In 1976, President Ford designated February as Black History Month to highlight the achievements of African Americans in U.S. history. He encouraged the nation to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

In honor of Black History Month, we invite you to enjoy Fold3′s Black History Collection. This collection includes many enlightening historical records documenting African American achievements since the earliest days of our nation. Of particular interest are those from the Civil War era as we continue to observe the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

As soon as black soldiers were recruited to serve the Union in 1863, records were generated to document their service including Compiled Service Records for the U.S. Colored Troops and, ultimately, pension files. The pension file index cards, like this one for Joel Bedenbaugh, include a soldier’s rank, company, and regiment within the U.S.C. Infantry, his pension numbers, and sometimes a death date, 24 August 1913, in this case. Private Bedenbaugh’s 16-page service record also includes his enlistment record from when he joined up in Dayton, Ohio, in 1864.

Southern Claims Commission files are petitions by southerners who lost property to Union troops during the Civil War, including many blacks, like William and Louisa Ferguson. Though freeborn, Louisa was not only the wife of a slave, but also the daughter of George Washington’s carpenter, also a slave. Their claim for compensation of $150 for the loss of a horse was denied, but Louisa’s tales of Union and Confederate troops in the vicinity includes her encounters with the rebels and her service to the Union hospital nearby. View the transcription.

Explore these and thousands of other records documenting the history of African Americans in the U.S., from before the Civil War to the War in Vietnam. Join us as we recognize Black History Month with free access to our African American Collection during the month of February.

Several of the volumes were used to create compiled service records. This card from the service record of Corporal Thomas Ferguson was abstracted from information on the fifth line of this roll of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment, January 1, 1777.

Orderly books include rosters, instructions relating to troop movements, camp regulations, reprimands, promotions, and findings of courts martial. A 1778 orderly book from Providence Headquarters details the results of three courts martial where one man was pardoned for falling asleep at his post; another sentenced “to be shot to death” for “stealing, insolence, disturbing the camp,” and additional violent actions; and a third was “to be whipped one hundred lashes on his naked Back” for stealing a rifle.

“Oaths of Allegiance, Fidelity, and of Office” are in volumes numbered 165-168. There we find the Oath of Allegiance of Abraham Rand, in which he declares he owes “no allegiance or obedience to George the Third King of Great Britain” and will “defend the said United States against the said King George Third.” It is followed later by Rand’s Oath of Office, in which he swears to “faithfully, truly and impartially execute the Office of Sub Conductor of Waggons.”

Within a 1779 list of military requisitions, we learn that fifes were delivered to one brigade, sheepskin and lead aprons to another, while Artillery Artificers received a bolt of duck cloth and a pound of twine. Other items seen frequently within the supply accounts include drum sticks, muskets, belts, and bayonets.

More information and examples are available within Fold3′s description of this title. Documents discovered in the “Numbered Record Books” round out stories and fill in gaps. They are overlooked evidence, underappreciated records, and hidden tales from our nation’s history. They now await your discovery.

When we launched, we had industry-leading digitization tools, a dedicated team and several great partners, including the National Archives, to provide content for us to digitize. We had about 5 million images including a complete and fully indexed set of the Revolutionary War Pensions, an Index to the Civil War Pensions and the Pennsylvania Archives.

Pension request for the widow of Elihu Stow

List of soldiers who served the pre-revolution province of Pennsylvania

Over the past 5 years we’ve worked hard to provide a place where genealogists, historians, students and curious people of all kinds could find and use original source documents to understand the past and the people who lived it.

We’ve had great reviews from people like Dick Eastman, PC Magazine and Kim Komando. More importantly, we hear great stories from people who use the site, like this one Janet Carlson recently posted on our Facebook page: ”I love your record collection! I just found CSA records on my gg grandfather and found out that he was wounded in action and was taken prisoner during Price’s Raid in 1864.”

We’ve seen good times, tough times and even some times that were a little of both, like in March of 2008 when CNN featured the then newly launched Interactive Vietnam Memorial on their home page and so many people came to see it that we had trouble keeping the site going.

The last year or so has brought big changes. In October of 2010, Ancestry.com acquired our parent company, iArchives and with their help we’ve been able to add more content to the site more quickly. It’s been great to work with the world’s largest online family history resource.

