This search turned up six hits in the Library of Congress Photo Collection, three in the U.S. Civil War Photos, 1860-65, and one on a Member Tree. The image on the tree is on a private website, so if I wanted to view the photo, I would have to contact that person and ask them to grant me permission to view their tree.

The first hit in the Civil War photo collection is of Lt. Col. James J. Smith and officers of 69th New York Infantry (Irish Brigade). It's a neat group shot with what appears to be their camp in the background.

When you select that hit, the image you see is a larger version of the thumbnail on the database results page, but if you click through to View Original (link on the top, left corner above the image), you will be able to view the image in the Advanced Image Viewer and have a lot more flexibility.

By clicking through I now have the option to zoom in on the photograph and view it at 200 percent. Click on the drop-down box where it says Fit Width and choose how much you'd like to zoom in, or click on the magnifying glass with the plus in the middle until you get the desired size. Even when it is maxed out at 200 percent, you can get a little closer by clicking the icon that says Magnify. With magnify selected, you can click and hold on an area of the photograph and a box will magnify that small portion. If you try it on this photograph, you'll see you can get a much better look at the faces this way. In looking at this photograph of the Irish Brigade, the magnify tool makes it evident that facial hair was in at the time! Check out the third guy from the end in the back row. Quite the set of whiskers he has there!

Another image, this time from the Library of Congress Photo Collection, is a sketch from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper titled, Grand requiem mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York, Friday, January 16, for the repose of the souls of the officers and men of the Irish brigade killed in the war. Neat sketch, but perhaps I could find more.

A Bridge to Newspapers
By clicking on the Stories & Newspapers tab, I see that my search terms have carried over to the next tab and I have a whole new set of results. There are 182 hits in the "New York Times" database, but I have a date from the image of 16 January 1863 for that requiem mass, so I scroll down to refine my search and put in a date range of "1863 to 1863." Now I have eleven hits and one of those is from 17 January 1863--an article describing the mass "held for the repose of the souls of all the dead of the Irish Brigade since the beginning of the war." It tells that funds were collected for the families of Irish Brigade members killed in battle and even describes the music that was played. I couldn't help but think that it would be neat for anyone who had an ancestor who fought and died in the Irish Brigade to have that music playing in a multimedia presentation of that ancestor. The following page lists excerpts from some of the speeches made.

Another article from January 13th New York Times, was also interesting and poignant. It was a resolution from the Board of Councilmen stating that:

Whereas, Francis Kavanagh, of the Sixty-third Regiment, Irish Brigade, while nobly fighting for his adopted country, was mortally wounded at the battle of Antietam, and from the effects of which he died on the eighth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, leaving his wife and family in destitute circumstances; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Comptroller be and he is hereby authorized and directed to draw his warrant in favor of the wife of deceased, Mrs. Mary Kavanagh, in the sum of ninety-six dollars, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the burial.

There are tons of newspaper articles like these, that can give us a real feel for the effects war and other events had on our ancestors. You might not find them by searching by name, but by broadening your horizon to include military service, communities, churches, and other affiliations, you'll be surprised at what you can find.

Searching for Maps
Maps can also provide great insights in military and other matters. We just read about Francis Kavanagh who died of wounds suffered in the battle at Antietam. Entering Antietam in the keyword search of Photos & Maps, I found a couple maps, including one with detailed information on the battles that took place there on 16-17 September 1862. (A portion of this map is available on the blog.)

Maps showing the area in which your ancestor lived can also be enlightening. Water and other natural barriers may have forced your ancestor to go to a neighboring town, courthouse, or church to conduct business or worship, simply because it was easier to get to. Look for county, railroad, and other local maps from the time period to get a better feel for where the records your ancestor created may be located.

Browsing Through History
Some of the rich collections at Ancestry, like the WWII United News Newsreels, 1942-1946, are fun to just browse through. While you can search for terms, the descriptive text is brief so it may be more difficult to find exactly what you're seeking. By spending time browsing through them though, you will find some unexpected gems.

Past articles in this series:

• Ranked Search
• Exact Search
• Getting Closer to the Data
• Miscellaneous Search Tips

Juliana Smith has been an editor of Ancestry.com newsletters for more than nine years and is author of The Ancestry Family Historian's Address Book. She has written for Ancestry Magazine and wrote the "Computers and Technology" chapter in The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, rev. 3rd edition. Juliana can be reached by e- mail at Juliana@Ancestry.com, but she regrets that her schedule does not allow her to assist with personal research.

