History
American Civil War
Compiled by: Gordon W. Miller
Liaison Librarian for History, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science.
June 2003
Writing about the Civil War began with the first battles and has continued unabated to the present day. This handout includes materials written from the beginning of the conflict. There has been no effort to emphasize a pro-Northern or pro-Southern viewpoint although I did attempt to include items, when available, from both perspectives, e.g. the War of the Rebellion and the Southern Historical Society Papers. Carrier Library, in the two titles noted, has the major primary source materials of the two sides. Any serious research in the Civil War will testify to the preeminent importance of these two series. There are a few local/regional sources noted. Generally the emphasis is on the Civil War in its larger setting. The large number of sections, e.g. music and medical, is to suggest the wide latitude of research possibilities. This guide does not pretend comprehensiveness in its coverage. Areas not included would encompass such topics as agriculture, economics and business, journalism, and religion. A section on CAUSES has been included.
The guide is arranged by type of research material. Book formatted materials are listed first. Indexes, journals, and computer sources complete the handout. The guide is intended for both the introductory student and the advanced researcher in Civil War history.
Table of Contents
Subject Headings - Leonardo
The following subject headings are examples of ones useful in researching Leonardo. For additonal examples use the Library of Congress Subject Headings volumes located near the online terminals.
- Confederate States of America
United States - Foreign relations - 1861-1865
United States - History - Civil War, 1861-1865
Campaigns (example)
Gettysburg, Battle of, 1863
New Market, Battle of, 1864
Individuals (exmaple)
Ashby, Turner, 1828-1862
Grant, Ulysses S., 1822-1885
Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870
Guides
Guides are sources useful as an overview to Civil War research and as tools listing additional information for advanced study. The guides noted all list and describe sources that are available in other libraries and archives, most notably the Library of Congress and the National Archives. The Beers and Munden guides are excellent sources not only for their listing of National Archives holdings but also for providing the researcher with the types of materials of potential value. Two of the guides list the outstanding map collections of the Civil War.
- Aimone, Alan C. A User's Guide to the Official Records of the American Civil War.
Shippensburg, Penn.: White Mane, 1993.
(Ref E 464 A35 1993). - An overview of the development and publication of the Official Records series. Important bibliographies list both published and unpublished sources. Major government document sources are listed.
- Barbuto, Domenica M. Guide to Civil War Books: an Annotated Selection of Modern Works
on the War Between the States.Chicago: American Library Association, 1996.
(Ref E 468 B18 1996). - Ca. 329 titles are included in this annotated bibliography. Topically arranged chapters are featured. Each entry included book review sources.
- Beers, Henry P. The Confederacy: a Guide to the Archives of the Confederate States of
America. Washington, D. C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1986.
(Ref CD 3047 B4 1986). - Detailed guide to National Archives holdings of Confederate records. Essential for advanced research.
- Bemis, Samuel F. Guide to the Diplomatic History of the United States, 1775-1921
. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1935.
(Ref Z 6465 U5 B4). - One section of this guide covers the Civil War. Although dated Bemis offers a scholarly look at the diplomatic history of the period. This is updated, but not superseded, by the Burns guide noted in this section.
- Bethel, Elizabeth, comp. Preliminary Inventory of the War Department Collection of
Confederate Records (Records Group 109). Originally Compiled by Elizabeth Bethel, Additions and
Indexing by Craig R. Scott. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Publishing Company, 1994.
(Ref CD 3047 B48 1994). - Originally published by the National Archives and Records Service in 1957 this guide has comprehensive, and detailed, listing of Confederate records held at the National Archives.
- Burns, Richard D., ed. Guide to American Foreign Relations Since 1700. Santa Barbara,
Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1983.
(Ref Z 6465 U5 G84 1983). - Currently the leading guide to American foreign relations. Comprehensive coverage with a section devoted to the Civil War.
- The Civil War on the Web: A Guide to the Very Best Sites. Wilmington, Del.:
SR Books, 2001.
(Ref E 468.9 T46 2001). - Arranged by topic, e.g. women in the civil war, life of the soldier, this guide has annotated reviews of the most important sites. Part of the guide, again arranged by topic, has "Sites worth a visit." A CD-ROM of the guide is available for use at the Reference Desk.
- Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Units of the Confederate States Army. 2nd ed. Gaithersburg,
Md.: Olde Soldier Books, 1987.
(E 546 C78 1987b). - Arranged by state and then military unit. For each unit it notes where organized along with its field officers, campaigns and battles it was engaged in, and number of casualties. A bibliography completes the work.
- Dozier, Graham T., comp. Virginia's Civil War: A Guide to Manuscripts at the Virginia
Historical Society. Richmond: Virginia Historical Society, 1998.
