-WWI military records (Civil War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish American War, Indian Wars) are in Washington, D.C.
  • Post-WWI records are in St. Louis, MO.
  • Types: compiled service records, bounty land information, and pension files.
  • "There's going to be probably packets about each individual soldier from those wars..." (09:59, Brian)
• Bounty Land Records Explained:
  • Land awarded to soldiers before 1855 (not Civil War soldiers).
  • Applications contain rich genealogical details, especially when widows applied.
  • "Before I started getting familiar with these records, I knew bounty land was a thing, but...didn't really know how it worked. That's probably one of the most underutilized record groups, but can also be one of the most valuable, beneficial records you can get for genealogy." (10:42, Brian)
  • Most awarded land was sold, not actually settled by soldiers themselves.
• Pension Files and Applications:
  • Pension files for War of 1812 and Civil War are especially valuable.
  • Applicants: typically the soldier (or widow, minor children, occasionally dependent parents).
  • Union and Confederate Records:
    • National Archives holds mainly Union records; Confederate service records digitized and available online.

Digitization and Access Challenges

• Many records are not yet online:
  • Fold3 is the main military record site, but not everything is digitized.
  • Bounty land warrants and applications are not fully online.
  • War of 1812 pension digitization project ongoing (as of 2024, still in the S surnames).
  • "I feel like there is kind of a misconception that's out there that all these military records are online." (16:31, Brian)
  • War of 1812 pension files being made freely available due to a special fundraising project.

Preparing to Research & Working with a Professional

• What researchers should do before requesting help:
  • Ideal: know the ancestor’s regiment number and find the pension index card online.
  • Brian can work with minimal info, though “John Smiths” are harder.
  • Sources to check before hiring assistance:
    • Obituaries, gravestones, the 1890 veterans census, newspapers, family stories, reunion write-ups, and medals (rare).
  • "If you know the regiment number, I can take it from there and find the records..." (27:41, Brian)
• Finding the right records:
  • Even if only a family story exists, details might be elsewhere in family papers or local records.

Types of Civil War Records Available

• Main record groups Brian retrieves:
  • Civil War pension files (average ~100 pages, sometimes up to 1000+).
  • Compiled military service records (carded, month-by-month movements, promotions, court-martials, POW status).
  • Carded medical records (hospitalizations).
  • "The pension file is going to be probably the best one to get. Those are big files, average size, roughly about 100 pages...I send these off to people and they're like, I, there's way more here than I thought." (34:10, Brian)

Memorable Finds & Surprises in the Records

• Unexpected documents:
  • Family Bibles, family group sheets, original wartime letters, colorful certificates, even a 13-year-old’s discharge papers.
  • Walt Whitman once wrote a support letter found in a pension file.
  • "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. That’s what I tell people with these pensions, you never know what, what you're going to find..." (36:53, Brian)
• Vivid camp life details:
  • Letters from soldiers mentioning other community members, finances, or fatalities.

Practical Logistics of Brian’s Service

• Frequency of Archives visits:
  • Brian or assistants are onsite at National Archives every week; Brian personally visits 1–2 weeks/month.
• Turnaround and pricing:
  • Faster and about 20% cheaper than ordering from the Archives directly.
  • Full-color scans rather than B&W.
  • "My rates are all roughly about 20% cheaper than if you had ordered directly from the National Archives." (44:59, Brian)
• Special discounts:
  • Episode listeners can find a temporary discount code in the show notes.

Warnings & Challenges

• Not every ancestor has a record:
  • Some soldiers didn't qualify for pensions (dishonorable discharge, desertion, etc.).
  • Names may pose challenges ("John Smith"), but indexes help determine availability in advance.
• Reality of research:
  • Sometimes you learn family secrets (desertions, court-martials)—accept the good, the bad, and the ugly.
  • "You will get the good, the bad and the ugly. And, and that's...okay, because like you said, the story is the story." (43:25, Drew)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On discoveries:
  "It started out as a procrastination from a college term paper, but it turned out to be a good thing. I've been doing genealogy ever since." (02:25, Brian)

• On the value of original files:
  "You just find amazing details..." (38:31, Brian)
  "I found in a pension file, like an entire family group sheet that was written back in the 1800s. ...a colorful certificate of the names and birth dates..." (37:48, Brian)

• On digital access:
  "There is kind of a misconception...that all these military records are online." (16:31, Brian)

• On surprises:
  "One of the archivists...took it over to the professional archivist and said, this support letter is written by Walt Whitman." (22:02, Drew)

• On lessons for researchers:
  "If you are on the fence about whether or not you want to learn more about your military ancestors, I would say go for it, because there are really some amazing stories that you can find in here." (45:56, Brian)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Brian’s genealogy journey and business origin: 01:40–05:26
• Importance of education and networking (GRIP): 06:09–07:18
• Introduction to the National Archives & military records: 09:11–10:34
• Bounty Land files explained: 10:34–15:32
• Online vs. on-site records & digitization efforts: 16:31–19:11
• Details on pension files & what's inside: 19:50–22:49
• Preparing for research/hiring help: 26:09–30:23
• Types & contents of records retrieved: 33:08–36:21
• Most unique documents and discoveries: 36:31–39:43
• Challenges in finding records & index use: 40:20–42:16
• Getting the good and the bad—family secrets: 42:16–43:48
• Brian’s service details, pricing, color scanning: 44:12–44:59
• Encouragement to pursue military ancestor records: 45:56–46:31

Resources & Next Steps

• CivilWarRecords.com for professional assistance and more information.
• Show Notes for a special discount code for listeners (see podcast website).
• Online records: Fold3, Ancestry, and FamilySearch for digitized military files.
• Learn before you leap: Gather as much information as possible (names, regiments, family records) before hiring a professional.

Final Thought

Researching Civil War and related military ancestors can yield unexpected stories and invaluable genealogical information—often still buried in paper files at the National Archives. Brian Rhinehart and services like his provide accessible, affordable pathways into these rich collections, bringing history to life for today's families.