Guide to Using the Series 5 Military Papers
The physical Andrew Jackson Papers are arranged in twelve series based on document types and acquisition history. A listing of the series is available on the About the Collection page. While most correspondence in the Andrew Jackson Papers is indexed at the item level, materials in Series 5, the Military Papers, 1781-1832, are presented electronically at the volume level.
Searching Correspondence and Other Materials Indexed at the Item-level
Individual items in Series 1, General Correspondence, can be electronically searched by the name of a sender or recipient), the date a letter was written, or by subject. To find a letter or other document in Series 1 of the Andrew Jackson Papers, it is helpful to consult the published Index to the Andrew Jackson Papers (PDF, 23.2MB). This Index covers materials acquired by the Library of Congress and microfilmed up to 1967 and contains an alphabetical listing of correspondent names. Documents other than letters (such as memoranda or printed circulars, clippings, receipts, fragments, and enclosures) or details about the listed items (such as that it is in the French language, with translation) are sometimes noted in the Addenda column of the Index. For detailed information about the Index, see “How to Use this Index,” in the Index (PDF, 23.2MB), page xxvi.
Searching Series 5 Military Papers
Series 5 of the Andrew Jackson Papers consists of many different types of military records contained in thirteen volumes. These include muster rolls, military returns, general and brigade orders, letters regarding military procedures, and other documents related to military service and Jackson’s military leadership.
The Military Papers are arranged chronologically and span the years 1781 to 1832. These records are available in this digital presentation at the volume level. Researchers may open the individual volumes in the series and page electronically through varied contents. They may also review volume contents in the “gallery view” and “slideshow view” modes.
To find a letter or similar dated item within Series 5 of the Andrew Jackson Papers, researchers should consult the published Index to the Andrew Jackson Papers (PDF, 23.2MB), much as one would in using materials in the General Correspondence series. For example, information on provisions in Series 5 can be located under the Index entries “Deaderick’s Artillery Co-Provisions” and by date, or “Deatheridge J-Provisions” and by date, and under the Index term “Provisions” indicating a particular Series 5 item. A Series 5 exchange between L. Dillahunty and D. Grafton of 27 March 1815 can be found listed alphabetically in the Index under “Dillahunty L”.
Locating the names of individual service members who are not senders or recipients of correspondence involves reading and searching through the documents in the various volumes of Series 5. Muster Rolls are particularly helpful documents to review for this type of research as they are official lists of officers and men in a military unit. If looking for individuals who served in a particular company or brigade, it can sometimes be helpful to refer to the Index (PDF, 23.2MB) and perform a search for the commanding officer to locate the appropriate muster roll.
Performing a Search for Series 5 Materials Using the Jackson Papers Index and Volume-level Digital Presentation
To find a particular document online by using the Index (PDF, 23.2MB), first review the Index entries and make note of the name, commanding officer (if available), the corresponding volume number, the date of the document and any other relevant information provided. It is helpful to scan the “S.” column (or Series column) of the Index to look for items specifically from Series 5.
To locate an identified item of interest in the digital presentation, go to the “Collection Items” tab in the online presentation of the Andrew Jackson Papers, and search for Series 5. The link to Series 5 will take you to a list of thirteen volumes of the Military Papers within Series 5. Click on the link associated with the desired volume and you will be taken to the beginning of the digitized images for that volume. You will need to scroll through or jump around the images in that volume to find the correct document. Using the gallery view or the slideshow view often results in a faster discovery.
Examples:
In this example, Captain William McCall’s Infantry Company- Troops (*MCCALL’s INFANTRY CO-TROOPS) December 3, 1813 (1813 DE 3) is highlighted. It is in Series 5 and is two pages long (S = Series and P = pages.) (For a list of symbols and abbreviations used in the Index to the Andrew Jackson Papers, please see “How to Use this Index,” in the Index (PDF, 23.2MB), page xxvi). The Addenda column notes that it is “V2-P117 Muster Roll.” V2 indicates that the item is located in Volume 2 within the series. P117 indicates the page number within the physical volume. Please note that the electronic image numbers and the page numbers listed in the Index do not necessarily correspond. In this example, the image numbers for the McCall item within Volume 2 will be Image 309 and 310. Once volume 2 is located, you will have to scroll through the images until you arrive at the appropriate date span to discover the desired item.
In this example, American Prisoners of War, January 10, 1815 (1815 JA 10) is highlighted. It is in Series 5 and is one page long. The Addenda column notes that it is “V5-P120 Return.” The actual digital image number of this item within Volume 5 is image 278 of 358.
In this example, The Morning Report containing troop strength, from G.T. Ross (*Ross, G T-Troop Strength), January 10, 1815 (1815 JA 10) is highlighted. It is in Series 5 and is one page long. The Addenda column notes that it is “V5-P121 Morning Report.” The actual digital image number of the item within Volume 5 is Image 281 of 358.
