Firsthand Stories of the Civil War’s 1864 Battle of Nashville

This decisive battle of the Civil War was fought in and around Nashville, Tennessee, 148 years ago, on 15-16 December 1864. Union General George H. Thomas, the “Rock of Chickamauga,” commanded the Federal troops who soundly defeated the Confederate army under the command of General John Bell Hood. The Battle of Nashville was the... (Read More)

The Social Columns: Mrs. Smith Is Visiting Her Parents in New Mexico

Introduction: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.” In this guest blog post, Gena shows how much valuable family history information can be found in newspapers’ social columns. Newspapers report important events and breaking news on the local, national and international level. They document accidents, crimes, politics,... (Read More)

Genealogy Boot Camp: Getting Started

OK Team – it’s time to get down to basics and make sure we haven’t missed clues and information that would help us to accurately document our family tree. Welcome to Genealogy Boot Camp: Core training Day 1. Home SourcesOK recruits – you will need the basic equipment. First – get that old laundry... (Read More)

Here comes the bride …

Newspaper marriage announcements can give you important clues for your family history. Boston Journal – 2 May 1877 This one tells us where & when the marriage took place; the name of the minister; the names of the bride & groom and where they were from.   This marriage notice from the Public Ledger... (Read More)

32 Million immigrants will see their record status changed to permanent in Wednesday Signing Ceremony

Signing Ceremony Permits 32 Million Alien Files to Become Permanent Records at the National Archives – A Genealogy Goldmine.   Adrienne Thomas, Acting Archivist of the United States and Gregory Smith, Associate Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will hold a joint signing ceremony between the National Archives and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration... (Read More)