Pam Portland, novelist and bloggerOct 4
The federal government may be shut down, by I am dedicating a couple hours of my weekend to transcribing scanned documents of the National Archives. #CitizenArchivist

Citizen Archivist
Citizen Archivist

One day all of our records will be online. You can help make it happen. You can become a citizen archivist — just click one of the options below to get started. You Can Tag It! Add tags to images and records of the National Archives. Previous Next Welcome to our Citizen Archivist program. You can make contributions to the National Archives Catalog to enhance access and discoverability. Transcribe historical documents, tag archival photographs, or share comments with other community members. Join us! Every contribution you make helps unlock history.

National Archives
Show threadTom - KB9ENSJan 29, 2025

Ok last #CitizenArchivist post for the moment. This time #CivilWar US Grant is FED UP with Capt Konntz from the quarter master and orders him arrested. A reminder, there have always been assholes.

"seems to have desired to be placed on duty here for no other purpose than to wreak his revenge upon some river men who he dislikes, and to get into the service of Government a boat in which he has an interest, either as owner or a former proprietorship not yet settled for."

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/85403086?objectPage=3&objectPanel=transcription

Tom - KB9ENSJan 29, 2025

Taking a break from reality to do some #CitizenArchivist stuff.

Sifting through Letters Received at the Adjutant General's Office of the War Department and stumbled on U.S. Grants oath of office as Major General of Volunteers.

Different oath than is taken today for military officers, but it's similar.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/85404143?objectPanel=transcription&objectPage=2

readbeanicecreamJan 18, 2025

Can You Read This Cursive Handwriting? The National Archives Wants Your Help

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-read-this-cursive-handwriting-the-national-archives-wants-your-help-180985833/

#history #museum #museums #archives #nationalarchives #historicpreservation #smithsonian #CitizenArchivist

Can You Read This Cursive Handwriting? The National Archives Wants Your Help

Anyone with an internet connection can volunteer to transcribe historical documents and help make the archives' digital catalog more accessible

Smithsonian Magazine
Show threadTom - KB9ENSOct 18, 2024

This kind of first person nugget is why I take the time to transcribe this stuff. Definitely adding it to my own "how to deliver bad news" arsenal.

That letter was copied by typewriter in 1882 but the archive's OCR is not able to read it very well so having a digital and searchable copy allows folks to find this kind of thing.

The #Archives is FULL of untranscribed material. Dive in...

#CitizenArchivist

5/5

Tom - KB9ENSOct 18, 2024
Ok back to some #CitizenArchivist fun. For those just catching up the US national archives has a public facing catalog (catalog.archives.gov) where if you sign up can provide a human eye and conduct transcriptions of documents. I tend to focus on docs where the text is in cursive or difficult to OCR text. A few weeks ago I stumbled into a document of 379 pages titled "Confidential Letters Sent, Army of Northern Virginia, June 1863 October 1864"
#CivilWar #History #AmericanHistory a thread 1/5
Show threadTom - KB9ENSMay 27, 2024

Then a year later Henry is "Shot on Picket duty" near Fair Oaks Va. Nature of Casualty: Death.

That's it... a young man gave his life for the United States 162 years ago.

Have a solemn Memorial Day and give 2 seconds to think of Henry and the life he might have lived.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24327792?objectPage=23
#MemorialDay #CivilWar #HenryArnsdorf #CitizenArchivist

National Archives NextGen Catalog

The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.

Show threadTom - KB9ENSMay 4, 2024

Anyway... Scott survives to fight another day, ultimately becomes the preeminent US military officer of his day and Wilkinson dies obscurely as minister to Mexico

This transcription took me a while as this is a side hobby and I don't dedicate much time to it, but now it's out there on the National Archives catalog for anyone to find and read. Total of ~37 pages of handwritten text to type up. I did skip the last two pages which I think are Scott's pay records.
#CitizenArchivist

Show threadTom - KB9ENSMay 4, 2024
"In saying between the 1st of December and 1st of January, 1809_10 at a public table in Washington, that he never saw but two traitors General Wilkinson and Burr, and that General Wilkinson was a liar and a scoundrel."
#CourtMartial
#WinfieldScott
#AaronBurr
#history
#CitizenArchivist
Tom - KB9ENSMay 4, 2024

Some Citizen Archivist work now done!

I fully transcribed the 1808 Court Martial record of Captain Winfield Scott who was accused of Mutiny etc for saying about his General:

"if he went into action under the command of General Wilkinson, he would carry two pistols, one for his enemy and one for his General."

and "that he never saw but two traitors General Wilkinson and Burr, and that General Wilkinson was a liar and a scoundrel."

Full record:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/56213990
#CitizenArchivist
1/n

National Archives NextGen Catalog

The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.