The state archives databases can be confusing and they are NOT consistent. For example, to search the Black Hawk War database the location is SANGAMON -- there was no Logan County at that time and they didn't list them by town. In the Civil War you can pick a town but be aware that some enlisted from 'Salt Creek' and such, not a town. Punctuation can be a problem too. A search in the Spanish American War database for Mt. Pulaski gets nothing but Mt [no period] Pulaski produces: Result of search for "Mt Pulaski". NAME RANK COMPANY & UNIT RESIDENCE - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------- ARMSTRONG, DELBERT H PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI BOSTIC, JOHN PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI BOYER, WILLIAM E PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI CLARK, EZRA PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI CONNOLLY, WILLIAM E PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI FIELD, GEORGE D PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI HAYES, IBETH R PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI HAYNES, LEE V PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI HELLER, CHARLES A PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI HOWARD, WILLIAM H SAD K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI INGRAM, CALVIN A PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI MILLER, JOHN E PVT K 1 IL CAV MT PULASKI STINSON, JAMES W PVT M 9 IL INF MT PULASKI The moral is here is play around with them. Don't let them frustrate you. Outsmart them. <g> Cheryl Rothwell LoganCty@mindspring.com Coordinator, Logan County, ILGenWeb Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L-request@rootsweb.com Harding mailing list> HARDING-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Downing Lucas query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Lucas