Today I searched the web for Brig Gen William (Red) Jackson's Division and his three brigades. Of course I found Ross, but little or nothing for Armstrong and Ferguson's Brigades.  Next I looked for the regiments of those two brigades. These I found but then I discovered that they were not covered well concerning the  Atlanta Campaign.  My intent was to try to develop the ties with site managers concerning the inter action of these units during the War.  Many of the regiments were tied to genealogy and the SCV.  At this point I do not see a manager, but I will check that out through other means.  It does bother me that many of these organizations do not have care takers to bring them along into the digital world.

To that end all of these regiments need someone to expand and add the details.  Trying to take care of a brigade is difficult for one person.  There are a lot of good souls puting the basics on line such as rosters and list of battles.  More are saving the land they fought on for posterity. The National Archives is slowly digitizing and may some day be able to provide a higher source of data from one huge data base. I imagine being able to gain data from all records of a regiment concerning a certain time frame.  You could look at the three days of the Battle of Corinth, Mississippi and Hatchie Bridge and say the month after.  The reports would show present for duty with wounds. Next you could identify wounded in friendly hands. Next men returning from parole or just returning. On and on it could go. When placed with the battle reports of both sides, the historical observations by commanders.  Finnally we would have a close picture of what really happened.  We could begin to hear the sounds of cannon and the wizz of minnie balls.

I have always said I hate the detail, but only in data collection do we begin to understand the past.  I know others have put the Ross brigade together on paper since the war, before computers and since, but they have not published.  Others have the data and sit on it.  Some to write books, but others for the joy of having something no one else has or can get.   I rushed to get what I have on line.  I know it has mistakes and I continually correct. But it is available for use, not locked in some collection.  Ross' papers are in collections in Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and Austin.  They are not available on line. Some are in institutions of higher learning but not not educational institutions that would asign students the responsibility of getting it in digital form.   Its like a student without a text book or one that has several pages missing. What a shame! I would like to put each soldiers records on line along with census data and cemetary data. Then ever picture I could find.  When I began to think about doing the Sixth Texas Cavalry Regiment,  I discovered Kaufman county loved is Companies A and B and their guys.  They have identified every man they could and have placed census and muster data by each man.  Some were even identified by grave site.  They have even sought those buried outside Kaufman.  They have traced some of the units and family names that went with those units.  Pure history. Pure genealogy.

One of the joys of this work is someone who discovers the site and their kin and a gem of data about their history. Then they leave a note of their kin they found. I guess thats why I do this. Its far to much work to do it for money.  I would gladly allow others to correct or improve one of these regiments. I hope I live long enough to pass this site on to someone who will continue to improve it.  I see beautiful sites with much beauty ideas and good data. I would like this site to grow in that respect. When your 71 with three young boys you do tend to look to yours and their future.