Military Research at National Archives - Washington, D.C.

For the past four days, I have conducted research at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. I have been searching out the Bi-Monthly Muster Rolls, Special Orders, and Enlistment and Personal Papers for David Nemetzky. This week has been very successful. I have found just about all of the Bi-Monthly Musters from January/February1904 through September/October 1912 for David Nemetzky. I found him in the Bi-Monthly Musters for the following units:

- Troop A, 7th Cavalry (Jan/Feb 1904 - Nov-Dec 1904)
- 99th Company, Coast Artillery (Sep/Oct 1904 - Mar-Apr 1906)
- Company B, 12th Infantry Regiment (May-Jun 1907 - Jan-Feb 1909)

As well as the following Stations while he was assigned to the Hospital Corps:

- Fort Morgan, Alabama (Mar/Apr 1906 - Nov/Dec 1906)

- Fort Moultrie, South Carolina (Nov/Dec 1906 - May/Jun 1907)

- Fort Porter New York (Jan/Feb 1909 - May/Jun 1909)

- For Wadsworth, New York (May/Jun 1909 - Jul/Aug 1909 & Mar/Apr 1911 - Nov-Dec 1911)

- Fort Howard Maryland (Jul/Aug 1909 - Sep/Oct 1909)

- Fort Ontario, New York (Nov/Dec 1911)

- USAT Logan (Nov/Dec 1911)

- Casual Detachment, Division Hospital, Manila, Philippines (Jan/Feb 1912 - Jul/Aug 1912)

- Cuartel de Espana, Philippines (Mar/Apr 1912 - May/Jun 1912)

- Tientsin, China (Jan/Feb 1912 - Sep/Oct 1912)

- Wali, China (Jul/Aug 1912 - Sep/Oct 1912)

In addition to doing a virtual consultation before coming out here, I found the printed index for the Bi-Monthly Musters available in the National Archives. Looking through the printed index, I found several Hospital Corps Musters that are filed under a series of detachment index numbers rather than the name of the Post or Station. Many of the Hospital Corps Musters for China and the Philippines are filed under these detachment index numbers. Below is the Bi-Monthly Muster for Tientsin, China for November/December 1912 that is available on Family Search. The Index number (at top) is 14354.

When I saw the list of Hospital Corps Musters Index with the detachment index numbers, I realized that the Musters for China and the Philippines would be in this part of the Musters. Below is the Bi-Monthly Muster for Tientsin, China for September/October 1912, with the Index number listed at top. (14238).

In addition to finding the musters for the Hospital Corps in China and the Philippines, I also found the Muster for the Hospital Corps traveling aboard the USAT Logan to the Philippines in December of 1911 in the Musters filed with a detached index number as well. This was a big find as I have been unable to locate a Troopship Transport List for the Logan from December 1911. Below is the image for the Muster for the USAT Logan, with the detachment number (13720) at top.

Going through the Bi-Monthly Musters, I also found information for David Nemetzky's military service while he was assigned with the 12th Infantry Regiment. This part of his military service has always been a blank page...until now. When he re-enlisted in June of 1907, he was assigned to Co. B, 12th Infantry Regiment at Fort Porter, New York. He was discharged in January of 1908 and re-enlisted for the convenience of the Government. I had always wondered why. The Bi-Monthly Musters, as well as the Special Order that is referenced on the Muster, explain why. Below is the Bi-Monthly Muster from Jan/Feb 1908 showing his assignment to the School for Bakers and Cooks.

The Special Order explains that because he had less than two years and six months remaining in his current enlistment (he had two years and five months left), he was to be discharged and re-enlisted so that he could attend the School for Bakers and Cooks at Fort Riley, Kansas. He attended this training school between January and June of 1908, spending the last month there as an Assistant Instructor. I looked for the Bi-Monthly Musters for the School for Bakers and Cooks, but did not find them. Following his return from this training, he was promoted to the rank of Cook, and held that rank until his transfer to the Hospital Corps in February of 1909. Below is the Bi-Monthly Muster from July/August 1908 showing his promotion to the rank of Cook.

