CHAPTER 23
BUREAU OF WAR RECORDS
AN ACT to provide for the collection, preparation, publication and preservation of records, history and statistics and collection, and preservation of colors, standards, battle flags and relics of Delaware troops In the wars in which the State participated.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. In addition to his other duties the Adjutant General of the State shall establish and maintain as part of his office, a bureau of war records, in which all records in his office relating to the wars in which the State participated shall be kept. He shall be the custodian of all such records, colors, standards and battle flags of Delaware Troops now the property of the State or in its possession, or which the State may hereafter acquire or become possessed of.
Section 2. The Adjutant General of the State by all reasonable ways and means shall complete such records and gather from every available source such colors, standards and battle flags as were borne by Delaware State Troops in the wars in which the State participated and such statistics and historical information and relics as may serve to perpetuate the memory and heroic deeds of the soldiers of the State, and keep and carefully preserve such records and as carefully safeguard as custodian such relics, colors, standards and battle flags so gathered.
Section 3. He is authorized to request and accept from incorporated associations of veterans of the different regiments statements and information duly authenticated by them, descriptive of their colors, standards and battle flags, together with the number and class of arms of the regiment, the date and place of muster into the service of the state and also into the service of the United States, the period of service, and the date and place of muster out, the date of departure from the seat of war, the various battles and engagements and places of service, including garrison duty, the time of joining brigades, corps and armies, with the time and nature of the service, and the names of the officers and men of such regiments, the names of those killed in action including those who died of wounds, and the names of those who died of disease during their period of service, and those who may have been honored by our Government or by our allies by citations, decorations or letters of merit. He is further authorized to ask the co-operation and assistance of the Adjutant General of the United States, The Bureau of Navigation, U. S. Navy, The Commandant General U. S. Marines, and of the city, county and town authorities and officials, and of the Grand Army of the Republic, The Military Order of the Loyal Legion, the United Spanish War Veterans, The American Legion, World War Veterans, and of other organizations and persons in the State, of Delaware and elsewhere in the collection of such other information, relics, memorials and battle flags as is contemplated by this article, in order to make as complete as possible the records, history and statistics of the patriotic service of the soldiers of the State during the wars in which the State participated.
Section 4. The Adjutant General of the State is directed to cause to be transcribed and kept in books of record in such bureau the historical facts, information and statistics as provided above; and is authorized to determine a convenient size for the volumes in which such statistics and historical data may be bound.
Section 5. He is further authorized to provide locked and sealed cases with glass fronts, as nearly air-tight as practicable, in which shall be kept and displayed the colors, standards and battle flags above mentioned, and receive placards in duplicate, which incorporated regimental veteran associations are privileged and empowered to furnish and upon which shall be inscribed synopsis of the historical information and statistics herein provided to be furnished to such bureau by regimental veteran associations, or failing to receive such data and information from such veteran associations, for the preparation of such placards, he may utilize the authentic information which he may obtain from other sources, as herein provided, which placards shall be uniform in size and color and shall be attached to or conspicuously placed in proximity to the colors, standards and battle flags to which they refer. If any placard or inscription shall be lost, destroyed or removed, the Adjutant General of the State shall at once replace it by duplicate of the original on file.
Section 6. The books, records and other property and relics deposited in such bureau shall be open to inspection and use, except the use of the colors, standards and battle flags, at such reasonable hours and under such regulations as the Adjutant General of the State may determine. No book or other property placed in such bureau for the purpose of this article, shall be removed therefrom, or from the immediate custody and control of the Adjutant General of the State without an act of the legislature, nor any battle flag, standard or colors shall be removed from the custody or control of the Adjutant General of the State without an act of the legislature.
Section 7. The State. Librarian is authorized and directed to provide suitable and convenient quarters in the capitol for the display of such colors, standards, battle flags and relics.
Section 8. Transcripts therefrom such records as furnished by the Adjutant General of the Army, the officials of the United States Navy or Marine Corps shall be furnished on application by the Adjutant General of the State, properly certified under the seal of the office, without any charge whatsoever, and to be so noted on the record furnished.
Officers, soldiers, sailors 'or marines may deposit with the Adjutant General of the State, descriptive lists, records of service, muster rolls or company or regimental books and papers for safekeeping.
Section 9. There is appropriated from any moneys not otherwise appropriated upon warrants issued therefor by the Adjutant General and countersigned by the Governor, the sum of five thousand ($5000.00) dollars to carry into effect the provisions of this act, and the legislature shall annually make suitable appropriations to enable the Adjutant General of the State to carry out the provisions of this section.
Section 10. The Adjutant General of the State is further directed to assist deceased service men's families and former service men or their dependents in adjusting their claims with the government and to arrange for proper military or naval funerals for the service men from Delaware who were killed in action or died while overseas, and brought back to their home State for burial. To assist our heroic service men and their families who made the supreme sacrifice there is appropriated from moneys available the sum not to exceed twenty-four hundred ($2400.00) dollars for the hire of two additional clerks for the period from the passage of this act to January 31st, 1922, and for the expense of conducting military or naval funerals of deceased service men from Delaware brought from overseas the sum of one hundred twenty-five ($125.00) dollars per funeral, the same to be paid on the warrants of the Adjutant General when approved by the governor.
Section 11. The Adjutant General is further directed to obtain the photographs of any citizen of the State of Delaware who was killed in action, died of wounds or lost his life in performance of duty while in the military or naval forces of the United States during the war with Germany. These photographs shall be as nearly uniform as possible, and shall be placed in the State House at Dover, in a place to be selected, and shall be inscribed in such a manner as to show the name, rank, unit, date and place of death. For the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this section the sum of Five Hundred ($500.00) dollars is hereby appropriated, the same to be paid on the warrants of the Adjutant General when approved by the Governor.
Section 12. Provided further, that nothing in this act shall be construed as interfering with the functions of the State Archives Commission as prescribed by law.
Approved March 28, A.D. 1921.