Bookmark Files
A bookmark is a cross-reference that identifies additional correspondence related to the soldier in the Adjutant Generals files. Bookmarks are found in several different locations: at the bottom of the CMSR jacket, on the inside cover of the CMSR, as a notations card in another bookmark file, a pension, or even in the documentation of a private law!
Who is the Adjutant General? The Adjutant General is the chief administrative officer for the military. The job of the Adjutant General, and his staff, is to
- Publish all orders
- Responsible for all correspondence
- Oversee procedures affecting awards, decorations casualty operations, career guidance, publications, etc.
- The administration and preservation of records for all personnel
What does this mean for my research? It means that your soldier or a family member corresponded with the Adjutant Generals office, or government agencies corresponded about your soldier, and the letters still exist! What might you find in a Bookmark file?
- Service-related dates or issues
- A Medal of Honor or other official awards or decorations
- Clarification of rank
- Questions from family members for confirmation of service
- An audit of penson payments, or the sales of a horse to the Army
- Any other question or correspondence related to personnel or other questions related to service
- Hints of a courts-martial file
To order a bookmark file, please fill out this form, and email it to sandy@rumblesoft.com, along with a copy of the bookmark number (CMSR cover or inside cover, notation card, or page it is written on) for your ancestor, and RumbleSoft will schedule your bookmark retrieval. Details on how our record retrieval process works are outlined here.