(Ref E 581 D65 1998). - Over 1000 collections are cataloged in this guide. Comprehensive index enhances the usefulness of this guide.
- A Guide to Civil War Maps in the National Archives. Washington, D. C.: National
Archives and Records Administration, 1986.
(Ref E 468 G85 1986), - About 8000 maps, charts, and plans are listed. Arrangement is by government agency controlling the maps. A final section lists, by state, the exceptional maps in the collection. Full description of the maps is provided.
- Higham, Robin. A Guide to the Sources of United States Military History.
Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, 1975.
(Ref E 181 G83 1975). - Scholarly source arranged by war/time period. Higham uses the bibliographical essay to highlight the major sources. All types of sources including primary sources are discussed. Three supplements bring the series up to 1993.
- Morebeck, Nancy J. Civil War Draft Records: An Index to the 38th Congressional Districts
of 1863. 2nd ed. Vacaville, Calif.: Nancy Morebeck, 1997.
(E 494 M67 1997). - This book is a guide to understanding how to locate Civil War draft records through the National Archives.
- Morebeck, Nancy J. Locating Union & Confederate Records: A Guide to the Most Commonly Used Civil War Records of the
National Archives and Family History Library. North Salt Lake, Utah: HeritageQuest, 2001.
(Ref CD 3047 M67 2001). - This guide discusses, in easily understood language, what records are available at the National Archives for Civil War records. A lot of illustrations and record examples are provided.
- Munden, Kenneth W. The Union: a Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War
. Washington, D. C.: Published for the National Archives and Records Administration by the
National Archives Trust Fund Board, 1986.
(Ref CD 3047 M8 1986). - Detailed guide to National Archives holdings of Union records. Essential for advanced research. Companion volume to the Beers work (above).
- Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies. New York: Facts of File,
1991.
(Ref E 546 S58 1991). - Individual volumes are available by state. Carrier Library has the volumes for Virginia and
North Carolina. This series is intended as a companion set to the Union oriented Compendium of the
War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer. For each military unit information can include name,
nickname, unit organization and ending/surrender date, commanders, assignments and battles, A brief
bibliography completes this work.
- Stephenson, Richard W., comp. Civil War Maps: an Annotated List of Maps and Atlases in
the Library of Congress. 2nd ed. Washington, D. C.: Library of Congress, 1989.
(Gov Doc LC 5.2:C49/989). - Annotated bibliography attempting to be exhaustive in its coverage. Arrangement is by year of the war and by state. The introduction is excellent in its coverage of the mapping situation on both sides during the war.
- Thomas, William G. The Civil War on the Web: a Guide to the Very Best Sites.
Wilmington, Del.: SR Books, 2001.
(Ref E 468.9 T46 2001). - An excellent, scholarly, source. Entries are annotated. The arrangement of the book is topical. Topic examples include battles and campaigns, slavery and emancipation, regiments, women, etc.
- United States. Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. Civil War Manuscripts: a Guide
to the Collections in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. Washington, D. C.:
Library of Congress, 1986.
(Ref E 468 L48 1986). - Over 1000 annotated entries highlight the outstanding primary source collections of the Library of Congress. Detailed index.
- United States. National Archives and Records Service. Military Operations of the Civil
War: a Guide-Index to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865.
Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1977-1980. 5 vol.
(Gov Doc GS 4.21:1,2,3,4,5). - This guide is a condensed form of the full information available only on microfilm (and not in Carrier Library). It acts as a guide to the War of the Rebellion (see under Primary Sources below). Volume one is a conspectus to the full 127 volume set. It discusses the arrangement of the set and includes principal military operations by state and calendar/almanac considerations. Volumes 2-5 cover the several theaters of action. Geographic sites are noted and indexed to the 127 volume set. Volume 2, covering the Eastern therater, is lacking in Carrier Library.
- University of North Carolina Library. Southern Historical Collection. The Southern
Historical Collection: a Guide to Manuscripts. Chapel Hill, N. C.: The Library, [1970].
(Ref Z 6621 N8 S65). - Example of a guide to major manuscript collection that is strong in Civil War holdings.
- Vincenti, William. "Civil War Resources on the Internet: an Annotated Bibliography."
Reference Services Review vol. 25, no. 1. Spring 1997: 39-45.
(Periodical) - This article lists a variety of Internet sources available in 1997 on the Civil War. Annotated.
- Wallace, Lee A., Jr. A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations, 1861-1865.
Richmond: Virginia Civil War Commission, 1964.
(Sp Coll E 581.4 W3). - Example of a guide listing a state's military organizational units. Arranged by type of unit, e.g. home guards, volunteer forces, etc. Historical information, in addition to unit listings, is provided. Local designations and a bibliography are furnished. An index to this work entitled A Guide to Virginia Military Organizations, 1861-1865, Index, by Bernice M. Ashby is located @ Sp Coll E 581.4 W3 Index).
