Julia L. Rockwell's Search for Documentation

Julia L. Rockwell was searching for her Great-Grandfather's military records. The sequence of which is rather interesting. Imagine a government today, 2011, where any person employed by the government wrote a hand-written response in a day or two? No, I can't imagine that either.

Julia was looking for documentation of the service of Great-Grandfather Elijah Rockwell. Here is the letter:

 Dated March 26, 1906 and in the hand of Julia L. Rockwell, it says,

Dear Sir:  

Having been advised to write you, I beg to ask that you will kindly inform me if the records of the War Department confirm the following: "Elijah Rockwell, son of Joseph and Anna (Dodd) Rockwell, was born in East Windsor, Conn. Nov. 14, 1744. Served in War of Revolution and was commissioned Lieutenant of the Company of Conn. Militia by Gov. Jonathan Turnbull. Married Lucy Wright in 1775. An early reply will be highly appreciated.

Very Truly yours,

Miss Julia L. Rockwell

930 P Street, NW

And, here, is the speedy response! This one is typed and dated March 28, 1906 - TWO, count them TWO, days later: If you click on the picture, it will become larger (for easier reading!)

Interestingly, soon after signing this letter to Julia L. Rockwell, in May of 1906, Ainsworth was given control of the War Department (not the Chief of Staff) in the absence of the Assistant Secretary and Secretary of War (William Howard Taft). Ainsworth became the force of the War Department after 1907 when in March of that year, he became the Adjutant General and his rank was lifted to Major General by Congress so he could assume that position. (This according to a Google book online entitled
Building a new American State: The expansion of national administrative by Stephen Skowronek.