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by Michael John Neill

United States pension records are rarely just about the serviceman. These records may mention extended family members, neighbors, and other military comrades. This week we take a look at a pension from the American Revolution that shows a previously unknown maiden name and showed that a family was part of much larger migration chain that moved over a twenty-some-year time span.

The 1840-era Revolutionary War pension file for Elam and Katherine Blain in Delaware County, Ohio, was larger than most. We initially discussed part of this file in a previous article that is still available in the Ancestry.com Library.

Fortunately, in this case, the soldier died before his wife and the widow could not find her marriage record. Genealogically this is an excellent situation--although the widow probably did not think it was so excellent.

Like any pension file, the statements were made with the intent of qualifying for the pension, not leaving an extensive genealogical record. In this case, the affidavits were testifying to Elam's service, his marriage to his wife Katherine, and her subsequent need for his pension. Every piece of supporting evidence was given with the goal of proving one of those claims. The fact that a marriage record for the Blains could not be found added to the amount of testimony and paperwork within the file. It was unfortunate for the Blains---but once again, fortunate for me.

Son-in-law Abraham Wickiser gave some of the most genealogically relevant testimony in the file. His half-page statement indicates he married "the oldest daughter of Elam Blain...on the 7th of November A D 1802 & that his wife was then said to be a little upwards of 18 years of age." Abraham is my wife's ancestor and his statement was the first to indicate his wife's parentage and date of marriage--a significant find.

There is a Katherine Wickiser who provides testimony as well. This Katherine never indicates in her testimony whether or not she is the same Katherine Blain Wickiser who was the wife of Abraham. The Katherine who provides testimony only indicates how long she had known the Blains and where she had known them. It is possible that the Katherine Wickiser who provided testimony was not the same Katherine Wickiser who was the wife of Abraham. However, a search of other Wickiser families in the Delaware County area for this time period did not reveal any other Katherines whose age was even close. So there appears to have been only one Katherine Wickiser. The pension file even provides testimony that the oldest Blain daughter was in fact named Katharine.

Katherine being the oldest Blain daughter, and having been at least eighteen years of age in 1802, was part of what the widow Katherine Blain used to estimate her date of marriage to Elam Blain. That is why the date of marriage and approximate age for Katherine Blain Wickiser were considered material information. But the file contains more than just information on a few marriages.

A Chain of Migration
This pension file also contains clues about the witnesses whose relationship (if any) to the Blain family is not known.

Rebecca Mullin's testimony from January of 1848 indicates that the Blains had moved into Delaware County, Ohio, about twenty-six years ago. Mullin is asked how she is certain of that year and indicates that the Blains came to her neighborhood when her son William was one year old. She states that this son William is now twenty-seven years of age. (Mullin researchers would also get a clue here from the Blain pension.)

All the individuals who provided testimony had known the Blains before the Blains lived in Ohio. Some had known the Blains in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and others had known the family even earlier in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The sharing of residences over time hints at a chain of migration involving several families, likely including additional ones not mentioned in the pension file.

Sorting It Out
I was getting mixed up. To keep myself from confusing the names of the witnesses, I made a chart for each witness including their name, where they had known the Blains, and the first year they had known them. I found it helpful in distinguishing among the different individuals.

Working on the Chain
My research should not end with the pension. County and regional histories should also be read for additional information on this chain of migration, in all three counties--not just Delaware County, Ohio. These sources may provide additional background and potential reasons for the migration trail. Noting the path is one thing; learning about the likely reasons is another. Maps of the area should be utilized in tandem with the county histories to determine relative distances, major geographic features, likely paths taken, and other significant details.

How Accurate is This Information?
Much of the information contained in this pension file is secondary as the witnesses are discussing events that have taken place years before the statements are made. The fact that this information is secondary does not necessarily mean that it is incorrect. Like all secondary information, it should be used to locate primary information wherever possible. And this information should be fit together with other known information about the family to see if any inconsistencies are noted. While it does not appear so in this case, some pension files do contain outright lies and fabrications in an attempt to qualify for a military benefit.

Like many pension files, Elam Blain's records gave me much more information about his family than it did about his military service. American Revolutionary pensions are at the National Archives and have been microfilmed.

Why Is This Pension So Important?
During this time period, tracking migrations can be difficult as records typically used are less detailed during the early nineteenth century. The data contained in this pension record may not be recorded anywhere else.