Bibliographies
Bibliographies are useful for locating additional sources on a specific topic. Bibliographies are located in many places in addition to the titles highlighted here. Many books will include lengthy bibliographies, or bibliographical essays, at the end of the work. Journal articles generally contain footnotes and/or a bibliography. The Bibliographic Index is useful because of its recurring publication. The Cole and Coulter entries provide eyewitness accounts of the Civil War. Dornbusch is the most detailed bibliography on military units and other military topics. The Nevins bibliography is the best general bibliography of the Civil War available in Carrier Library.
- Bartlett, John R. The Literature of the Rebellion; a Catalogue of Books and Pamphlets
Relating to the Civil War in the United States, and on Subjects Growing Out of that Event, Together
with Works on American Slavery, and Essays from Reviews on the Same Subjects. Westport,
Conn.: Greenwood, [1970 reprint of the 1866 ed.].
(Ref E 456 B2 1970). - Useful for its listing of works published during the conflict. Material includes American and European books, Congressional and other official reports, state documents, slavery studies, etc.
- Bibliographic Index: a Cumulative Bibliography of Bibliographies. New York: H. W.
Wilson, 1937- .
(Index/Abstracts Tables). - Useful especially for its continual updating service. Books and journal articles with quality bibliographies are included.
- Cole, Garold. Civil War Eyewitnesses: an Annotated Bibliography of Books and Articles,
1955-1985. Columbia, S. C.: University of South Carolina, 1988.
(Ref E 601 C78 1988). - In ca. 1400 annotated entries Cole lists personnel narratives published from 1955-1986. Arrangement is geographic with a separate "anthology" section. A second volume covering the years 1986-1996 is at Ref E 601 C79 2000.
- Congressional Information Service. CIS U.S. Serial Set Index. Bethesda, Md.:
The Service, 1975-1978. 36 vol.
(Ref Z 1223 Z9 C65 1975). - Index to the "Serial Set" series of documents. This sources indexes the "Set" from 1789 to 1979. Carrier Library has the microfiche for this material for the period covering the Civil War. This is also available on the network (CD-ROM index) as Congressional Masterfile.
- Coulter, Ellis M. Travels in the Confederate States: a Bibliography. Wendell,
N. C.: Broadfoot's Bookmark, 1981? reprint of the 1948 ed.
(Ref F 214 C68 1948). - Memoirs, personal narratives, diaries, letters, etc. are listed. Lengthy annotations accompany most entries.
- Donald, David B. The Nation in Crisis, 1861-1877. New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts, [1969].
(Ref Z 1242 D57). - Selective bibliography, topically arranged. A feature is the section on reminiscences, diaries, etc.
- Dornbusch, Charles E., comp. Military Bibliography of the Civil War. New York:
New York Public Library; Dayton, Ohio: Morningside, 1987-1989 reprint of the 1962-1972 ed. 4 vol.
(Ref E 468 D612 1987). - Regimental and personal narrative sources. Comprehensive. This will remain as the standard bibliography of regimental and narrative sources.
- Eicher, David J. The Civil War in Books: An Analytical Bibliography. Urbana, Ill.
: University of Illinois, 1997.
(Ref E 468 E57 1997). - In 1100 titles Eicher lists the major sources on the War. Arrangement is topical with areas on battles and campaigns, memoirs and letters, general works, unit histories, etc. An excellent introduction and annotations enhance this bibliography.
- Freidel, Frank B., ed. Harvard Guide to American History. rev. ed. Cambridge,
Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1974. 2 vol.
(Ref Z 1236 F77 1974). - A large section of Civil War titles is included in this standard bibliography.
- Griffin, Appleton P. C. Bibliography of American Historical Societies. 2nd ed.
1907.
(Ref E 172 A60 1905 v.2). - Griffin indexed major historical society publications up to 1905. There are a large number of Civil War citations. A major subject is United States History Civil War. Useful because of the early indexing date.
- Kinnell, Susan K., ed. Military History of the United States: an Annotated Bibliography
. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1986.
(Ref E 181 M5 1986). - Although journal articles are most heavily represented, books and dissertations are included. Publications from 1974-1985 are listed. Arrangement is by war and/or time period.
- Larned, Josephus N. The Literature of American History: a Bibliographical Guide...
. [1966] reprint of the 1902 ed.
(Ref Z 1236 L3 1966). - An excellent bibliography that includes a section entitled "Period of the Civil War: 1860-1865." The annotated entries are for the major sources published by the early twentieth century.
