MUSTER ROLLS, 1886
File — Reel-frame: 85:423
Scope and Contents
From the Sub-Series:
Militia muster rolls for the years 1847-1897, preceding the establishment of the National Guard, have had a complicated history. Most of those concerning the period from the suppression of the Taos Revolt in 1847 through the Civil War and Navajo campaign of 1864-65, together with discharge papers and other supporting military records, were not in the custody of the Adjutant-General until the 1890's when they were recovered from various merchants and other interested persons who had acquired them by the process of buying up territorial warrants for indebtedness. When received by the Adjutant-General a number was apparently arbitrarily placed on each temporary or official muster-in-roll, muster-out record or other paper without regard to any discernible order. A total of 686 items were so numbered. These records, most of them in extremely deteriorated condition, were then stored and no further care was given them until 1925 when by order of Governor Arthur T. Hannett they were transferred from the Adjutant-General's office to the custody of the Historical Society of New Mexico files in the Museum of New Mexico. They were then examined by Lansing B. Bloom, Assistant Director of the Museum and Secretary of the Historical Society, and by Ralph Emerson Twitchell, President of the Historical Society, who prepared listings of individual names in several muster rolls. The papers were then filed in numerical order according to the original number assigned to them in the 1890's. Not all of the records covering the years 1847-1865 had been recovered by the Adjutant-General, however. Some were later acquired by the Museum of New Mexico and a few additional ones were received by the State Records Center as late as 1968. However, some of the records from the early years have undoubtedly disappeared while others may still be in private hands.
In 1925 many muster-rolls and other military documents concerning militia activities during the 1880's, especially those of the Apache campaign of 1885-1886, were also transferred to the custody of the Museum of New Mexico. Bloom and Twitchell assigned a different numbering system to these records, but again without any ascertainable order. With the establishment of the State Records Center and Archives in 1960 the files in the Museum of New Mexico came into the custody of the new agency. Since that date, the Adjutant-General's office has also transferred the remaining territorial military documents, including the company records of the National Guard, to the State Records Center.
Since the documents covering the period of the Civil War-Navajo Campaign (1861-1865) recovered by the Adjutant-General in the 1890's have suffered such deterioration that many of them are virtually in shreds and some are nearly illegible, no attempt has been made to microfilm the 686 files originally numbered by the Adjutant-General. They are maintained at the State Records Center and a card index to individual names, including a summary of the service record, probably initiated by Bloom and Twitchell and completed since 1960, is available to researchers.
The Bloom-Twitchell numbering system for other records received by the Historical Society in 1925 has been disregarded and the muster rolls for the years 1847-1860 and 1869-1897 are microfilmed in chronological order. In a few instances of action by a single company, militia lists were maintained by the unit commander together with other records of action. In these instances, the records are microfilmed in the Campaign Records section.
When the Territorial Militia was superceded by the National Guard in 1897 the muster rolls were maintained by the Adjutant-General according to company. This company record organization has been retained in the microfilm. A name file index to all muster rolls of these periods is also available to researchers at the State Records Center.
These documents are microfilmed at a ratio of 20 Ã 1.
In 1925 many muster-rolls and other military documents concerning militia activities during the 1880's, especially those of the Apache campaign of 1885-1886, were also transferred to the custody of the Museum of New Mexico. Bloom and Twitchell assigned a different numbering system to these records, but again without any ascertainable order. With the establishment of the State Records Center and Archives in 1960 the files in the Museum of New Mexico came into the custody of the new agency. Since that date, the Adjutant-General's office has also transferred the remaining territorial military documents, including the company records of the National Guard, to the State Records Center.
Since the documents covering the period of the Civil War-Navajo Campaign (1861-1865) recovered by the Adjutant-General in the 1890's have suffered such deterioration that many of them are virtually in shreds and some are nearly illegible, no attempt has been made to microfilm the 686 files originally numbered by the Adjutant-General. They are maintained at the State Records Center and a card index to individual names, including a summary of the service record, probably initiated by Bloom and Twitchell and completed since 1960, is available to researchers.
The Bloom-Twitchell numbering system for other records received by the Historical Society in 1925 has been disregarded and the muster rolls for the years 1847-1860 and 1869-1897 are microfilmed in chronological order. In a few instances of action by a single company, militia lists were maintained by the unit commander together with other records of action. In these instances, the records are microfilmed in the Campaign Records section.
When the Territorial Militia was superceded by the National Guard in 1897 the muster rolls were maintained by the Adjutant-General according to company. This company record organization has been retained in the microfilm. A name file index to all muster rolls of these periods is also available to researchers at the State Records Center.
These documents are microfilmed at a ratio of 20 Ã 1.
Dates
- 1886
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English.
Access Restrictions
Access to original territorial records restricted; Use microfilm only (Territorial Archives of New Mexico).
Extent
From the Collection: 100 Linear Feet
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives Repository