http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmc.html The above url to the NUMC caused some confusion since persons are not aware of what they are or how they can use this in our genealogical research. I will try to clarify it a bit and walk you through a few steps: NUCMC, or the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections, is a free-of-charge cooperative cataloging program operated by the Library of Congress. From this first page you can click on links that explains the program, archives and manuscript repositories, and about topics of interest to archivists and their institutions' patrons. What the above means is that if the government has something in their archives or a holding place (such as Ft Worth, TX is one of the federal repositories for census', Native Indian cases, and other microfilms and hard copy documents; Eastern Kentucky Univ has other records both state and federal, etc. -- there are repositories around the USA) then this is a way to try and view it if it is digitized or at least find that this information exists. It tells what information is at these locations, where this location is situated, how to contact them, etc. From that main page I chose the link to go to NUMC cataloging which is address: http://lcweb.loc.gov/coll/nucmc/nucmccat.html From this page I then chose the link to go to the NUCMC ONLINE CATALOGING ... via the web gateway and which is address: http://lcweb.loc.gov/cgi-bin/zgate?ACTION=INIT&FORM_HOST_PORT=/prod/www/data /z3950/rlinamc2.html,zinc.rlg.org,200&AUTH=rlinamc (What this gives you is a search engine similar to webcrawler, lycos and the other many -- but this is for government documents and repositories ONLY so you don't get "buried" in the millions of things on the entire worldwide net.) I then entered the search terms I wanted to find links to -- in my case I used Civil+War (clicked on subject in right button and phrase in button just below the entry area) AND Virginia Geographic Name (right button) WordList (below button) Submit Query Button This will give back a set of links you can then go to find out what they have, etc. You could have chosen instead the Other Library of Congress and then from that long list of things (movies, photographs, manuscripts, memories, Hispanic, Afr Amer, and the list goes on for about 50 different categories) I chose the memories -- from that search engine I put in Native+Indian and from the list of links it provided I chose Cherokee, NC Indian Reservation photograph which I then downloaded to my harddrive. Of course the Library of congress online manuscripts holdings is one of my favorite places to visit as it has personal stories that the CCC and WPA obtained from individuals across the nation, photos from the many wars, ships, airplaines -- you name it they practically have it -- even photos of courthouses and other cities and towns streets and buildings. Now I will try to explain and clear up the confusion of the mention of the Virginia electronic cards. This is by I think the state of Virginia and I think Virginia University is the one who setup and maintains the database. They went and digitized the first card of each of the military persons they had on file and the volume, page, military units, battalions, etc. for EACH PERSON who served in the military since Rev War to Civil War (can't recall -- they might have WWI persons there too). for instance the card might say: Murphy, Isaac Rank Major 4th Rgt Co E Overland's company Vol 14, pg 894 and the above might be under the Navy records of the Civil War persons or you might get something like: Murphy, Sylvester substitute for Miller, James W (then the above type of rank, company, regmt, vol, pg, etc) Because each group has xxx number of pages you have to skip around until you find the person(s) you are hunting -- they are alphabetic from the first card to the last in each group. The address for the Virginia electronic card catalogue's online search is: (I'll have to send this address on Monday or Tues -- can't seem to hold a server connection long enough to find it again and I do have it bookmarked on my work computer -- but off until Monday) Hope the above clarifies things a bit -- sorry I was not more descriptive in my first email. Judy M. >Judith, > >Please forgive an old man who is ignorant of some of the acronyms but I >went to the URL you listed and I don't understand how to use the search >there. > >What is NUMC used for and what do you search there? > >Thanks, > >Jack > >