GENEALOGY NOTES

The archivist of the United States has announced that the 1900 census of population in the custody of the administrator of general services is available for historical, genealogical, and legal research in the microfilm research room of the National Archives Building in accordance with the restriction statement for records of the Bureau of the Census and the procedures governing access to the schedules of the 1900 census of population. A copy of the restriction statement is available from the Director, Central Reference Division, National Archives and Records Service (GSA), Washington, DC 20408.

Access to the census schedules is restricted to the secretary of commerce, his authorized representatives, and those certified by the archivist of the United States to be engaged in legitimate historical, legal, or genealogical research. Prospective researchers must present evidence of their status and sign a data-use agreement form before access to the census will be granted.

Genealogical researchers are defined as those whose use of the census data relates to the discovery of factual information about a particular person or family enumerated in the census. In adjudging the legitimacy of this research, the researcher's connection with the person or family whose records are desired, either by immediate family relationship or by written authorization from a family member, must be established. Researchers must agree that they will not publish or otherwise disclose any information about persons or families spe

cifically identified in the stated scope of their authorized research and that they will use only the specific information that they are authorized to obtain.

The census schedules and the related index are available only for examination in the microfilm research room of the National Archives Building. Copies are not available in the archives branches of the federal archives and records centers. Reproduction of the census schedules or the index in any form is prohibited. Mail requests for searches in these records, therefore, cannot be fulfilled. Persons desiring to have searches made of the 1900 or later censuses by mail must continue to submit such requests to the Bureau of the Census, Personal Census Service Branch, Pittsburg, KS 66762 on the Bureau of Census Form 600. Copies of the form can be obtained from that office as well as from county clerks, local regional offices of the Social Security Administration, Department of State Passport Offices, Department of Commerce Field Offices, and from Age Search Assistance, Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC 20233.

Spanish-American War and Philippine

Insurrection Records

Two new microfilm publications of the general indexes to the compiled military service records of the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection will be of interest to genealogical researchers.

General Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who served during the war with Spain (M871) identifies volunteer soldiers who served in federal, state, and territorial units whose membership was not limited to any one state or territory. The troops serving or comprising the volunteer regiments or units were raised in response to acts of Congress of April 22, 1898, May 11, 1898, and July 7, 1898. Each index card gives the soldier's name, rank, and unit. Some cards also refer to miscellaneous personal papers rather than to compiled military service records. There are also cross-references to names that appear in the records under more than one spelling.

General Index to Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Soldiers who served during the Philippine Insurrection (M872) identifies volunteer soldiers who helped put down the Philippine Insurrection, 1899-1902. The volunteer troops were recruited from the nation at large and were assigned to numbered federal regiments rather than to state regiments. Each index card gives the soldier's name, rank, and unit. Both the Spanish-American War and Philippine records must be used as other indexes to compiled military service records. For example, variants of a name believed to be the correct name of a volunteer soldier might not appear in the index for several reasons. A volunteer may have served in the regular army or may have served under a different name or used a different spelling. A proper record of his service might not have been made, or might have been lost or destroyed in the confusion of mobilization, subsequent military operations, and disbandment of troops. The references to the soldier in the original records might have been so vague that it is impossible to determine his correct name or the unit in which he served. The com piled military service records to which these indexes apply consist of a jacket envelope for each soldier, labeled with his name, and contain card abstracts of entries relating to the soldier as found primarily in original

muster rolls and returns in pay vouchers, as well as the copies of any records that relate solely to the particular soldier.

The original military service records to which the indexes relate are not available for public examination because they deal with service that terminated within the last seventy-five years. After that date the records will automatically be placed in the public domain and will be available for examination. Only a summary statement of service from records less than seventy-five years old will be furnished without the written consent of the person concerned, a legal representative, or next of kin.