- Merideth, Lee W., comp.Guide to Civil War Periodicals. Twentynine Palsm, Calif.:
Historical Indexes, 1997.
(Ref E 462 M474 1991 v. 2) - Nine periodicals dealing with the American Civil War are indexed in this volume. Most of the indexing is for the 1990's. Carrier Library has some years of the periodical American History. Researcher's using this index will generally need to use other libraries or interlibrary loan to obtain articles.
- Miller, Gordon W. Rockingham: an Annotated Bibliography of a Virginia County.
Harrisonburg, Va.: Published Under the Auspices of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society,
1989.
(Ref F 232 R7 M5486 1989). - A chapter on the Civil War within Rockingham County contains over 350 citations.
- Murdock, Eugene C. The Civil War in the North: a Selective Annotated Bibliography
. New York: Garland, 1987.
(Ref E 468 M87 1987). - Comprehensive coverage of the Northern war effort. Areas as diverse as the government, literature and the arts, and minorities are covered. Books, articles, speeches, diaries, and dissertations, are included.
- The National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections. Washington, D. C.: Library
of Congress, 1959-1993.
(Biblio Z 6620 U5 N3). - The standard bibliography to manuscript sources. Libraries nationwide report their manuscript holdings in this source. Because many Civil War battles and incidents took place in Virginia, and Virginia institutions now hold many primary sources on the Civil War, this can be useful to researchers in this area.
- Nevins, Allan, ed. Civil War Books; a Critical Bibliography. Baton Rouge:
Published for the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission by Louisiana State University Press,
[1967-1969]. 2 vol.
(Ref E 468 N35 1967). - Useful for its through coverage and critical annotations. Both scholars and general readers will find the bibliography useful. Emphasis is on military aspects including individuals.
- Parrish, T. Michael. Confederate Imprints: a Bibliography of Southern Publications from
Secession to Surrender... .Austin, Tex.: Jenkins; Katonah, N. Y.: G.A. Foster, [ca. 1984].
(Ref E 487 P37 1984). - The standard source for Confederate publishing. Comprehensive.
- Poore, Benjamin P. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United
States, September 5, 1774-March4, 1881. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1885.
2 vol.
(Ref Z 1223 A 1885d). - Volume two contains an index for the set. Arranged chronologically, Poore's catalog was an attempt to list all government publications to 1881. There are many documents lacking in this bibliography.
- Swem, Earl G., comp. Virginia Historical Index. Roanoke: Stone Printing and
Manufacturing Co., 1934-1936. 2 vol.
(Ref F 221 S93). - Comprehensive coverage for several Virginia historical journals. Civil War topics, battles, individuals, etc. are included.
- United States. Army Military History Institute. The Era of the Civil War - 1820-1876
. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1982.
(Gov Doc D 114.14:11/2). - Extensive bibliography of library holdings at the Army Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks. Useful to determine military works on the Civil War.
- United States. Superintendent of Documents. Checklist of United States Public Documents
1789-1909, Congressional.... 3rd ed., rev. and enl. 1911.
(Ref Z 1223 A113). - Arranged by issuing agency this bibliography is useful for locating the existence of Civil War era publications by agency. This generally does not list specific document titles. Rather it lists the various published series. An index volume was never published.
- United States. War Dept. Library. Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War,
1861-1866. 3rd ed. Mansfield Centre, Conn.: Martino Fine Books, [1998] reprint of the 1913
ed.
(E 468 U55 1998). - A comprehensive bibliography of Civil War publications arranged by state. An appendix lists miscellaneous publications by subject and organization, e.g. Colored Troops, United Daughters of the Confederacy, etc. Under each state the arrangement is by official publication, regimental histories, and miscellaneous sources. Titles not in the War Department Library are noted with an asterisk and list a known library for the holdings.
- Woodworth, Steven E., ed. The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and Research
. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1996.
(Ref E 456 A47 1996). - In eleven "parts" and forty-seven chapters the compilers present a scholarly look at the Civil War in bibliographic essays. For current research on the Civil War this is a necessary bibliography.
- Wright, John H., comp. Compendium of the Confederacy: an Annotated Bibliography [of]
Books, Pamphlets, Serials.2 vol. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1989.
(Ref E 468 W75 1989). - Wright began this work by locating Confederate titles in book dealer's catalogs. He has added pamphlets and articles from over 150 journals. Major tools, e.g. Southern Historical Society Papers and Confederate Veteran are incorporated into this bibliography. Arranged alphabetically by author (or title when authro is lacking). When prices are given they are from a dealer's catalog.
- Writings on American History. Washington, D. C.: American Historical Association,
1902-1961. annual. 1941-1947 never published.
(Ref Z 1236 L331). - Comprehensive coverage of published research for the years indexed. See America: History and Life in the Indexes/Abstracts section for later coverage. A cumulative index for the years 1902-1940 is available.
