Keeping Organized on a Research Trip

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

This series of posts, continued from our prior post, outlines our preparation for a German trip to research beyond church records. Now that your archives have been identified and your trip is all planned, the next step is planning how you will stay organized on your research trip.

 

Research Notes

 

You have invested a lot of time, money, and effort to get to the archives you will visit. Do not leave there, not knowing what you looked at or how to find images of the records you reviewed. Take good notes about each archive you visit. Even before you start looking at books, note any details about accessing the archives. Is the main entrance facing the street or is it on the side of the building? Note any costs for admission. Are there lockers to store your coats and bags? Do you need a coin for the lockers? What is the general layout of the archive, e.g., is the reading room on the second floor, are there interesting exhibits on the first floor? Are there certain times when the archive will pull records? What are you doing about eating and drinking? Are there facilities onsite or restaurants nearby or will you take a snack and water with you? We stored water and snacks in our locker that we could take outside to eat. Also, remember your converter and cords to keep your computer and phone charged.

 

Once you are viewing the records that you have requested, make notes about what it is, its condition, the format (microfilm, bound book, loose paper). Is there an index? Is it chronologically arranged, or in some other order? Make notes about significant findings. Make notes when you find nothing and be clear about how much of the item you looked at. Include information about how many images you took with your camera (if allowed) or any photocopies you requested. Note where these images are stored on your computer.

Digital Images

 

Before you arrive at the archive, you should already know what devices (laptop, camera, portable scanner) you can have with you. Many archives that we visited allow you to take photographs of documents at no cost. Some have over-sized scanners onsite and you may scan images to a flash drive. Some archives count the scans made and charge a nominal fee. 

 

At one archive, we were using microfilm. We were able to copy those images to a flash drive. No matter the technology or the device you’re using, be sure to capture an image of the archival signature, the front cover, and any introductory material in addition to the pages of interest.

 

If you have time and Wi-Fi, it’s a good idea to transfer images from your phone to your computer while at the archive. We like to make a digital folder for each archive, then subfolders for each archival item labeled with the archival signature. The images collected will go into their appropriate folder. There may be reasons for creating more subfolders. Place your notes in the relevant folder(s).

 

If you are short on time at the archive, be sure to upload your images later that day. Do not wait until you get home to do this, as it is easy to forget details and possibly lose something.

Paper Copies

Some archives only allow paper copies to be made. My experience at these archives is that they control the copying process. You request the items you want copied and they give them to you as they are ready. Sometimes you will get your copies at the end of the day. Typically, you will pay for these in one total before you leave.

 

If you are working with paper copies, come prepared with folders to hold them and keep them organized.

 

Final Notes

Most likely, you will find items faster than you can read them fully. Depending on your German language skill, you might find names of interest but will need help translating the full document. Be sure to get all relevant pages, not just the page with the name on it. Once home, you can take 

Gen 1: Mary Jane Beal - Southern Claims Commission for James Henry - Part 2

What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?

We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I continued research on the first generation, which is Mary Jane Beal. You can find that post here.

 

Southern Claims Commission

 

The National Archives website provides the following information on the Southern Claims Commission: “The Southern Claims Commission (SCC) was created by an Act of Congress on March 3, 1871, to receive, examine, and consider claims submitted by Southern Unionist citizens. Claimants sought compensation for supplies that had been confiscated or furnished to the U.S. Army during the Civil War. After an additional act in 1872, the SCC also considered claims against the U.S. Navy. The SCC certified the Union loyalty of the claimant, determined the appropriate value of the claim, and recommended that the U.S. House of Representatives allow, disallow, or bar the claim. Settled claims were reported to Congress. Of the 22,298 claims, only 7,092 [~32%] satisfied the rigid tests of sworn statement and cross-examination used to provide both the sustained Union loyalty of the claimant throughout the war and the validity of the claim.”[1]

 

James Henry filed a claim in 1873, and it was one of the about 68% of denied claims.  Claims were required to be filed between 3 March 1871 and 3 March 1873.[2] James’ claim was for horses, corn, oats, wheat, potatoes, and hogs valued at $1,692.00.[3]

 

A typical claim may contain”

 

·      Claimant’s petition for payment

·      Depositions of witnesses

·      Summary reports of the special agent investigating the case

·      Reports from Treasury Department officials who checked captured Confederate records for indications of disloyalty

·      Final summary and recommendation of the commissioners

·      Receipt of payment[4]

 

