How were dead soldiers identified? AFAIK they didn't have dog tags. Were names on their uniforms? Some may have carried something that had their names, just in case. I heard of one soldier who had his mother tattoo his name on his chest. This may start some discussion, so replies may as well go to the list if that's OK. Thanks for info! Carol Botteron <botteron@alum.mit.edu> Maintainer, Civil War Units File

Carol, As far as I know they weren't issued any kind of ID as we know it today. Maybe some carried wallets or carried pieces of paper with their names, etc. on them. I've read of some who carried bibles which, of course, showed the name of the owner. And then there are lots of references in the literature that when a major battle was expected (Cold Harbor, etc.) many soldiers were seen writing their names on pieces of paper and pinning them to the back of their uniforms. Hope this helps, Alice Gayley Carol Botteron wrote: > How were dead soldiers identified? AFAIK they didn't have dog tags. > Were names on their uniforms? Some may have carried something that > had their names, just in case. I heard of one soldier who had his > mother tattoo his name on his chest. > > This may start some discussion, so replies may as well go to the > list if that's OK. Thanks for info! > > Carol Botteron <botteron@alum.mit.edu> > Maintainer, Civil War Units File -- Pennsylvania in the Civil War http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/

There was no standardization system for the identification of the dead. Most of the Union dead were idenified by their comrades. There were no offical "dog tags" issued by the respective govements. There were, however, enterprising individuals who cash in on the soldier's fear of lost identity by selling wooden, ceramic, or tin identification tags. Some soldiers wore these. but this was the exception rater tahn the rule. Sometimes a note in a bottle was buried with the soldier along with his personal keepsakes that had not been stolen. Source " The Bivouacs of the Dead" by Steven R. Stotelmyer Ann ----- Original Message ----- From: "Alice J. Gayley" <agayley@dgs.dgsys.com> To: <CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 11:23 AM Subject: Re: [CIVIL-WAR] Identification of dead soldiers? > Carol, > > As far as I know they weren't issued any kind of ID as we > know it today. Maybe some carried wallets or carried pieces > of paper with their names, etc. on them. I've read of some > who carried bibles which, of course, showed the name of the > owner. > > And then there are lots of references in the literature that > when a major battle was expected (Cold Harbor, etc.) many > soldiers were seen writing their names on pieces of paper > and pinning them to the back of their uniforms. > > Hope this helps, > Alice Gayley > > > Carol Botteron wrote: > > How were dead soldiers identified? AFAIK they didn't have dog tags. > > Were names on their uniforms? Some may have carried something that > > had their names, just in case. I heard of one soldier who had his > > mother tattoo his name on his chest. > > > > This may start some discussion, so replies may as well go to the > > list if that's OK. Thanks for info! > > > > Carol Botteron <botteron@alum.mit.edu> > > Maintainer, Civil War Units File > > -- > Pennsylvania in the Civil War > http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/ > > > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from list mode, email CIVIL-WAR-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > and in the text area of the message, type only the word > unsubscribe > > >

Hi Carol! The night before the battle at Cold Harbor, it is recorded that many of the Union troops went to the trouble of writing their names on slips of paper which they pinned to their uniforms in the expectation of being killed the next day. -- Robert W. King I'm an ingenieur, NOT a bloody locomotive driver! SnailNet: 19023 TV Tower Rd, Winslow, Arkansas 72959 BellNet: 479-634-2086 InterNet: mailto:robert@wildweasel.net Web site: http://www.wildweasel.net/ -----Original Message----- From: Carol Botteron [mailto:botteron@alum.mit.edu] Sent: Saturday, 06 December 2003 10:59 To: CIVIL-WAR-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [CIVIL-WAR] Identification of dead soldiers? How were dead soldiers identified? AFAIK they didn't have dog tags. Were names on their uniforms? Some may have carried something that had their names, just in case. I heard of one soldier who had his mother tattoo his name on his chest. This may start some discussion, so replies may as well go to the list if that's OK. Thanks for info! Carol Botteron <botteron@alum.mit.edu> Maintainer, Civil War Units File