Dictionaries/Encyclopedias/Chronologies
Dictionaries and encyclopedias can offer brief facts on a topic and suggest research themes to pursue. They are generally useful early in the research process to aid in defining the topic. Some encyclopedias contain brief bibliographies.
- Albaugh, William A., III. Handbook of Confederate Swords.Wilmington, NC:
Broadfoot, 1993.
(U 856 C6 A4 1993). - Following a discussion of Confederate manufacturer there are drawings of representative Confederate swords. A photographic supplement to Confederate Swords is @ U856 C6 U44 1993).
- Boatner, Mary M. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: D. McKay, [1959].
(Ref E 468 B7). - Alphabetical arrangement offering wide coverage of the War. Maps and a bibliography.
- Current, Richard N., ed. Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1993. 4 vol.
(Ref E 487 E55 1993). - Comprehensive coverage of the Confederacy. Individuals, battles, and topics are included. The articles are written by leading scholars. Bibliographies accompany the articles. Appendices include the Confederate Constitution, etc. Illustrated.
- Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion: with a New Introduction by
Bell Irvin Wiley. New York: T. Yoseloff, [1959].
(E 491 D99 1959). - Exhaustive compilation of units, engagements, and statistics. Union armies only. Volume 3 has brief regimental histories.
- The Encyclopedia of Southern History. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University,
1979.
(Ref F 207.7 E52). - Comprehensive of people, events, issues, etc. related to the Southern experience. A major portion of this source is on Civil War topics. Entries contain bibliographies.
- Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History
. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 2000. 5 vol.
(Ref E 468 H47 2000). - The standard American Civil War encyclopedia. Alphabetically arranged with individuals prominently noted throughout. Maps and illustrations are used to enhance the text. Volume 5 contains the text of documentation on the War. Appendices include general officers of both armies, main government officials of both governments, battlefield sites, battlefield location maps, a chronology of the War, glossary of terms, and bibliography. The entries throughout contain bibliographies.
- Faust, Patricia L., ed. Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War
. New York: Harper & Row, 1986.
(Ref E 468 H57 1986). - Maps of battles, in addition to illustrations, are featured. Excellent as a biographical
reference. No bibliographies.
- Jones, Terry L. Historical Dictionary of the Civil War. Lanham, Md.: The
Scarecrow Press, 2002. 2 vol.
(Ref E 468 J777 2002). - A few maps and a chronology introduce this dictionary. The entries are arranged alphabetically. A lengthy bibliography completes the work.
- Long, Everette B. The Civil War Day by Day; an Almanac, 1861-1865. Garden City,
N. Y.: Doubleday, 1971.
(E 468.3 L6). - In narrative format this almanac notes the important events on a daily basis. Covergage is from November 6, 1860 (Lincoln's election) into early 1866. Special studies include statistical analysis on the men at war, civilians, and the economies of the North and South. An exhaustive bibliography (over 100 pages) is taken from Bruce Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War.
- Lyman, Darryl. Civil War Quotations.Conshohocken, Penn.: Combined Books, 1995.
(Ref E 468.9 C48 1995). - Arranged alphabetically by author Lyman has gathered over 150 quotations on the War. Each person has a brief introduction. The quotations give the date of the saying. Topical index.
- Mosocco, Ronald A. The Chronological Tracking of the American Civil War Per the Official
Records of the War of the Rebellion. Williamsburg, Va.: James River Publications, 1993,
1994.
(Ref E 468.3 M67 1994). - The author has taken the Official Records and developed a chronology of individuals and events. Bibliography.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Virginia. New York:
Facts on File, 1992.
(Ref E 546 S58 1991 v.1). - A listing of all Virginia Confederate military units. Information includes items as nicknames, organization data, commander(s), assignments, and battles in which the unit was involved. This is volume one of a series by state. Carrier also has the volume for North Carolina at the same call number.
- Virginia. Civil War Commission. A Register of Military Events in Virginia, 1861-1865
. [Richmond]: The Commission, 1959.
(E 470.1 V57). - A brief chronology. Arrangement by year and then alphabetically by place. Events are keyed to the Offical Record.
- Wagner, Margaret E., ed. The Library of Congress Civil War Desk Reference. New York: Simon & Schuster,
2002.
(Ref E 468 L58 2002). - In thirteen categories, e.g. the home front, medical care and medicine, etc. this encyclopedia offers comprehensive coverage of the Civil War. A bibliography is appended. It includes major web sites.
General Histories & Campaigns
The Biblical admonition "of making many books there is no end" holds true for Civil War writings. This section suggests several of the outstanding works on the War. The earliest work listed was published in 1862 and the latest in 1993. The Nevins and Catton works are listed along with a series presenting the Confederate view (Evans).