As part of the claim, Mrs. Mary J. Henry was deposed on 11 July 1873 by E. B. Harrison, who was part of the Special Commission investigating the claims. She stated that she was 43 years old and resided in Washington County, Arkansas, and that her husband was the claimant. She was present when all the property was seized, except for one of the horses. The bulk of the property was taken in the fall of 1862 by General Blunt’s command from the Henry’s farm was located “on the Cherokee line 3 miles South of Maysville Benton Co Ark.” No receipt or recompense was provided. Mary stated that the army came into the country in October and camped for over a week at Old Ft. Wayne, which was 2 miles from the Henry farm. Mary saw a party of soldiers, including both whites and Indians, come and take a 3- or 4-year-old black horse. The next day 50 or more soldiers came to the farm and took their iron gray 3-year-old horse that was not broken in yet. Mary begged the soldiers not to take the horse, but they paid little attention to her plea. The forage trains came more than once and gathered the corn from the fields, except for a few bushels that Mary and her children were able to carry to the house in sacks. The Oats and wheat were taken at the same time as the corn. Mary pleaded with the officers of the forage train, but they responded she would need to “go to Camp and there be Supplied with provisions.”[5] The foragers dug the Irish potatoes from the field and took all they had. Scouts and the forage train also killed their 16 hogs that were being fattened for their meat to feed them over the winter. James was not home during these raids and was supposedly down on the Arkansas River.[6]

 

In January 1863, Mary’s “saddle nag,” a sorrel mare was taken from her. They were living on Dr. Merriweather’s farm located about 3 miles from their home when a contingent from Philips Brigade (Loyal Cherokee Indians), that was camped about 2.5 miles from them, arrived. Mary was holding the mare by a rope, and they jerked the rope out her hand and led the mare away and she never saw it again.[7]

 

In the fall of 1862, James and Mary had seven children aged newborn to 19 years old. A family of 9 required sufficient provisions to survive, and experiencing this devastating loss of their animals and crops would have difficult to make it through the winter. That may be why the Henry family was living on Dr. Merriweather’s farm in January 1863. I am not aware of a familial connection with the Merriweather family at this point. 

 

The Henry’s loss of provisions was due to Brigadier General James G. Blunt’s division being stationed in Benton County in October 1862. At the time of the Civil War, Arkansas was still a wilderness and sparsely populated. Arkansas succeeded in May 1861. The Confederate Army was interested in clearing northwest Arkansas of Union forces by the fall of 1862. This resulted in the Union sending General Blunt’s division of about 6,000 men to Arkansas and their encampment near the Henrys. On 28 November 1862, the Battle of Cane Hill occurred which resulted in Blunt’s success over General John S. Marmaduke. The Battle of Prairie Grove on 7 December 1862 ensured Union control of the region.

 

Next up: Continuing the research on Mary Jane Henry and her husband, James.

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[1] “Southern Claims Commission Case Files,” National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/southern-claims-commission : accessed 6 February 2026).

[2] Southern Claims Commission Case Files,” National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/southern-claims-commission : accessed 6 February 2026).

[3] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880,” database and images,  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 February 2025), Report no. 5, Office no. 129, James Henry, Washington County, Arkansas, Disallowed Claim no. 20504, 1875; citing NARA microfiche publication M1407, NAID 562207, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015, Record Group 233, National Archives, Washington, DC.

[4] Southern Claims Commission Case Files,” National Archives (https://www.archives.gov/research/military/civil-war/southern-claims-commission : accessed 6 February 2026).

 

[5] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880,” database and images,  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 February 2025), Report no. 5, Office no. 129, James Henry, Washington County, Arkansas, Disallowed Claim no. 20504, 1875; citing NARA microfiche publication M1407, NAID 562207, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015, Record Group 233, National Archives, Washington, DC.

[6] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880,” database and images,  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 February 2025), Report no. 5, Office no. 129, James Henry, Washington County, Arkansas, Disallowed Claim no. 20504, 1875; citing NARA microfiche publication M1407, NAID 562207, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015, Record Group 233, National Archives, Washington, DC.

[7] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880,” database and images,  Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 February 2025), Report no. 5, Office no. 129, James Henry, Washington County, Arkansas, Disallowed Claim no. 20504, 1875; citing NARA microfiche publication M1407, NAID 562207, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015, Record Group 233, National Archives, Washington, DC.

Gen 1: Mary Jane Beal - Southern Claims Commission for James Henry

What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?

We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I continued research on the first generation, which is Mary Jane Beal. You can find that post here.