He was transferred twice to the Hospital Corps. The first was in March of 1906, and the second was in February of 1909. Each Special Order authorizing his transfer both state that the transfer was per Army Regulations. The Army Regulation (first 1440, and later 1430) that authorized his transfer to the Hospital Corps reads as follows: 'Enlisted men…may be transferred to the Hospital Corps as privates by the commander of a division, separate brigade, or department, on the application of the surgeon of the post or command, forwarded through military channels. The application will state the age, character, physical condition, and habits of the soldier, date of expiration of current enlistment, and whether made for an existing or prospective vacancy.' Below are the Bi-Monthly Musters from Mar/Apr 1906 for 99th Company Coast Artillery & Jan/Feb 1909 for Co. B, 12th Infantry, as well as the Special Orders, showing his first two transfers to the Hospital Corps.

I had always wondered why he was transferred to the Hospital Corps...now I know why. It appears that he found he fit in best in the Hospital Corps, and helps explain why he requested assignment to the Hospital Corps upon his re-enlistment in 1911, as well as requesting transfer to the Hospital Corps from General Service Infantry following his re-enlistment in 1914. 

I have already mentioned Special Orders. Special Orders were issued by Army Posts, Military Departments, and the War Department, depending on the type and nature of the order. These Special Orders were published and bound. The National Archives has many of the Special Orders available for research, and these orders help give context to many of the activities and assignments of each soldier and their military service. 

Speaking of Special Orders, The National Archives also houses General Court Martial Orders. These are orders that detail the charges and outcomes of General Courts Martial. I found the General Court Martial Order for one Charles W. Adamson from 1919. He was responsible for attempting to frame David Nemetzky for misappropriation of military property in 1918 David Nemetzky was found not guilty). Looking at records that are available online, I found that Charles W. Adamson was court-martialed and demoted from Master Hospital Sergeant to Private. I have requested a copy of the General Court Martial record from the National Archives in St. Louis (I am still waiting for this record), but decided to look up the Order here in Washington, D.C. I found that Adamson was court-martialed for fraud and abusive behavior. Talk about karma coming back to bite you.

David Nemetzky faced trial by general court martial in 1904 and 1912. The National Archives provided copies of these records for me least year when they re-opened following COVID. I didn't look up these records during this visit, but I did find the general court-martial index and found both of his general courts martial listed. I also found the general court-martial for a James H. Conway in 1906. James H. Conway was charged with desertion, but only found guilty of AWOL. David Nemetzky was ordered to appear as a witness, but was not called upon to testify.

In addition to the general courts martial, David Nemetzky was also subject to a Summary Court Martial in August of 1909. Summary Courts Martial is usually used to resolve minor offenses and misconduct of enlisted personnel. The person accused must give consent for a Summary Court Martial. According to the Bi-Monthly Muster for the Hospital Corps, Fort Wadsworth for July/August 1909 (below), David Nemetzky was AWOL from August 7 to August 10, 1909. Perhaps fearing another General Court Martial, and in order to resolve the issue quickly, it appears that he gave consent for a Summary Court Martial. His punishment was to forfeit $5.00. I was unable to find any other record, including a Summary Court Martial Record, for this infraction. 

I also looked up the available correspondence for David Nemetzky. Family Search has published the Carded Index for Correspondence with the Adjutant General's Office (1891-1917). I was able to find much of the available correspondence while here at the National Archives. Much of the correspondence was filed under the initial index number for David Nemetzky, (902071), while some of the other correspondence is filed under index number 1544053. 

While the index references the correspondence, I found that a few pieces of correspondence that are referenced in the index no longer exist. The correspondence that does exist ranges from his request for transfer from the Cavalry to the Coast Artillery, to his illness and medical treatment in 1905, to his request for transfer to the Hospital Corps in 1914. The most interesting piece of correspondence would be from September of 1909. He requested to be discharged from the Army for the purpose of pursuing a business opportunity - a shirt manufacturing business - with his brother Jacob Nemetzky. There is a letter from his parents (pictured below), as well as from two other shirt manufacturers, requesting his discharge. 

During the first half of the 20th Century, an enlisted soldier could pay his way out of his enlistment. These letters, as well as a written request submitted by David Nemetzky, were submitted to the Adjutant General's Office, and his discharge request was granted...at the cost of $80. He was granted an honorable discharge. He would later obtain his final discharge from the Army by Purchase in 1931. That discharge by purchase was only $30.