- Albaugh, William A., III. Confederate Faces: A Pictorial Review of the Idividuals in the
Confederate Armed Forces. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1993.
(E 467 A39 1993). - Over 800 individuals, many unidentified, are pictured. An additional 523 pictures are included in More Confederate Faces @ E 467 A392 1993. The full spectrum of forces in the Confederate military are available.
- Albaugh, William A., III. Confederate Handguns: Concerning the Guns, the Men Who Made
Them and the Times of Their Use. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1993.
(TS 537 A37 1993). - A scholarly study of the handguns in the Confederacy along with foreign handguns used in the South. Bibliography. Illustrated.
- The American Heritage New History of the Civil War. New York: Viking, 1996.
(E 468.7 C3 1996) - This general history is heavily illustrated. A CD-ROM is available for use with the book.
- Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Being for the Most Part Contributions by Union and
Confederate Officers. New York: T. Yoseloff, [1956]. 4 vol.
(E 470 B346). - Memoirs of leading officers from both sides in the War. Originally published in 1884-1887 in the Century magazine. Illustrations and maps. Also available @ LAC 22387-22390.
- Campaigns of the Civil War. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, [1963]. 9 vol.
(E 470 C17 1963). - Reliable history reprinted from the 1881-1883 edition of 16 volumes. Volume 9 is an atlas of 32 maps.
- Catton, Bruce. The Centennial History of the Civil War. Garden City, N. Y.:
Doubleday, 1961-1965. 3 vol.
(E 468 C29). - A trilogy of narrative history. A classic written for the Civil War's centennial.
- Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives. Pt. 1. The
Confederate States of America and Border States. Bethesda, Md.: University Publications of
America, 1992.
(Microform Area. Microfiche). - In ca. 330 microfiche the Virginia regimental histories are available. The source used to identify the histories is Charles Dornbusch's Military Bibliography of the Civil War. This is @ Ref E 468 D612 1987. A guide to the microfiche is @ Ref E 468 C59 1992 pt. 1. it notes the contents of each fiche and is necessary to quickly select the fiche(s) of research interest.
- Coulter, Ellis M. The Confederate States of America, 1861-1865. [Baton Rouge]:
Louisiana State University, 1950.
(E 487 C83). - A scholarly study of the non-military aspects of the Confederacy. Outstanding bibliographical essay.
- Drury, Ian.The Civil War Military Machine: Weapons and Tactics of the Union and
Confederate Armed Forces. New York: Smithmark, 1993.
(E 491 G53 1993). - Army and navy weapons, along with ships, are detailed in this heavily illustrated book. Maps of the battles compliment the text.
- Evans, Clement A., comp. Confederate Military History; a Library of Confederate States
History, in Twelve Volumes, Written by Distinguished Men of the South. New York: Thomas
Yoseloff, [1962 reprint of the 1899 edition].
(E 484 E9 1962). - This scholarly work presents the Confederate viewpoint. The final volume includes the text of the Confederate Constitution, members of the Confederate Congress, a chronological list of engagements, and statistical tables.
- Johnson, Robert U., ed. Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: Being for the Most Part
Contributions by Union and Confederate Officers. Based upon "The Century War Series". New
York: The Century Co, 1887-1888. 4 vol.
(Media Resources LAC 22387-22390). - Although written with the biases of the ca. 250 officers of Union and Confederate forces this remains a major work on the military aspects of the War. The heavily illustrated articles are organized by theater of operation and the campaigns and battles within the theater. Map and portraits. Indexed in the final volume. Another copy is @ E 470 B346.
- Jones, Virgil C. The Civil War at Sea. New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston,
[1960-1962]. 3 vol.
(E 591 J6). - A standard work on the naval history of the Civil War. Volume 3 contains a bibliography.
- McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: the Civil War Era. New York: Oxford
University, 1988.
(E 173 O94 v.6). - Current scholarship in a general history of the Civil War. Excellent bibliographical essay. McPherson's work Ordeal by Fire: the Civil War and Reconstruction (1982) @ E 468 M23 is another outstanding work.
- Mills, Gary B. Southern Loyalists in the Civil War: the Southern Claims Commission...
. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1994.
(Ref E 480.5 M55 1994). - A master index to the Southern Claims Commission (SCC) files. Information includes claimant, county and state of residence, SCC report numbers, year of claim, and claim status. Over 22,000 claims were filed.
- Moore, Frank, ed. The Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events, with Documents,
Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, etc. New York: G.P. Putnam, 1862-1863; New York: D. Van
Nostrand, 1864-1869. 11 vol.
