Week 13: Draft Proposals for Final Paper/Digital Demo - In-Class Workshop

    For our final project and evaluation of digital history as a sub field in research, teaching, and the profession itself, I specifically would like to look at how digital history can impact research and how research can be presented. I’d love to specifically address the usage of digital tools and the reflection of data used in digital tools. In my analysis of the visualization of USCT troops and their geospatial patterns, I wondered how the drafted/substituted solider faired in comparison to the self conscripted solider both during the war and after. My question, directly, is "How does the experience and service of drafted/substituted soldiers translate into their occupation of space?" This question involves the question of spatial history and requires a timeline using platforms like ArcGIS and Story Maps to build a narrative that shows a history of soldiers and their experiences surrounding their involuntary and indirect service. 

    Jessica Marie Johnson's work, "Markup Bodies: Black [Life] Studies and Slavery [Death] Studies at the Digital Crossroads", was highly influential in my work process. Specifically, it was influential as it shows how humanists and researchers prioritized the data of black death and despair over centuries of history, but neglected their influence that digitalizing documents and data does not create new light on the subject. Rather, instead, it creates a replica of what already exists: data without further understanding of the black struggle for freedom, equality, and life itself (Johnson, 2018). Johnson's work evolved my understanding by showing that up until this point, databases have been created with no intention of expanding thought and idea. 

"I am a refugee direct from Mississippi". Thomas, Henry.
From USCT.org.

    Researcher Edward G. McLaughlin compiled a database of primary source documents related to soldiers that stayed and/or trained at Camp William Penn from 1863-1865. Compiled service records typically contain card abstracts of a soldier's original muster and hospital rolls, descriptive books, lists of deserters, returns, notational cards, enlistment papers, casualty sheets, death reports, prisoner of war papers, and correspondence. Unique to the records of the USCT are deeds of manumission, oaths of allegiance, proof of ownership, certificates of monetary award, and bills of sale. This database contains a formative, organized list of every soldier from Regiments 3, 6, 8, 22, 24, 25, 32, 41, 43, 45 & 127, highlighting their rank, unit, company, and their mustering method. Of the list, every soldier is listed as “enlisted”, with no mention of draftees or substitutes, unlike other databases and catalogs. This database contributes to research by providing primary source materials whilst also allowing a comprehensive list of soldiers from Camp William Penn that served in a USCT regiment. 

"Respectfully Returned". Thomas, Henry.
From USCT.org.

    McLaughlin is strictly affirming that his work is a database intended for research. I think his work is perfect for my questions circulating the ideas surrounding the substitute soldier, specifically in giving me information to create a timeline of soldiers lives to find correlation between experiences and their spatial history. His work is a direct example of what Johnson is discussing with the issues of creating a database, but with no story or learnt experience from it. My research will resolve this issue with the furthering of digital history and research, understanding the implications for how digital tools will impact the lived experienced in a realm with documentation that only covers moments within service such as conscription, mustering, casualties, pensions, and death certificates. Specifically, I'd love to take my inferences on digital history and how it impacts research and construct a story map that showcases the "lived in" experiences and realities that doesn't just showcase data in a new way, but actively begins to promote new questions and inspires new research out of my representation of data through a descriptive narrative of stories of veterans. I've attached two documents, one a substitute form and the other a notice of final words. What can the life and short service of Henry Thomas, admittingly a "refugee from Mississippi" tell us about life expectancy and the relationship it has to geospatial patterns from USCT recruits?

References

Jessica Marie Johnson, "Markup Bodies: Black [Life] Studies and Slavery [Death] Studies at the Digital Crossroads." Social Text 1 December 2018; 36 (4 (137)): 57–79.

McLaughlin, Edward G. “History of the Soldiers of the Camp William Penn. Regiments 3, 6, 8, 22, 24, 25, 32, 41, 43, 45 & 127.” United States Colored Troops (USCT), June 20, 2023. https://www.usct.org/database-archive/.