Using AI to Bring Noah Briles’ Civil War Service to Life
One of the questions I hear most often when talking about artificial intelligence is, “What can it do for genealogy that I can’t already do?”
For me, the answer isn’t that AI replaces research. It helps me share the stories hidden within the records.
My second great-grandfather, Noah Washington Briles, served in Company I, 1st Iowa Cavalry during the Civil War. Like many Civil War soldiers, his compiled military service record consists primarily of muster rolls, pay records, and brief handwritten notes. Those documents are invaluable—but they aren’t always easy for family members to understand or appreciate.
Recently, I experimented with turning those records into two short cinematic videos.
Video 1: Noah Briles’ Military Record
The first project began with Noah’s compiled military service record.
After transcribing every card in the record, I asked Google NotebookLM to create a cinematic narrative based solely on the information contained in those documents.
The resulting video follows Noah’s military career through the official record:
- his enlistment in 1861
- providing his own horse and equipment
- promotion from private to farrier and later blacksmith
- reenlistment as a Veteran Volunteer
- the campaigns and skirmishes listed in his record
- his continued service until the end of the war
Rather than simply reading the record aloud, NotebookLM transformed the information into a flowing historical narrative while remaining grounded in the documented evidence.
▶ Video: The Price of the Ride
Video 2: Life in Company I, 1st Iowa Cavalry
The military record tells us what Noah did.
It says very little about what life was actually like.
To provide that context, I turned to another AI tool.
Using Google Gemini, I researched:
- the history of the 1st Iowa Cavalry
- the experiences of Company I
- cavalry organization
- duties of a farrier and regimental blacksmith
- the campaigns in which Noah participated
- daily camp life, marching, horses, and military logistics
Gemini helped summarize the historical background from multiple sources. I then combined that research with Noah’s actual military record.
The combined material was loaded into Google NotebookLM, which produced a second cinematic presentation—not about the record itself, but about what Noah likely experienced during his years in uniform.
This second video transforms a series of muster rolls into something much more personal, helping viewers imagine the daily life behind those official documents.
▶ Video: The Mount Tradition: Daily Life of an Iowa Cavalryman
AI Didn’t Replace the Research
These videos only worked because the underlying genealogy had already been completed.
The process looked like this:
- Research and document Noah’s military service.
- Transcribe the complete compiled military service record.
- Use NotebookLM to create a narrative based on the record.
- Research the regiment and company using Google Gemini.
- Combine the historical context with Noah’s documented service.
- Use NotebookLM again to create a second cinematic story.
- Share the finished videos on YouTube.
AI never became the source of the genealogy. Instead, it became a tool for organizing information, providing historical context, and presenting years of research in a way that family members—and even non-genealogists—can enjoy.
Why I Enjoy These Projects
One of my goals is to preserve not only names and dates, but also the experiences of my ancestors.
A compiled military record can seem dry at first glance, filled with repetitive muster cards and accounting entries. Yet hidden within those pages is the story of a young Iowa cavalryman who supplied his own horse, cared for the regiment’s animals, served as a farrier and blacksmith, reenlisted as a Veteran Volunteer, and participated in campaigns across Missouri and Arkansas.
Those are stories worth telling.
By combining careful genealogical research with today’s AI tools, I’m finding new ways to make those stories accessible to future generations.
I’d love to hear how you’re using AI—or other technology—to help share your own family’s history.