(Microform Area LAC 22449-22460). - A massive compilation important for its immediate coverage of the War. Includes newpaper and eyewitness accounts, documents including speeches, and maps. Used by the compilers of the War of the Rebellion for dating/chronology purposes.
- Nevins, Allan. Ordeal of the Union. New York: Scribner, 1947. 2 vol.
(E 415.7 N4). - The first in a trilogy covering the War era. This work covers the years 1847-1857. The Emergence of Lincoln (1950, 2 vol. @ E 415.7 N38) covers the years 1857-1861. The final title The War for the Union ([1959-1971], 4 vol. @ E 468 N43) covers 1861-1865. Narrative history. Classic work.
- Randall, James G. The Civil War and Reconstruction. 2nd ed., rev. with enl.
bibliography. Lexington, Mass.: Heath, [1969].
(E 468 R26 1969). - Excellent work with an exhaustive bibliography.
- Rhodes, James F. History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 to the End of
the Roosevelt Administration. New ed. New York: Macmillan, 1928. 9 vol.
(E 178 R478). - Rhodes' history is considered the first scholarly survey of the Civil War. Volumes 3-5 cover the War years.
- Scharf, John T. History of the Confederate States Navy from its Organization to the
Surrender of the Last Vessel.... New York: Rogers & Sherwood, 1887.
(Microform Area LAC 14903). - A standard work.
- Thomas, Emory M. The Confederate Nation, 1861-1865. New York: Harper & Row,
1979.
(E 487 T483 1979). - Useful especially for its excellent bibliographical essay. The text of the Confederate Constitution is printed.
- The Virginia Regimental Histories Series. Lynchburg, Va.: H. E. Howard, (in process).
- A series of regimental histories. Each book has its own call number. In addition to a regimental history there are lists of soldiers who served in the unit along with biographical data. Useful to the genealogist. The series can be located by a title search under the series name. Another location source is by subject: Virginia History Civil War 1861-1865 Regimental histories.
- Welcher, Frank J. The Union Army, 1861-1865: Organization and Operations.
Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, 1989-1993. 2 vol.
(Ref E 491 W43 1989). - Arranged by military unit Welcher provides brief histories along with key officers. A separate history of major battles and campaigns is included. Scholarly.
- Wiley, Bell I. Embattled Confederates: an Illustrated History of Southerners at War
. New York: Harper & Row, [1964].
(E 487 W63). - A leading Civil War historian and his synthesis of the South. Appendices include the Confederate Cabinet, members of its Congress, state Governors, and generals.
Primary Sources
Examples of published primary sources are listed in this section. Personal memoirs include representative titles from both Union and Confederate leaders. The most important single source for Civil War research is the War of the Rebellion. The Southern Historical Society Papers offer a balance from the Confederate side. To locate additional primary sources use Leonardo, various titles from the GUIDES and BIBLIOGRAPHIES sections (above), and bibliographies/bibliographical essays in general histories on the War.
- Davis, Jefferson. The Papers of Jefferson Davis. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State
University, 1971- . In process.
(E 467.1 D2596).- Early, Jubal A. War Memoirs: Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, [1960].
(E 470 E13 1960).- Freidel, Frank B., comp. Union Pamphlets of the Civil War, 1861-1865. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University, 1967. 2 vol.
(E 464 F7). - Early, Jubal A. War Memoirs: Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, [1960].
- Fifty-two pamphlets are reprinted with commentary.
- Grant, Ulysses S. The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern
Illinois University, 1967- . in process.
(E 660 G74). - Grants's papers include the Civil War years. Grant's Personal Memoirs are located
@ E 672 F7617 1962.
- Hewett, Janet B., ed. The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865. Wilmington,
N.C.: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1995. 16 vol.
(Ref E 548 R65 1995). - A listing for every known Confederate soldier is available here. Information provided is the unit(s) they served in. The first volume has an introduction placing this source in context and noting its use by historians and genealogists. The final volume has a list of abbreviations used and a "glossary" listing, by state, military units and their changes throughout the war.
- Lincoln, Abraham. Abraham Lincoln Papers. Washington, D. C.: Library of
Congress, 1959.
(Microform Area. Microfilm 436-532). - Most of the material in the Papers is correspondence and other papers of his presidency.
Additional Lincoln sources in Carrier Library include his Collected Works. A 1894 edition is
@ E 457.91 1894. The final volume of this twelve volume set contains a chronological and general
index. Volume eleven includes a major bibliography of Lincoln's works. Check Leonardo for additional
editions of Lincoln's works.
- McDonald, Archie P. The Journal of Jedediah Hotchkiss, 1861-1865. [Baton Rouge,
La.]: Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 1965.