I also found and copied the Enlistment Papers for David Nemetzky while I was here. I have received copies of these records in the past, but I decided to get color copies while I was here. These are simply a contract agreeing to enlist for a period of three years, as well as a Description and Assignment card. This Card gives a physical description of the soldier, lists their next of kin, and gives the unit they are assigned to. There are four of these Enlistment Papers and Cards for him (1904, 1907, 1908 & 1911). The enlistment paper from 1904 is shown below.

I also came across a record series called Personal Papers. These are papers for enlisted personnel and are arranged by unit. I found papers for David Nemetzky in the Hospital Corps and the Coast Artillery (there was nothing for him in the Infantry or the Cavalry). The Hospital Corps only gave an additional Description and Assignment Card. The Coast Artillery contained his hospital record from when he was hospitalized in 1905 (I still need to go through the record to pull out the details). It is very likely that this was the first time this record was pulled out and looked at in over 100 years. Below is one of the pieces of correspondence from the Personal Papers file from the Coast Artillery.

There was one miss from this research trip. In addition to the Bi-Monthly Musters for the Hospital Corps, The National Archives in Washington, D.C., also houses Monthly Returns for the Hospital Corps. Family Search, Ancestry and Fold3 each have Monthly Returns for Infantry, Cavalry, Coast Artillery and Army Posts, which give a monthly accounting of each respective unit or post. Similar monthly returns for the Hospital Corps were also recorded. I was hoping to find these records and copy them as an additional source for David Nemetzky's military service. However, there is not an index for the Hospital Corps Monthly Returns to search through to find the returns I was hoping to look for, so this record set remains untouched.

Even with this one setback, this was a very productive and enjoyable trip to the National Archives. The staff here are very friendly and helpful and are a pleasure to interact with. The biggest part of this trip was finding the Bi-Monthly Musters that are housed here. Between these and those that are available on Family Search (as well as the other records I have found here as well as throughout my research), I now have put together (as complete as possible) the military record for David Nemetzky. Below is a link to the complete list of Bi-Monthly (and from July 1918 forward, Monthly) Musters for David Nemetzky that cover the entirety of his military career.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r7jzaibFHfvb0vJCD4KpIKvH71u8q_vI/view?usp=drive_link

While there are many records that I won't ever be able to find because of the 1973 National Archives Fire that destroyed some 15 million Army enlisted personnel files, because of the records I have found here, as well as those that are now online, I have been able to compile his military record. Below is a link to his military record that I have compiled.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nD9NRN9GArXuZ0pu2szoSza8pivSb0LQ/view?usp=drive_link

Marriage of Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan & Goodwin O'Grady

Today, I received the marriage record for Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan to her second husband, Goodwin O'Grady. With the release of the 1931 Canada Census in June, I have found additional information on Clara during the 1930's that have helped fill in some gaps in her life. I was very surprised to find that she had remarried and was wedded to Goodwin O'Grady, a man who had immigrated from Ireland to Canada in 1914 (on the eve of World War One). I was also very surprised to find out that this marriage was short-lived and that it was annulled.

Below is the marriage record for Goodwin O'Grady and Clara Belle (Dodge) Morgan. They were married on June 19, 1929 at St. John's Anglican Church (Church of England on the marriage record) in the town of Unity, Saskatchewan. Unity is in western Saskatchewan, about half-way between the towns of Wilkie (where Clara lived with her first husband, William Morgan, from 1911 until his departure in 1922) and Winter (where Clara lived with her second husband, Goodwin O'Grady, from 1929 until their annulment in 1935).

According to their marriage record, Goodwin was 36 years old (he was born in 1893), was a bachelor, and was a Farmer. He belonged to the Church of Ireland and lived in Winter, Saskatchewan. He was born in Cork, Ireland to Carew O'Grady and Florence Hingston. Clara was 40 years old (she was born in 1884, which means that she was 45 years old), was a widow (at this time she didn't know whether her first husband was still alive or not), and belonged to the Christian Church (in the 1931 Canada Census, she lists her religion as Adventist - the religion of her parents). Her occupation was Housewife and she lived in Winter at the time of her marriage.

