TSLAC Creates Searchable Database

The Texas State Library and Archives has created a database of digitized items from its Adjutant General Service Records Collection. It's available at http://www2.tsl.state.tx.us/trail/ServiceSearch.jsp . Before you get too excited looking at the searching options, however, please note that only the following records have been digitized: Army of the Republic, Navy of the Republic, Confederate States Army, Texas State Troops, Mounted Volunteers, Minute Men, State Police, and Regular Rangers.

You can search the records here by name, call number, and organization. I searched the Army of the Republic for Smith. I got 27 results. The results listed include the name, organization, call number, and a link to the PDF of the relevant record. The records listed vary a lot. I saw one enlistment document for a horse jockey who joined the Army of the Republic in the 1830's. I saw another one for Hawkins Smith that looked like some kind of receipt or correspondence, and it wasn't clear what it was.

Some of the records I looked at were difficult to read, but the service records, which are standardized military service/enlistment documents filled in with pertinent information, were easy to get through. And there were plenty of those.

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