US Military records have always been at the heart of the site, and in 2011 we decided to focus our efforts on them. In August, we changed the name of the website from Footnote to Fold3 to honor those who have sacrificed to defend their country and promote peace in the world.

We’re still chasing our goal of providing convenient access to original source records. Today we have over 85 million images including Civil War Service Records, World War II Missing Air Crew Reports, Marine Corps photos from Vietnam and many more.

US Air Force photo of an air crew that participated in the battle of Midway

Muster card from the Civil War service record of George W Allen who served with the US Colored Troops

Firsthand account of the sinking of the USS Arizona from the World War II War Diaries

And we’re adding more all the time. Among the projects we are working on are some that will provide access to some of the large paper collections at NARA like the Civil War Widows’ Pensions, War of 1812 Pension Files and the Homestead Records.

Marriage Certificate of Jacob and Ann Seiber in the Civil War Widows' Pensions

Death information for Thomas Abbott in a War of 1812 pension file

What are your favorite titles on Fold3? Which would you like to see us work on in the next 5 years?

We’re excited to celebrate our 5th anniversary and we know that none of this would have been possible without your support.

Thank you.

Nine months before the victory at Yorktown successfully ended what we now call the Revolutionary War, a critical turning point in the southern campaign occurred at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. On January 17, 1781, General Daniel Morgan and his Continental forces met the British forces of Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton. Strategic advantages were incorrectly assessed by Tarleton, orders were misunderstood among his troops, and the firepower of Morgan’s militia, coupled with a rewarding attack by Colonel William Washington’s cavalry, brought the Continental troops to victory. Within an hour of the battle’s start, chaos had ensued and Tarleton retreated.

As Tarleton fled, he was chased by Colonel Washington, a second cousin of George Washington. Once Washington and his men caught up to Tarleton, hand-to-hand combat ensued. Washington’s bugler, an African American who remains unidentified, fired a pistol, essentially saving Washington’s life. At that point, Tarleton and his men fled to notify Cornwall of the defeat.

In the Papers of the Continental Congress, there is a letter written by General Morgan telling of his battle trophy—the captured standard of one of the defeated regiments. Morgan recounts that General Green asked him “to lay at the feet of congress the standard of the 7th British Reg’t. which fell into my hands in the action of the 17th Jany.”

According to the The Battle of Cowpens website, maintained by the National Park Service, the term cowpens is “endemic to South Carolina, referring to open-range stock grazing operations of the colonial period.” It was such a pasture where General Morgan encamped his troops on January 16, with forage for their horses. This field, known locally as “The Cowpens” was the site of the next day’s conflict and thus, a historic battle was named.

Santa visits orphans in England during World War II. Source: WWII US Air Force Photos

There’s no place like home for the holidays.

Celebrating at home with loved ones is part of any holiday tradition. Soldiers fighting on foreign shores in 20th-century wars added traditional touches to their celebrations away from home. Please enjoy a slideshow of Christmas and Hanukkah traditions from the front lines.

View our slideshow that highlights wartime service during the holidays.

Mexican War Service Records contain valuable first-hand information about battles, troop movements, officers, and soldiers. While the United States had a standing army at the time, most of the soldiers who fought in the Mexican War were volunteers from various states. At present, there are five sets of records on Fold3 with information on forty-four units, and the men who served in them, from Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and the Mormon Battalion.

Muster Rolls provide details on Promotions, Payments, Casualties, Those killed in battle and deserters, as well as physical descriptions. Unit information includes company muster rolls naming recruits, deserters, and those on special assignment; and regimental returns with battle histories and casualties. Company locations—the National Palace Mexico, Lobas Island in the Gulf of Mexico, and Camp nr. Jalapa Mexico—provide geographic perspectives.

Other titles on Fold3 round out the Mexican War Collection. If you’re interested in a Pennsylvania soldier, alphabetical service record abstracts in the Pennsylvania Archives match the imaged service record cards within the state’s two regiments. For Mormon Battalion soldiers, you can pair service records with the Mormon Battalion Pension Files.

Explore the Mexican War Service Records to learn more about the men who served in this geographically critical war.

This week we reached an important milestone in the War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications project we’re working on with the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the National Archives.

The files are arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of the soldier, and this week we’ve finished with the A’s and started work on soldiers whose last names begin with B.