Even if your ancestor's military career was run of the mill, the information contained in his pension file may send you running outside to do the genealogical "happy dance." Just make certain not to misplace any papers in your excitement.

Some of the Blain Revolutionary War pension file can be viewed online at RootDig.com.

Michael John Neill is on the faculty of Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, Illinois. Michael is currently a member of the board of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS). He conducts seminars and lectures nationally on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry Magazine. You can e-mail him at mjnrootdig@gmail.com or visit his website at www.rootdig.com, but he regrets that he is unable to assist with personal research.

Upcoming Appearances by Michael John Neill 

Michael John Neill will be presenting all-day workshops at events in the following locations:

• 29 September 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada
  Clark County Genealogical Society
• 20 October 2007, Saratoga Springs, New York
  Heritage Hunters
• 3 November 2007, San Antonio, Texas
  San Antonio Genealogical Society

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The following items were posted to the 24/7 Family History Circle blog over the past week:

• Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, 07-11 January 2008
• Skeleton in Your Family's Closet? What are the Odds?
• Chicago to Host Festival of Maps
• New York Times Archive Online
• The War Remembers WWII Veterans

U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Resources,
by James C. Neagles
From the earliest days of the United States, millions of Americans have served their country in the military. U.S. Military Records is the resource that will tell you how to find these records and use them to grow your family history.

and

Military Records at Ancestry.com,
by Esther Yu Sumner
Though they can sometimes be complicated, military records are fantastic family history resources and, as you'd expect, Ancestry.com has an extensive collection of them. Military Records at Ancestry.com is your guide to this collection. Esther Yu Sumner leads you chronologically through the history of American wars, providing you with a brief contextual and historical basis for each war, then lists a variety of Ancestry.com databases that relate to them.

For a limited time, get U.S. Military Records and Military Records at Ancestry.com for a discounted price of $34.95. That's a 30 percent savings!

Today's image (in the upper, right-hand corner of this newsletter) is from the Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000 at Ancestry.

Grein, Oberösterreich, Österreich-Ungarn
[Grein, Upper Austria, Austria Hungary]
(Detroit Publishing Company, 1905)

from George G. Morgan

Records of siblings may include valuable references to the ancestor you are researching. Sometimes when you hit a "dead end" it is helpful to locate records of your ancestor's brother or sister, and follow their paper trail until you locate common ancestors. A sibling's obituary, for instance, may contain details or clues to place of birth, parents' names, and even to other unknown siblings. By following these leads, you may find a path past your dead end to parents and grandparents. From there, you may be able to work downward to confirm or prove relationship to your otherwise "dead end" ancestor.

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The Lost Art of Letter Writing
I'm so sorry that people rarely hand-write letters anymore, since I treasure those my mother wrote to me when I was in college and newly married. Just seeing her handwriting is wonderful! It's a poor substitute, but I'm printing out and keeping the e-mails that our son and daughter-in-law send to us about our first granddaughter's progress and growth. I save them to a file and print out several at once. Someday I hope Kelsey will enjoy reading them. I am also writing in a "blank book" journal about all sorts of things I remember from my growing up years.

Pat B. LaRock

Sharing Family Photos with Friends
I was recently looking through my grandmother's photo album and found photos of her friends, complete with names. I was able to contact one person (through Ancestry.com) who was a granddaughter of her friend and e-mailed the photo to her. The picture was taken about 1919. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Lauren

Don't Wait to Add Names to Certificates
I would like to comment on the tip Birth Certificate May Not Show Given Name. Upon obtaining my father's birth certificate, he was listed as "baby boy Leonard," born 29 January 1917. I wrote to the Department of Vital Records in Nashville, Tennessee, asking how to add his given name. They replied that I would have to send for their form and have two people older than him who were present at the time of his birth give a certified statement verifying the name used during his lifetime. I was so lucky that he had two older brothers still living who remembered that day and who he was named after. Don't wait too long to have this record corrected. Each state probably has its own law about this.

Carolyn Leonard

If you have a suggestion you would like to share with other researchers, send it to: Juliana@Ancestry.com. Thanks to all of this week's contributors!

Quick Tips may be reprinted, with credit to the submitter, in other Ancestry publications, so if you do not want your tip included in a publication other than the Ancestry Weekly Journal please state so clearly in your message.

