Defendant Jackets, Legal Abbreviations, and Aliases, Oh My!

Today’s post is written by Stephanie Stegman, the special media projects volunteer at the National Archives at Fort Worth. What exactly is a “defendant jacket”?  What does the charge “RLD” stand for?  How do you find the records of a defendant if he or she had an alias or was charged with multiple co-defendants? These … Continue reading Defendant Jackets, Legal Abbreviations, and Aliases, Oh My!

Cargo and Contraband during the Civil War

Today's post is written by Stephanie Stegman, the special media projects volunteer at the National Archives at Fort Worth. This is the third post in a three-part series. (If you missed them,  follow these links to the first and second  posts.) Cargo – it was the main business of the New Orleans Custom House.  After the … Continue reading Cargo and Contraband during the Civil War

Of paper cuts and ink stains: the paperwork of the Custom House

Today's post is written by Stephanie Stegman, the special media projects volunteer at the National Archives at Fort Worth. This is the second post in a three-part series. (If you missed it, the first post can be found here.) Today’s topic is paperwork.  Paperwork was a vital part of daily life at the New Orleans Custom … Continue reading Of paper cuts and ink stains: the paperwork of the Custom House

Inside the New Orleans Custom House

Today's post is written by Stephanie Stegman, the special media projects volunteer at the National Archives at Fort Worth. This is the first post in a three-part series. Electoral projections are a popular topic these days, and everyone has an opinion. In July 1860, two engineers in Louisiana exchanged their predictions on the upcoming presidential … Continue reading Inside the New Orleans Custom House