Civil War historians and family researchers have long known about the value of a soldier's compiled military service record (CMSR) and pension file (PF). Copies of both the CMSR and the pension file, which are filed in individual envelopes for each soldier, may be easily ordered from the National Archives. See Military Service Records at the National Archives, Reference Information Paper 109 at 10, 43 and NATF Form 86.
The value of the carded medical records (CMR) (Record Group 94, Entry 534) is less well known, probably because these records are not as easily accessible. The CMRs are filed by state, then regiment, and then roughly alphabetically within the regiment. (To complicate matters, there are many mispellings and misfiles both within and between regiments due to miscommunication of information at the time of admission.) (See Publication 109 at 10-11, 43)
The CMRs compiled information from casualty reports and hospital reports. Because a significant number of Civil War soldiers were sick enough to be admitted to hospital at some point and many were wounded, most Civil War soldiers will have a carded medical record. For the 179th New York, there are CMRs for roughly three-quarters of the soldiers. The CMR contains details not present in the CMSR. A comparison of the CMR and CMSR for my great-great grandfather, James C. Rutan, Co. A, 179th New York Volunteers, demonstrates the additional detail available in the CMR relating to a soldier's wounds and sickness.
CMR CMSR
July 30, 1864 Wounded: Right side (Missile: shell) July 30, 1864. Shell wound, right side
Treatment: Simple dressing. Sent to Depot
Hosp. Aug. 1 City Point
August 2, 1865 Admitted Depot Field Hospital, July-Aug 1864 (USAGH) Sick
9 AC, City Point. Bruised
August 5, 1864 Admitted to USA Hosp. Steamer
Atlantic. Sent to GH Aug 7, 1864
August 9, 1864. Admitted USA GH, Rochester, NY Sept -Oct 1864 (179th) Absent sick
Chronic hepatitus. Deserted 9/11/64 Sept 11, 1864 (USAGH) Deserted from
furlough
November 12, 1864. Returned to USA GH Rochester Nov-Dec 1864. (179th) Absent
February 14, 1865. Returned to duty from Rochester Jan-Feb 1865. (179th) Absent sick
Jan-Feb 1865 (USAGH) Sick
February 18, 1865. Admitted to USA General Hospital
Ladies' Home, NYC from Battery Barracks, NY
Pneumonia. Transferred to GH April 4, 1865
April 5, 1865. Admitted USA GH Elmira from Mar-Apr 1865. (179th) Absent sick
Ladies' Home. Contusion right kidney 7/30/64 Mar-Apr 1865. (USAGH) Sick
Missile: Wagon wheel
April 18, 1865. Furloughed
May 18, 1865 Discharged from service. May 23, 1865 Mustered out.
July 11, 1891. Charge of desertion removed. AWOL 9/11/64 to 11/12/64.
