In a message dated 6/4/98 3:00:23 PM, obrienm@global2000.net wrote: <<About 4 years ago, someone informally did a search for me at the National Archives in DC on a gg(g?)uncle who emigrated from Ireland and served in the Union Navy in the Civil War. If I recall, he found it on some kind of index there and told me that I'd have to send to them for the actual records. ---SNIP----Today, I received a response saying they could find nothing. My interpretation of this is that they didn't even find what this individual found 4 years ago -- in their own records. Anyone have any suggestions? Four years ago, he was even able to tell me what ship he was on. Maureen O'Brien>> Maureen, While I do not work for the National Archives I can say that they try real hard to do a great job. Over the last few years they have faced several budget cut-backs resulting in fewer people attempting to do the work previously assigned to many more employees. There is little to do except to try again or possible address a letter to "Civil War Military specialist", stating all the information you have. My questions are, What did you request (exactly)? This is important because they usually will not do research for you. Did you request the information on one of their forms? Which one? Secondly, military service records for the Civil War are contained in several large categories. 1. Volenteers, troops raised by the states. 2. Regulars, US military raised by the federal government. 3. Some Navy records and some Marine records (these not often used). I suspect that your previous researcher found your sailor in "Indexes to Rendezvous Reports, Civil War, 1861-1865. T1099, 31 rolls." This index is on film but the records to which they refer are not on microfilm. These actual records are available at the National Archives in Washington DC. I also suggest that you should also explore the possibility of a pension application. These are indexed comprehensively. Ralph Komives RalphK@aol.com http://members.aol.com/RalphK/DocumentSearch.html Document Searches in Washington, D.C. Area and Annapolis, MD. Problem searches a specialty. Research at: DAR Library, National Archives, Library of Congress, MD State Archives