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The year was 1899 and the Spanish-American War had just ended. However, peace would not last. The U.S. had purchased Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines from Spain for $20 million. In the Philippines, the Filipino forces (former allies in the Spanish- American War) had begun to resent American forces. After finally becoming free of Spain, they did not want another occupation, and on 4 February the Philippine-American War began and would continue for three years at a terrible cost of lost Filipino lives.

In Africa, another war was beginning as the British and the Boers began the Second Boer War, where again the forces of imperialism and nationalism clashed in bloody conflict. For years, Uitlanders (foreigners) had been flocking to the Transvaal (South African Republic) following the discovery of gold in 1886. Threatened by the newcomers, the government restricted the vote to naturalized citizens and began taxing mining interests.

In New York City, another battle was being fought--this time against newspaper moguls who had raised the price of newspaper bundles by ten cents. This price hike hit hard for newsboys who hawked the papers on street corners. These boys, many of whom lived on the streets, counted on the profits made selling these newspapers to survive. They had to pay for the bundle of papers up front and with the price hike, more papers had to be sold to turn a profit. To make matters worse, following the end of the Spanish American War, readership was down and newsboys frequently found themselves taking a loss on unsold papers. In July of 1899, newsboys went on strike against The Evening World and The Evening Journal in New York. With no newspaper system of distribution to replace the newsboys, the owners compromised and agreed to buy back unsold papers, although the price remained at sixty cents a bundle. News of the success spread and similar strikes were eventually held in other cities. These strikes helped to bring attention to the plight of children forced into labor and eventually led to reform.

Between 12 and 14 February, a blizzard ravaged much of the U.S. from New England to Florida. The Newark Daily Advocate (Newark, Ohio) from 15 February 1899 reported that freezing temperatures had devastated the Florida and Georgia citrus crops, and the record cold temperature of 6.8 degrees fahrenheit chilled Charleston. Cape May, New Jersey, snow levels measured forty-three inches after fifty-two hours of continuous snowfall. New York City recorded sixteen inches, while neighboring areas measured the precipitation in feet. Even the port of New Orleans was iced over. Click through to the blog to see a photograph of a street in Harlem, New York City, after the blizzard of Feb. 13, 1899.

Advances in 1899 include the first distribution of aspirin by Bayer and the invention of the paperclip. Who could have imagined at the time that this simple but useful invention would, a century later, annoy millions as it popped up in Microsoft applications as Clippy?

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If you'd like to see your ancestor's photograph in the Ancestry Weekly Journal, send it to Juliana@Ancestry.com.

Contributed by Arnie Gill, Santa Clarita California My father, James Merle Gill, is on the left with the clinched fist and his fraternal twin, Uncle John Mervin Gill, is on the right-- age two in the summer of 1929 on the Gill farm, Parke County, Indiana.	Contributed by Bob Holtz, Rochester, New York This photo was taken in January of 1891. My grandmother, Augusta Dorthea Koehn, is the baby of about seven months and the adults are her parents, John Carl Martin Koehn and Elizabeth Louise Koehn.

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Has Ancestry helped you make a significant breakthrough with your family history research? If you have an Ancestry success story you'd like to share, please send it to us. We'd love to hear about it! Click here to share your story.

Map My Family Tree

See your ancestors' lives on a map with Map My Family Tree, a revolutionary new genealogy mapping product just released this fall. Map My Family Tree reads your genealogy file and automatically plots all ancestral life events on customizable, color maps. This allows you to see where your ancestors were born, married, and died.

With Map My Family Tree you can track family migrations using the world and country maps. Zoom into any part of the world to see detailed events in that particular location.

Normally this program retails for $39.95, but for one week you can buy it in the Ancestry Store for $34.95.

Producing a Quality Family History
by Patricia Law Hatcher

The goal of every family historian is to discover the history of his or her family. An equally important goal should be to preserve that history in a permanent, accurate record—a family history. This book is a guide to creating and publishing a family history that will be appreciated and enjoyed by your own family, and by other researchers.

Producing a Quality Family History will teach you how to document facts and relationships and express information accurately, indicating the likelihood of the conclusions you reach. It also describes how to include illustrations, such as maps, charts, and photographs in your family history manuscript.

"If your goal is to publish your family history, this is the book that will answer your questions and teach you how to do it right."
~ Myra Vanderpool Gormley, CG

Normally this book retails for $17.95, but for one week you can buy it in the Ancestry Store for $14.95.