United States, Civil War Investigations of Disloyal Activities - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States



What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of case files of Army Judge Advocate Levi C. Turner, 1862-1866, and Provost Marshal and Special Agent Lafayett C. Baker, 1861-1865. The case files contain investigations of subversive (disloyal) activities during the Civil War. The files relate to arrest, parole, and release of both civilian and soldier suspects. The activities investigated included such things as giving aid to the Confederacy, resisting the draft, discouraging enlistments, blockade runners, and State prisoners held in Federal prisons. The records are from RG 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1780-1917, and is National Archive Microfilm Publication M797. The index is courtesy of Fold3 (formerly Footenote).

Record Content
The index contains the following information:


 * Case File Group, Number, and Range
 * Name
 * Date
 * Place
 * Occupation
 * Fold3 (Footnote) ID
 * NARA Publication Number and Title
 * NARA Roll Number

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person
 * Any nicknames or alias names
 * The approximate date
 * The residence

Check the surname index
Name indexes make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned. Search the index for your ancestor. If you find you ancestor’s name in the index, make note of the page or image number listed.

Find the image
Search the records for the pages or images you listed while searching the index. Compare the information in the records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the name, date, and place or residence, to find the ancestor or family in census records.
 * Use the place or residence to locate church and land records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Remember to search for all known names, including nicknames and aliases.
 * Compile the entries for all people who have the same surname as your ancestor, as they may be relatives.
 * Occupations or businesses may be leads to additional records such as bank or other military records.

General Information About These Records
The Federal government was concerned about subversive activities and began investigating them as early as 1842. Concern increased after the outbreak of the Civil War. Many persons suspected of engaging in treasonable or disloyal activities were arrested and imprisoned. In February 1862, the authority to make such arrests was transferred to the War Department.The records in this set are investigations by Army Judge Advocate Levi C. Turner, 1862-66, and by Provost Marshal and Special Agent Lafayette C. Baker, 1861-65. These records relate to investigations of subversive activities during the Civil War. This series of records is also known as the "Turner-Baker papers."

Related Websites
Civil War Cat and Mouse Game

Related Wiki Articles
United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation: Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):