Hello Missouri Listers! Visit www.missouri-slave-data.org to see updated links & photos on my website. 1) The St. Louis County Library Special Collections Department is proud to announce a new online index for Descriptive Recruitment Lists of Volunteers for the United States Colored Troops for the State of Missouri, 1863-1865 (National Archives microfilm publication M1894). This microfilm set (6 rolls) was produced in 2002 through a partnership between the National Archives and the Julius K. Hunter & Friends African American Research Collection St. Louis County Library. Unique to border states, these extremely rare Civil War era records provide information for approximately 5,000 African American recruits who enlisted at a Missouri recruiting station. The indexed documents show the name and residence (county and state) of each recruit's former slave owner. Each document also includes a physical description of the recruit including his age, height, and place of birth (county and state). This new online index includes two lists, one alphabetical by name of recruits, the other alphabetical by name of former slave owners. About 10% of the recruits were listed either as "free" or did not list a slave owner. Although this is a Missouri resource, birth places listed by the recruits' included 23 states, the District of Columbia, and the Cherokee Nation. The index is available at http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/jkh/usctmo/usctmosoldiers.htm More extensive information about the resource can be found at http://www.slcl.org/branches/hq/sc/jkh/m1894.htm Of interest to me via the website was the listing of all the soliders owned by John & William Ragland of Cooper Co., MO. Many of their slaves came with them from Louisa Co., VA. John Kelly Ragland married Marie Mary Buckner on 2 Mar 1855 in Cooper Co., MO. If anyone has information the Buckners or Raglands of Cooper Co. -- I would be very very interested. Marie I think is the daughter of Elias Edmonds. Buckner and Marie H. Smith. 2) Jim Thoma, webmaster of the Cooper County website has greatly enhanced marriage records that include black marriages into the early 1900s. http://www.rootsweb.com/~mocooper/ -- Click on Cooper County, Online Resources and then Marriages. Look during the time frame reference of interest. I noticed while looking at the marriage records at the courthouse that Black marriages were not always noted as "colored". I know many of names from studying the area.. if you aren't sure -- double check against the census. Also be sure to check in on the mortality records -- lots to be found there too. 3) I'm sure by now most of you know all about the Missouri State Archives Death Records project. Its awesome. http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/ For those seeking enslaved ancestors in MO -- knowing your ancestor's owner is your first adventure into slave research -- where probates, wills, land deed and manuscripts may lead you further back in time. A combination of all the records above are real boosts to research. As always I encourage researchers to share any information they may come by in their research related to slaves. I often receive photos. I have compiled an electronic album online so that you can scroll through and see photos. Someone in your family may have information on the photos that you can share or provide additional details. I know the identity of a couple of the photos but I am not sure. If you click on the link below and it doesn't work, copy and paste this web address into your browser's web address bar: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tracilizz/album?.dir=/484fre2&.src=ph&.tok=phocccFBSu3AQBc8 Happy Hunting! Traci Wilson-Kleekamp