There are two Categories for Died in Service US Civil War, which is best?

Question

Found two categories for Died in Service in the US Civil War and figure there should only be one as they basically duplicate the same action.

Died in Military Service, United States Civil War

Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War

Didn't want to combine them and remove either without discussion as to which is the better named category.  I think the better is the 2nd as it differentiates those in the US Service from those in the Confederate Service.  The first is a blanket category.

Comments

The Problem does appear to be where the top most parent Category is.  For one it is Category: Military and the other is Category World History for each instance of these duplicates.  Though at there are cross category links as you walk through the child categories from the upper most to the final categories I have put forth. 

So it seems like Military and War, World History and Categorization need to mull over these cross category duplicates.

Natalie, while I am against over categorization on WikiTree, there should be a category for both the North (Union Forces) and the South (Confederate Forces}.  While in the same conflict, they were on opposing sides.  We don't lump those who died in service in other conflicts in one blanket conflict only Category, Each major participant has their own categories for this.  The Civil War should be held to the same standard.

Possibly the  Category: Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War should be changed to Category: Died in Military Service, Union Forces, United States Civil War and along the same lines for the Confederate side: Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate States of America, United States Civil War to Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate Forces, United States Civil War and the other respective duplicates combined into those.

Does opening a can of worms fit this question???  LOL

---

That's a question for Civil War Project and the Roll of Honor project to figure out.

Answer 1

These are not duplicate categories - they are meant to serve two different purposes. The three versions in the documented structure (and here) are:

• Died in Military Service, <country>
• Died in Military Service, <war>
  (Died in Military Service, United States Civil War)
• Died in Military Service, <country>, <war>
  (Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War)

The confusion comes into play where profiles are concerned. "Died in Military Service, United States Civil War" is not landing-level categories where profiles are attached, but is meant to be a high-level grouping of categories like Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War.

So as an example, the <War> category would contain subcategories such as:

[[C:Died in Military Service, United States Civil War]]
    [[C:Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War]]
    [[C:Died in Military Service, Colony of Bermuda, United States Civil War]]

---

Fun fact only partially related...
First Sergeant Robert John Simmons was a Bermudian who served in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the United States Civil War. He died in August 1863, as a result of wounds received in an attack on Fort Wagner, near Charleston, South Carolina.

Comments

You da man Steve,  I totally see the problem now.  The Died in Military Service, United States Civil War doesn't have the High Level Category Warning that Profiles should not be attached to it.  Same with the Confederates. This should be corrected to at least try to make folks use the Proper Category.

So since all of the wrongly categorized Profiles are open and there are only 18, should I move them to Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War or Died in Military Service, Confederate Forces, United States Civil War where applicable?  I am not going to even think about some of the higher level Categories where I believe Profiles are wrongly linked.  Some are over a hundred in size.  18 I can handle this weekend.

Thanks again Steve.

And that is neat about Simmons.  In reality, probably his own category.

---

The only one I've seen is in GGGrandpa Silas E. Potter's Profile and it' none of the above.

---

Silas was Killed in Action and has a different Category.  These Categories are for those who died by accident or died of wounds after their term of service. There are also Died Of Wounds and Died of Disease Categories as well. Oh and Died as Prisoner of War too.

You might find these of interest for Silas too.

His direct mention on the Company Rolls.

https://archive.org/details/historyofpennsyl04bate/page/636

An Account of the 149th Regiment in the Civil War.

https://archive.org/details/historyofpennsyl04bate/page/610

These are from:

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature  Vol. 4

by Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902.

Publication date 1869

Publisher Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer

---

ok, and looking at the links.

Clarification: my ok really means, I'll take your word for it, because I don't have a clue what you are talking about. (And this is a problem for someone who has been involved with the Military and War Project for a while...if I don't know what you are saying a newbie might not either).

The links I 100% comprehended. The other 0%.

---

No problemo about comprehending the other.  This is my Golden Rule about WikiTree:  If you haven't learned anything new this week about WikiTree, you haven't made enough mistakes.   LOL

We all have to just keep plugging away.

---

I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to understand M&W categories...though I keep trying.

Answer 2

I am not a leader, but I agree with you that the second is better AND that there should be a corresponding category for the Confederacy.

Comments

LOL, just checked and there are two of those too.

Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate States of America

Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate States of America, United States Civil War

The problem seems to be each has a different parent Category. So that could be it.  Though to me there should be only one that associates to each of the separate Parent Categories.

---

Someone from the categorization project should stop by, since you tagged them.  Great question!

---

Yes the CSA one should also be under [[Category: Died in Military Service, United States Civil War]], or that was the original intent (guessing).

Answer 3

FYI - Civil War records are free Apr 1 - Apr 15

https://go.fold3.com/civilwar?iid=2351

Comments

You must give them your email address to view anything.

Answer 4

The first one was probably set up to contain both the USA and CSA Died in service categories. What I don't get is why this category is needed: [[Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate States of America]] when the Civil War category is really all that's needed. CSA existed for only that war. 

Answer 5

Looking at the Died in Military Service category hierarchy it appears to be set up to follow two paths,

1. Died in Military Service, The actual war then Died in Military Service, Country, The actual war.
2. Died in Military Service, Country the Died in Military service, Country, The actual war.

Profiles should be added in my opinion to the categories Category:Died in Military Service, United States of America, United States Civil War and Category: Died in Military Service, Confederate States of America, United States Civil War 

For the structure the Roll of Honor Project needs consulting before any changes get done.

Darren