Clara was born in 'Beuna Vista' (judging by the spelling, she pronounced her birth town as BEU-na Vista as opposed to BUE-na Vista). The State or Country isn't listed (she was born in the State of Colorado, USA). Her father is Nathaniel Dodge and her mother is Fanny Stevens (while numerous records record the spelling of her mother's name as both Fanny and Fannie, her mother's birth and death records are both record her name as Fannie). 

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, Goodwin filed for an annulment in 1935 when it was found out that Clara's first husband was still alive and residing in Ontario. According to the 1931 Census, there is a William John Morgan living in Fort William, Ontario (a town along Lake Superior about 40 miles north of the US-Canada Border, north of Minnesota). According to this Census, he is 63 years old and widowed. He belongs to the Church of England. His occupation is a House Painter, but was unemployed. It isn't known how Clara or Goodwin found out that her first husband was still alive. William John Morgan would eventually end up living in Toronto, where he passed away on June 23, 1941. His death record states that he was married, but indicates that the name is his wife was not known. I have a post from March of last year that details what I have found on the life of William John Morgan. Below is the 1931 Census for William John Morgan.

One final thought - Why didn't Clara return to the United States, and Colorado, after her first husband departed? At the time of her marriage to her first husband in 1906, the laws of the United States were such that if a woman married a citizen of another country (even if the marriage was performed in the United States), then she would lose her citizenship and be considered a citizen of the country of her spouse. There is no indication that William John Morgan became a U.S. Citizen, and that no immigration record was found for him when he entered the United States, or when he returned to Canada. Clara and her children (who were both born in the United States) immigrated to Canada in 1911, and were naturalized Canadian citizens as their husband and father was a Canadian citizen (They were actually subjects of the British Crown, as Canada was part of the British Empire). Following her first husband's departure, it is very likely that Clara didn't have the means to return home, as well as not having much to return home to. By the 1920's, each of her siblings had left Buena Vista, and her father didn't appear to have means to help provide for her to come back home, so remaining in Canada would have been her only option.

I am still waiting for a copy of the annulment case. In my previous post on Goodwin O'Grady, I shared a newspaper article I found regarding their annulment. I will share more on the annulment once I receive the annulment record.

Relics from the old Homestead - a follow up

Since our trip to Colorado, dad and I have been going through the items that we have brought home and trying to find similar items that resemble those that we found. Yesterday, we went to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) Museum in Ogden. We found several items there that very closely resemble those that we brought home from Colorado. Thanks to dad for taking these pictures.

The first item we saw at the museum is this ceramic jug (above). This piece resembles almost exactly the pieces of the ceramic jug that we found and pieced together in the picture below. The ceramic jug at the museum was just a hair smaller than the jug pieces that we found.

The following items we saw at the museum were these ceramic jugs (pictured below). They are brown on the top and grey/cream color on the body of the jug. These closely resemble this jug piece that we found at the old homestead.

The next piece that we saw at the museum is a cream-colored jar. Some of the pieces that we put together possibly were part of a jar similar to the one we saw at the museum.

The next item we saw was this brown colored ceramic pot. This pot has similar grooves along the inside of the pot as the pieces that we brought home with us.

The next item was one that I noticed. This is a green vase with a floral pattern that is on display at the museum. The pattern and design very closely match this piece of green pottery that we found at the old homestead and is very likely from the same manufacturer, and may even have been a lid to a similar vase.

Finally, we were looking at a couple of the pieces we brought home with us last night...and lo and behold, we found that they fit together. This is likely from a portion of a tea cup. This particular design looks to be Oriental influenced and was likely sent home by one of their daughters who had moved to San Francisco during the 1910's. It appears to be a scene of some cherry trees (in pink) with a hillside next to a stream (in blue). This is what these two pieces look like after we had put them together.

After looking online, dad found that this may be from a Japanese Geisha Ware Set. Below are several pictures that we found of some different Japanese Geisha Ware tea cups/sets on eBay that have the same/similar designs and styles.