 

Southern Claims Commission

 

Researching the females in our family require that we research the males they are associated with. James Henry and Mary Jane Beal married in 1849 and were living in Arkansas during the Civil War. While I have found no military service for James Henry, though he was a Mexican War veteran, they may be other records available.

 

One set of records was created by the Southern Claims Commission. “An Act of Congress approved on March 3, 1871, provided that the President nominate three commissioners of claims to receive, examine, and consider the claims of ‘those citizens who remained loyal adherents to the cause and the government of the United States during the [Civil]War, for stores and supplies taken or furnished during the rebellion for the use of the army of the United States proclaimed as an insurrection against the United States,’”[1] Of the 22,298 claims filed, only about 32% were approved. The claims had to pass the “rigid tests of sworn statement and cross-examination in proving both the sustained Unionism of the claimant throughout the war and the validity of his claim.”[2]

 

Only those in the twelve covered states, of which Arkansas was one, could file a claim. Claims had to be filed between 3 March 1871 and 3 March 1873.  This was potentially 10 to 12 years after they incurred the losses. 

 

Ancestry has the following databases:

 

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871–1880” (includes images)

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission Allowed Claims, 1871–1880”

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880”

·      “Southern Loyalists in the Civil War”

 

I conducted a search for James Henry in Arkansas in each database with the following results:

 

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871–1880”

o   Henry, James; Washington, AR; Commission No. 20504; Office No. 129; Report No. 5; Year: 1875; D [Denied][3]

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission Allowed Claims, 1871–1880”: No Findings

·      “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880”

o   James Henry; Arkansas, USA; 19 Feb 1873; Claimant[4]

·      “Southern Loyalists in the Civil War”: No Findings

 

James Henry filed a claim in 1873, which was denied.  Ancestry has the digitized claim. Next week, we will dig into this claim in detail.

 

While your ancestor may not have filed a claim, they may have been a witness for a claim. On Ancestry you must search across the databases as the master index only indexes claimants, not witnesses.

 

Future Research

 

Future research will include:

·      Search for additional marriage records for James Henry. He married Alphurnia Peerson in 1894.

·      Continue search for all real estate, both local and Federal, that James Henry owned in Washington County, Arkansas. He owned $300 in 1850 and $1,000 in 1870. Start a table showing the land transactions, both in and out, to ensure all transactions are captured.

·      Find maps for the time and place.

·      Determine if there are records for Friendship Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas. Determine if there are extant records for First Baptist Church of Springdale.

·      Locate the extant applicable agricultural censuses for Arkansas.

·      Identify all of James Henry’s ten children.

·      James Henry served in the Mexican War and his widow, Alphurnia, received a pension. He may have had a pension too since he was feeble and helpless prior to his death. His tombstone notes his service from 1847–1848 in the Ark. Mounted Inf. Vol.

·      Who were the parents of Harvey Webb, nephew, in 1880?

·      Was Luke Henry in 1900 the stepson of James Henry?

 

Next up: Continuing the research on Mary Jane Henry and her husband, James, as noted in “Future Research” above.

 

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[1] “United States, National Archives, Southern Claims Commission,” FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States,_National_Archives,_Southern_Claims_Commission : accessed 8 February 2025).

[2] “United States, National Archives, Southern Claims Commission,” FamilySearch Wiki (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States,_National_Archives,_Southern_Claims_Commission : accessed 8 February 2025).

[3] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission Master Index, 1871–1880,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 February 2026), p. 271, image 289 of 684.

[4] “U.S., Southern Claims Commission, Disallowed and Barred Claims, 1871–1880,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 February 2026), entry for James Henry, 19 February 1873.

Rent a Car or Take the Train?

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

This series of posts, continued from last week, outlines our preparation for a German trip to research beyond church records. Before embarking on a research trip abroad, you want to make sure you’ve done your homework. The next step, outlined in this post, is determining whether to rent a car or use the train.

 

Considerations for Renting a Car

 

For our past two trips to Germany, we have opted to rent a car. We found it to be economical, as we split the cost between us, and we were traveling to different parts of Germany. None of the trips were so long and we enjoyed driving through the small German towns and were in the countryside rather than in the city. Being able to transport our luggage in the car was convenient. 

 

Trains cover a large geographic region better than a car, but you do have to ensure that there is adequate rail coverage for the area where you are staying and can get to the train station. We have successfully used the Uber service in Germany. 

