MONROE - It can be a challenging to research family histories and find out about relatives who served in the military.
Local author Kim Tschudy told the Green County Genealogical Society on Saturday that there are ways to find out information, but people need to be persistent and use some common sense.
Tschudy has written about the history of New Glarus and said he always was interested in history, despite some less-than-exciting teachers he faced in school.
"I remember spending a semester studying the Civil War and when it was over I didn't want to ever hear about the Civil War," he joked.
Too many times, he said, teachers teach about names and dates. What makes history exciting, he said, is to learn about the backgrounds of those who go to war.
For example, in 1860 there were 650 residents in New Glarus and 119 went off to fight in the Civil War. Tschudy said that's an astounding number and typical of many communities throughout Green County.
Most Wisconsin soldiers fought in the United States Army in the Infantry. The Iron Brigade, which included many residents from Green County, was one of the toughest units that fought in the war. The unit was known for its courage and for its fighting ability. By 1864, Tschudy said, the brigade was so decimated by casualties that the remaining troops were placed in other units. However, when the war ended, soldiers who fought with the Iron Brigade were on hand when Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General U.S. Grant.
"They saluted Lee as he left," Tschudy said. "In Desert Storm, there were three soldiers from New Glarus on hand to witness the end of the war. It shows you that the troops from the Civil War have something in common with troops 125 years later."
To find relatives who served in the Civil War, Tschudy said, people can use the resources available to them at the Wisconsin Historical Society. In the 1880s, Wisconsin organized records of soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Some of the information available at the historical society includes names, ranks, enlistment dates and the date when the soldier was mustered out of the service.
Another place to find information is the National Park Service. Tschudy said another way to find out information is to simply type "soldiers and sailors list" on the Web browser.
There are some pitfalls, however, Tschudy said. Some soldiers were wounded during the war and re-enlisted with other units. Also, some names may be repeated.
"In one county up north, there are 27 Ole Olsons listed," he joked.
Finding the correct relative can be a daunting task.
Another problem can be the fact there are more than one township with the same name. In another county there may be a Mount Pleasant township, just as there is in Green County.
"Look at some of the other names, see if you recognize them, and look for other nearby communities," Tschudy said.
Many people also are interested to find information about World War II veterans. That's more difficult because their records still are considered private, unlike Civil War records.
But Tschudy has a way to find out.
"Talk to veterans from World War II," he said. "There are so many still around and they have fascinating stories to tell."
Local author Kim Tschudy told the Green County Genealogical Society on Saturday that there are ways to find out information, but people need to be persistent and use some common sense.
Tschudy has written about the history of New Glarus and said he always was interested in history, despite some less-than-exciting teachers he faced in school.
"I remember spending a semester studying the Civil War and when it was over I didn't want to ever hear about the Civil War," he joked.
Too many times, he said, teachers teach about names and dates. What makes history exciting, he said, is to learn about the backgrounds of those who go to war.
For example, in 1860 there were 650 residents in New Glarus and 119 went off to fight in the Civil War. Tschudy said that's an astounding number and typical of many communities throughout Green County.
Most Wisconsin soldiers fought in the United States Army in the Infantry. The Iron Brigade, which included many residents from Green County, was one of the toughest units that fought in the war. The unit was known for its courage and for its fighting ability. By 1864, Tschudy said, the brigade was so decimated by casualties that the remaining troops were placed in other units. However, when the war ended, soldiers who fought with the Iron Brigade were on hand when Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union General U.S. Grant.
"They saluted Lee as he left," Tschudy said. "In Desert Storm, there were three soldiers from New Glarus on hand to witness the end of the war. It shows you that the troops from the Civil War have something in common with troops 125 years later."
To find relatives who served in the Civil War, Tschudy said, people can use the resources available to them at the Wisconsin Historical Society. In the 1880s, Wisconsin organized records of soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Some of the information available at the historical society includes names, ranks, enlistment dates and the date when the soldier was mustered out of the service.
Another place to find information is the National Park Service. Tschudy said another way to find out information is to simply type "soldiers and sailors list" on the Web browser.
There are some pitfalls, however, Tschudy said. Some soldiers were wounded during the war and re-enlisted with other units. Also, some names may be repeated.
"In one county up north, there are 27 Ole Olsons listed," he joked.
Finding the correct relative can be a daunting task.
Another problem can be the fact there are more than one township with the same name. In another county there may be a Mount Pleasant township, just as there is in Green County.
"Look at some of the other names, see if you recognize them, and look for other nearby communities," Tschudy said.
Many people also are interested to find information about World War II veterans. That's more difficult because their records still are considered private, unlike Civil War records.
But Tschudy has a way to find out.
"Talk to veterans from World War II," he said. "There are so many still around and they have fascinating stories to tell."