Visiting the homestead of Nathaniel T. Dodge

In April of 2021, I posted about the homestead of Nathaniel T. Dodge. In that post, I talked about the history of the homestead and the land changing hands throughout the years. I also talked about the Google Image dad found showing the foundation of the house that Nathaniel built. We decided that instead of going in 2022, we needed to go out there that Summer (2021), so we did. We reached out to the current landowners, and they were only too happy to have us over. When we got to the homestead, and specifically to the foundation of the house, we were overwhelmed by what we saw. There were shards of glass, pieces of pottery, chunks of brick, and a few remains of the wood that was used to build the house our ancestor lived in. We picked up what we could, took pictures and enjoyed our stay there.

Last month, we returned to the old homestead, and once again the current landowners were happy to have us over and let us look around. This time, we were more prepared for what was there. We found even more pieces of pottery, glass, nails, metal, wood, as well as four bricks that were completely intact. It is amazing to think about all of the objects that are still out there, as well as those that are now in our possession, that our ancestors used and handled in the course of their daily lives.

Below are a few pictures of what is left of the foundation of the house that Nathaniel built that we took on this most recent visit. When we were out there, we had a copy of the picture of the home with us, and were able to line up the house in the picture with the foundation that is still there today, and it is a spot-on match. He built his house down in a gulley, instead of on top of the gulley. There are a couple of reasons for this. One: he could keep his house out of the wind and snow in the wintertime. Two: it is possible this gulley was a small creek, and made sense to have his house next to a water source. Three: in building his house, he possibly wanted it close to the entrance of his land, and building his house here provided a place where could observe anyone who may be entering onto his land. 

This picture was taken in August of 2021

Below are pictures of some of the bricks, pottery, glass, metal and other items that we found between our trips in 2021 & 2023. These pictures were taken from our 2023 trip. We were so surprised by what we saw on our first trip to the homestead that we didn't take as many pictures as we should have.

The bricks were part of the foundation of the house and are more than 120 years old. The bag I used to carry all four of the bricks in was very heavy, much more so than carrying a bag of four modern-day bricks. There are other pieces of brick that are still there...and I'm sure others that are buried underground.

We decided to leave this wash pan at the homestead.

Below are additional pictures of many of the items that we found and brought home with us. Looking at the pieces we brought home from both trips, we found that a number of the pieces of pottery actually go together. In fact, some of the pieces fit together perfectly, and we were able to glue these together. Who knows how long these pieces have been sitting out on the ground, outside in the elements, broken apart.

Along with several pieces that fit together, there are other pieces of pottery, such as plates, cups, saucers and bowls that we found.

The mouth of a jug

This one is likely part of a plate that held a porcelain wash basin

I like seeing the moss on this piece. It definitely shows how long it has been outside

There were also several pieces of pottery that we found that had patterned designs on them. It is very likely that these pieces (as well as those above) were all manufactured in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. I'm surprised at the number of pieces of patterned wares we found.

This one is my favorite. The current landowners found this one shortly before our 2021 visit. They let me take this one. I currently have it framed.

There are also three pieces that have the makers mark on them. The first one we found in 2021, the other two we found in 2023. The first makers mark is K.T. & K. - China. This is Knowles, Taylor & Knowles, out of East Liverpool, Ohio. After looking online, we found this pottery manufacturer operated between 1854 and 1931. It is likely this first piece is a coffee or tea saucer. More information can be found here: http://www.laurelhollowpark.net/elo/ktk/ktk.html

The second piece is from Homer Laughlin - Premium Stone China. I found this one on our 2023 trip and was very surprised to find it. This particular makers mark was used between 1877 & 1900! For more info, please see: https://www.themuseumofceramics.com/gallery1

This last makers mark is from John Maddock and Sons in England. This makers mark dates to around 1906. For more info, please see: http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/m/maddock.html

We also found several broken bottle necks, all of which appear to date from the late 19th & early 20th Centuries.

Finally, we found several pieces of metal, from old nails to a belt buckle to harvesting blades to other metal items.

All in all, these two trips we took were very much worth the effort and time to go out there. We were able to make a connection to a time and place where our ancestors lived through the items that were left behind which we were able to recover. Again, thanks to the current landowners for allowing us the opportunity to visit the old homestead and bring home these items.