 

Cars can be a hassle in the city because there may be limited parking and as we found even with a small SUV can be a challenge to park (see accompanying photograph) and adds to the overall cost as parking can be expensive. Renting a car can be stressful as German roads have unfamiliar road signs and frequently changing speed limits. Germany does have speed cameras and issues tickets, which you will receive through the car rental agency after they receive it and can add to the rental cost.

Considerations for Taking a Train

 

If you are planning to be in one location for your entire trip or you plan to only be in large cities, the train is a good option for you. If you will stay in one city, you can buy a ticket at the airport to your destination city. If you have multiple German cities, consider the German Rail Pass. If you will travel to multiple European countries, consider your pass options on the Eurail website. 

 

Explore the Eurail website carefully. It explains everything you need to know about passes, schedules, train types, etc. Use the scheduler to help you plan your train travel. It is important to understand that purchasing a single ticket or a multi-day pass merely gets you on the train. You may also reserve a seat for an additional charge. Some trains require a seat reservation. Others highly recommend it during peak hours. The scheduler, mentioned above, will advise if a reserved seat is required or recommended.

Gen 1: Mary Jane Beal - Court Record for James Henry

What are the origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl?

We continued our Biehl research project with the end goal of identifying the German origins of Johann Nicholas Biehl. I continued research on the first generation, which is Mary Jane Beal. You can find that post here.

 

Court Records

 

Last week we identified at least one tract of land that James Henry purchased from the Federal Government, but there were additional tracts that we were not sure were for our James Henry or for another same-name individual. I decided to try FamilySearch’s full-text search, which is a game changer for researchers. Elizabeth Shown Mills had discussed the need on many occasions of reading the records page-by-page. This may still be necessary, but this full-text search can help locate some of those items quicker.

To try it out, I decided to search for James Henry, and I located a 14 January 1850 court record that discussed the West Fork Road, which named both James Henry and his likely father-in-law Peter Beal. They were numerated adjacent to each other in the 1850 census that was taken in June. Below is the transcription:

“[page] 86

January 14^th 1850

And now on this day came the commissioners appointed at the last term of this court to view and mark out a portion of the West Fork road and made their report which ^is in words and figures as follows Towit In obedience to an order to us directed we William H Campbell John Robinson and Ewin P Craig Commissioners appointed by the county court of Washington County to view and mark a portion of the West Fork road after being duly sworn as the law directs commencing near the house of Nathan Caughmans on the land of Alfred Caughmans thence about one quarter of a mile to the land of Conrod Yous then over the land of said Conrod Yous about one quarter of a mile then over vacant land then over the land of James Henry about one mile then over vacant land then over the land of Peter Beal about one mile course about north east generally making about four miles then over vacant land then over the land of William D Shons about half a mile then over the land of Joseph Webb about half mile then over the land of Quiller Hutchins one half mile then over vacant land then over the land of Anderson Hutchens half mile to the house of Anderson Hutchens from Peter Beals to Anderson Hutchens about four miles course about North West withe [sic] undersigned reviewers believe that the public convinience [sic] will be much benefited by the above road being continued and kept in repair and we also deem it of public utility.”[1]

 

We’ll be continuing research on James Henry until we have completed reasonably exhaustive research on him, but using this full-text search is another tool in our toolbox that can help us research more efficiently and locate some great finds!

 

Future Research

 

Future research will include:

 

·      Search for additional marriage records for James Henry. He married Alphurnia Peerson in 1894.

·      Continue search for all real estate, both local and Federal, that James Henry owned in Washington County, Arkansas. He owned $300 in 1850 and $1,000 in 1870. Start a table showing the land transactions, both in and out, to ensure all transactions are captured.

·      Find maps for the time and place.

·      Determine if there are records for Friendship Baptist Church in Springdale, Arkansas. Determine if there are extant records for First Baptist Church of Springdale.

·      Locate the extant applicable agricultural censuses for Arkansas.

·      Identify all of James Henry’s ten children.

·      James Henry served in the Mexican War and his widow, Alphurnia, received a pension. He may have had a pension too since he was feeble and helpless prior to his death. His tombstone notes his service from 1847–1848 in the Ark. Mounted Inf. Vol.

·      Who were the parents of Harvey Webb, nephew, in 1880?

·      Was Luke Henry in 1900 the stepson of James Henry?

 

Next up: Continuing the research on Mary Jane Henry and her husband, James, as noted in “Future Research” above.

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[1] Washington County, Arkansas, Court Records, 1835–1878, vol. C, 1848–1856, pp. 86–7, entry for West Fork Road, 14 January 1850; image 71 of 644, DGS no. 7,899,278, item 1, FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Emphasis added.