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

Collection Time Period
The records cover the years 1861 to 1866.

Record Description
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).

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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

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Record History
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."

Why the Record Was Created
The records were created as a permanent records of the investigations.

Record Reliability
The records are very reliable.

Related Websites

 * Case Files of Levi C. Turner and Lafayette C. Baker
 * Civil War Cat and Mouse Game

Related Wiki Articles
United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865

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Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.
 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.