We're going to NARA

Headed out today on a new adventure.  Ginger Smith of the Genealogy by Ginger's Blog and I are on our way to Washington D.C. to do genealogy research at the National Archives (NARA).  This is like the big leagues.  While I am very excited, I am also intimidated.  I have read as much as I can on the NARA website, and tried to commit it all to memory, but I am not sure once I walk through those doors if I will even remember who my great-grandfather was, never mind what I can take in, what I have to leave in a locker, which microfilm to look at, or when the pull times are!  I have several pages of notes, so I am just going to have to have faith that I will find something I am looking for.

Among other things, I am looking for the following:

* Civil War Service Record for my great-great-grandfather Comfort Ranney
* Civil War Pension File for Comfort Ranney
* Confederate Naval record for my great-great-grandfather George Schwalls
* War of 1812 Service record for Comfort Ranney
* War of 1812 Service record for Archibald Odom
* War of 1812 Service record for Jonathan Hesser
* Revolutionary War file/bounty land award information for 4th g-grandfather Comfort Ranney
* Revolutionary War file/bounty land award information for Nathaniel Ranney
* Land Records for Comfort Ranney (There are 7 that I pulled off the BLM site.)
* Land Records for Jonathan Hesser (There are 3 that I pulled off the BLM site.)

Is that enough to keep me busy for two days?  Is it too much?  We shall see.  I will share my findings tomorrow, if I'm not too exhausted or cross-eyed from my day of diligent research!

Surely I will have an easier day of it tomorrow.  I mean, riding the Metro to D.C. (We are staying in Alexandria, Virginia) in the sunshine should be easier than driving the entire way from Durham in the rain.  I mean, the ENTIRE way.  I hate driving in the rain.  I-95 was especially scary with the semi-trucks throwing streams of water behind them.  In addition, it got dark at about 5:30 because it was raining!  So to say that I am looking forward to seeing the sun tomorrow would be an understatement.

We did take a break on the drive and stopped at IKEA in Woodbridge.  We do not have one in Raleigh/Durham - the closest one to us is two hours away in Charlotte - so it was a treat to visit. I only picked up a few little things and still managed to spend $30! 

 

Our great adventure continues tomorrow...