Federal Land Records

Genealogists and local historians will be interested in recent publications of federal land and revolutionary war bounty land records. Oregon and Washington Donation Land Files, 1851-1903 (M815) reproduces unbound papers relating to Oregon and Washington donation land claims. An act of September 27, 1850, contained provisions for making donations of 320 acres of public land to any male settler over eighteen years of age who was a citizen or who had declared his intention of becoming a citizen, or who was a resident of the territory of Oregon before December 1, 1850, and had lived on the land for four years. If married, his wife would also receive 320 acres. The act also provided that any male settler over twenty-one years of age, who was a citizen or who had declared his intention of becoming a citizen, and who had settled in the territory between December 1, 1850, and December 1, 1853, was entitled to 160 acres and, if married, to an additional 160 acres. The same provision was made for any male settler who became twenty-one or who married after his arrival in the territory. Subsequent acts extended the settlement period to December 1, 1855, and permitted purchase of land claimed after two years residency at $1.25 an acre. Later

the residency requirement was reduced to one year. By an act of 1854 separate surveyors general were established for the territories of Oregon and Washington, while under the earlier law the surveyor general of Oregon administered land transactions for the Oregon Territory, which then included the territory of Washington.

Each settler claiming a land donation submitted an application for the tract in which he was interested, and after he had met the requirements for title to the land, he submitted additional documents in support of his claim. If all the requirements were met and the settler was adjudged to have conformed with the provisions of the act, a final donation certificate was then issued. Supporting documents included the original application submitted at the notification procedure, an affidavit of the settler that included date and place of birth and, if applicable, of his marriage; proof of citizenship for a naturalized citizen, an oath of allegiance, and proof of residency and cultivation of land claimed. Citizenship papers were not filmed as part of this microfilm publication because at the time of preparation of the records for microfilming existing laws prohibited reproduction of such documents. Uncertified copies of documents relating to naturalization contained in these records will be furnished. Requests should be addressed to the General Archives Division, Washington National Records Center, Suitland, MD 20409.

The final roll of microfilm in Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty LandWarrant Application Files (M804), Roll 2670, consists of miscellaneous items relat

ing to revolutionary war pensions, which were accidentally separated from the pension and land-warrant files to which they belonged, or which were removed from files in which they did not belong. Many of the documents are similar to documents found in regular pension application files. Persons desiring reproductions of records appearing on this roll should make their request on GSA Form 6751. Copies of the order form can be obtained from many genealogical and historical society libraries, federal archives and records centers, or directly from the Central Reference Division, National Archives and Records Service (GSA), Washington, DC 20408.

Court of Appeals Records

Local historians will be interested in Revolutionary War Prize Cases: Records of the Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture, 1776-87 (M162), which relates to records created as a result of national legislation providing for hearings of appeals in the thirteen original colonies in cases involving ships captured and labeled as prizes. The pamphlet accompanying the microfilm provides an annotated list of cases by name of state or colony from which the appeal was made and an index to the cases.

The papers in the various cases sometimes consist of crew lists, shipping articles, manifests, logbooks, account books, journals, letters of marque and reprisal, and correspondence of ship's officers, crew, and passengers. Also included are correspondence, pleadings, privateer's commissions, and other papers pertaining to cases referred to the court but never heard or tried.

DECLASSIFIED RECORDS

The Records Declassification Division was established in the National Archives in October 1972. The division's primary responsibility is the systematic review of security-classified documents accessioned by the National Archives and currently at least thirty years old. The division emphasizes review for declassification of World War II records in the custody of the Military Archives and the Civil Archives Divisions in the National Archives Building and the General Archives Division in the Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland.

The following is a brief description of the most significant records that have been declassified since August 1973 or that are undergoing review. Questions concerning records reported here as declassified or under review should be addressed to the appropriate custodial division and branch. Researchers should remember that other general and specific restrictions on records in the National Archives may preclude the release of certain types of information even though declassification is authorized and completed.