Prepping, filming and indexing these paper documents is slow and expensive work, but FGS has been raising money, we’ve been matching it and we’re making our way through the boxes of paper.  There are now over 95,000 images available on the site.

Getting the images from paper takes more work, but the end result is beautiful color images that tell amazing stories and provide helpful insights.

Here are a few images from the file of Joseph Babb:

After September 4, 1887, Joseph's widow Elizabeth's pension was "dropped because of her death."

According to another document in the file, Elizabeth Babb died on 14 September 1887, but there was "no public record of this death."

This document from the file includes a letter from Elizabeth's daughter, confirming her mother's death date and providing more details.

September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day in American military history. The Battle of Sharpsburg (also known as the Battle of Antietam), fought in Maryland near Antietam Creek, resulted in over 23,000 casualties.

Accounts of the battle, written by Southern officers, can be found in the Confederate Casualty Reports on Fold3. Reports typically contain narratives of unit activities in battle, followed by lists of casualties: the dead, the wounded, the missing, and those taken prisoner.

Beginning with the report of Col. O.E. Edwards of the 13th South Carolina Infantry, and ending with the casualty list written by Capt. W.T. Poague of the Rockbridge (Virginia) Artillery, five official reports offer first-hand accounts of the Battle of Sharpsburg, also known as the Battle of Antietam.

Col. Edwards wrote how his men took position “along a fence-line on the edge of the corn; and there received the enemy upon our left, drove him back across the field, and held the ground till the action closed at 8 P.M.” He lost one man and fifteen were wounded.

Capt. Poague wrote, “Wm. Effinger stunned and burned in face by explosion of a shell,” then added that fourteen horses were killed or wounded. He concluded, “All the men and officers acquitted themselves most admirably. I cannot avoid entertaining a feeling of pride in having the command of such men.”

The Confederate Casualty Reports bring a unique perspective of military engagements in the Civil War. They are arranged by state, then by battle. Some reports include insights by Fold3 members, providing additional context or history. For example, with the Meredian Expedition, a comment about Forrest’s Cavalry explains that the 7th Tennessee Cavalry was also known as Duckworth’s Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Leonidas Duckworth.

From Chickamauga to Gettysburg, Vicksburg to Fredericksburg, these records include soldiers’ names, battle strategies, tributes to the troops, Indian encounters, and scouting reports. Access the Confederate Casualty Reports for more details.

The first of several planned video tutorials include:

• An Introduction to Fold3
• How to Search on Fold3
• Browse for Records on Fold3

Each video is 4-5 minutes long and designed to provide tips and strategies to help you make the most of your Fold3 membership.

Report to the Fold3 Training Center to find helpful video tutorials and links to one-page explanations of the most common how-to topics. Keep checking back as we add more video tutorials and help topics.

War of 1812 Pension Files^Free

Records in the War of 1812 Pension Files reveal details of each soldier’s service and family. In a declaration made by widow Mary Abbott, she elaborates upon her late husband’s engagements in Ohio after stating that he was "out three times in the War of 1812."

Mexican War Service Records

From 1846 to 1848, the war with Mexico determined the southwest border of the U.S. as we know it today. The Mexican War Service Records launch Fold3′s commitment to bringing records of this strategic war to our members.

Confederate Casualty Reports

From skirmishes to major battles, documents within the Confederate Casualty Reports describe a unit’s role in the conflict and detail casualties, from killed to missing to “slightly” wounded. A few reports from the Battle of Sharpsburg (also known as Antietam) on September 17, 1862, relate the action from several units, beginning with the report of the 13th South Carolina Infantry.

World War I Officer Experience Reports

The World War I Officer Experience Reports reveal intriguing accounts by engineers in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Some reports go beyond military and engineering terms to provide remarkable, sometimes poetic insights, like this January 6, 1919, account of a torpedo attack on a convoy hours after the writer described “the dark forested shores of North America” as “a mere fringe on the horizon.”

WWII "Old Man’s Draft" Registration Cards

In 1942, men between the ages of 45 and 64 were required to register for the draft in order to create an inventory of those who could provide essential skills to the home front during World War II. The “Old Man’s Draft” Cards are the result, complete with addresses, dates, and physical descriptions of each registrant.

Watch for more to come as these titles continue to grow and others are added.