MILITARY ARCHIVES DIVISION

Modern Military Branch

Headquarters Army Service Forces, various series, 1941-47, 1,800 cubic feet. This represents review and declassification of approximately 90 percent of the classified Army Service Forces records. The Army

Service Forces was established in March 1942 to undertake a wide range of activities affecting the mobilization and preparation of the nation's manpower and material resources for World War II. These activities included the development and procurement of material and supply items common to the ground, air, and naval arms.

Headquarters Army Ground Forces, all security-classified file series, 1942-47, 566 cubic feet. Nearly all of the classified documents in the records of the Army Ground Forces, which was responsible for the individual training of ground troops, the organizing and training of combat divisions and other tactical units, and training in the use of ground weapons and equipment, have been reviewed and declassified.

Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Air, 1940-46, 68 cubic feet. All of the files created in the office of Assistant Secretary of War Robert A. Lovett have been reviewed and for the most part declassified. Included are office correspondence, a security-classified decimal correspondence file, copies of incoming and outgoing cablegrams, and a file entitled "Plans, Policies and Agreements for Operations of the Army Air Forces, the Air Transport Command, and Civil Airlines."

Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, 1917-44, 649 cubic feet. Security-classified documents. in these records pertaining to the development of naval aviation, including land

based, long-range patrol aircraft, and carrier-based planes, have been reviewed and declassified.

General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1919-39, 274 cubic feet. Classified correspondence files of the Office of the Secretary of the Navy have been reviewed and declassified. Also reviewed and declassified in the same group were the files of the Naval Research Laboratory's Patent Division, 1943-45; the files of the Navy Section of the Army-Navy Munitions Board 1932-42; and files entitled "Hyde Park Agreements" and "Lend-Lease Correspondence."

Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal's office correspondence, 1944-47, 99 cubic feet. The secretary's personal office files comprising the highest-level correspondence and other records on such subjects as the Armed Forces Unification Act, Universal Military Training, and postwar naval planning have been reviewed, and most of the files have been declassified.

Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, various files, 1917-44, 106 cubic feet. Among the files reviewed to date are the Postal Affairs Section Confidential Correspondence files; files of the division of Pan American Affairs and United States Naval Missions; files of the Central Division's Military Government Section; and files of the Base Maintenance Division. Most of the files have been declassified.

Bureau of Ships, various files, 1917-44, 215 cubic feet. Among the file series declassified thus far are the Bureau of Engineering Confidential Correspondence files, Naval Research Laboratory files, and Bureau of Ships Publication files.

Bureau of Yards and Docks, various files, 1918-42, 50 cubic feet. Three significant series have been reviewed and declassified: security-classified general correspondence of

the bureau; a correspondence file relating to naval overseas bases; and correspondence files relating to naval bases in the British. Isles.

Naval Operating Forces, many series of the Flag Files, 1917-45, 1,911 cubic feet. Nearly all of the Flag Files, which are files originated by various operating commands, such as United States Fleet, CINCPAC, CINCLANT, Commander Aircraft Battle Force and Commander Destroyer Squadron Battle Force, in the custody of the Modern Military Branch have been reviewed and declassified. Other Flag Files covering the World War II and postwar period formerly at the Mechanicsburg Federal Records Center are being transferred to the General Archives Division at Suitland, Maryland, where they will be reviewed and declassified over the next several years.

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, files of the Planning Branch and technical reports from the National Research Council, 1920-45, 12 cubic feet, have been declassified.

Bureau of (Naval) Ordnance, classified files of the Research and Development Division and the Production Division, 1918-43, 29 cubic feet, have been declassified.

Declassification review projects are in progress on records of the Army Air Forces, the Adjutant General's Office, the U.S. Army Continental Command, the Navy's Hydrographic Office, and the War Produc

tion Board.

CIVIL ARCHIVES DIVISION

Natural Resources Branch

Approximately 30 percent of the records of the Petroleum Administration for War, amounting to 620 cubic feet, have been reviewed and declassified.