(Microform Area. Microfilm #862). - This doctoral dissertation analyzes the Hotchkiss journal in introductory chapters. The bulk of the disseration is the journal. As cartographer to Stonewall Jackson, and other Confederate officers, Hotchkiss knew a lot of the action. Useful, especially for the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War.
- McLean, James L., Jr. Gettysburg Sources. Baltimore, Md.: Butternut and Blue,
1986-1990. 3 vol.
(E 475.53 M4 1986). - These volumes are reprints of short books, pamphlets, journal and newspaper articles, and monument dedications on Gettysburg. Most of the sources are rare. An example of published primary sources on a major Civil War battle.
- Mosby, John S. Memoirs. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, [1959].
(E 581.643 M49).- The Rebellion Record; a Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, etc...New York: G. P. Putnam, 1861-1863; New York: Van Nostrand, 1864-1868. 11 vol. Volume 9 lacking.
(Microform Area LAC 22449-22460). - The Rebellion Record; a Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, etc...New York: G. P. Putnam, 1861-1863; New York: Van Nostrand, 1864-1868. 11 vol. Volume 9 lacking.
- Primary source material with a military emphasis. Useful because of its early publication.
- Sheridan, Philip H. Pesonal Memoirs of P.H. Sheridan, General, United States Army
. New York: C.L. Webster, 1888.
(E 467.1 S54 S53).- Sibley, F. Ray, Jr. The Confederate Order of Battle. Volume 1: TheArmy of Northern Virginia. Shippensburg, Penn.: White Mane Publishing Company, 1996.
(E 545 S53 1996 v.1). - Sibley, F. Ray, Jr. The Confederate Order of Battle. Volume 1: TheArmy of Northern Virginia. Shippensburg, Penn.: White Mane Publishing Company, 1996.
- Making this reference source valuable is the extensive footnotes accompanying the order of battle listings. Excellent bibliography.
- Smith, George W., ed. Life in the North During the Civil War; a Source History.
Albuquerque, N. Mex.: University of New Mexico, [1966].
(E 464 S55). - A view of Northern feeling and thought. Documents have narrative introductions explaining their
place in the War.
- Southern Historical Society. Southern Historical Society Papers. Millwood, N. Y.
: Kraus Reprint Co., 1977 reprint of the 1876-1959 ed. 52 vol.
(E 483.7 S76 1977). - The Southern response to the official War of the Rebellion. Material includes all types of
information including reminiscences, memoirs, battle reports, Confederate government minutes, etc.
Indispensable for serious Civil War research. An index edited by James I. Robertson entitled An
Index-Guide to the Southern Historical Society Papers, 1876-1959 is @ Ref E 483.7 1977 index).
- Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot, 1994- .
(E 464 U61 1971 supp). - Editors at Broadfoot have searched archives and libraries to locate primary sources not included
in the Official Records. Projected to be in 50 volumes. It will be indexed in the final volumes.
- United States. Congress. Congressional Globe. Washington, D. C.: Printed at
the Globe Office for the Editors, 1834-1873.
(Gov Doc Microfilm). - The Globe was the daily record of Congress for its period of coverage.
- United States. Naval War Records Office. Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Ser. 1, v. 1-27; Ser. 2, v. 1-3. Washington, D. C.:
Government Printing Office, 1894-1927. 30 vol.
(Microform Area. LAC 23758-23796). - This is a companion series to the War of the Rebellion noted below. An index to this series is @
Ref E 591 U58 1961 index.
- United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official
Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. [Gettysburg, Penn.: National Historical
Society, 1971-1972 reprint of the 1880-1900 ed.]. 69 vol. in 127 parts.
(E 464 U61 1971). - This is the one single most important source for Civil War research. Cited also as Official
Records or OR. The federal government attempted to publish, in four series, all major reports and
correspondence available. The index is located at the noted call number in the Reference Collection.
The index is only to the series and volume number. In all instances the individual volume index
should also be consulted. Also available in microfiche @ MicroformArea LAC 22140-22174.
- Wakelyn, Jon L., ed. Southern Pamphlets on Secession, November 1860 - April 1861.
Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 1996.
(E 458.1 S68 1996). - Twenty pamphlets (speeches generally) are printed in this source. Each entry has an introduction setting the speech within the framework of the time. An appendix lists additional pamphlets published during this time era.
Biographical Sources
Carrier Library has a large number of biographical sources on the Civil War. The Sifakis entry (1988) demonstrates the continued interest in this aspect of the Civil War.
- Amann, William F., ed. Personnel of the Civil War. New York: T. Yoseloff,
[1961].
(E 494 A5). - A list of general officers and their regiments. A listing of local fighting unit designations and the official name is given. Arranged in separate Union and Confederate sections.
- Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Confederate Staff Officers, 1861-1865. Powhatan, Va.:
Printed by Derwent Books, 1982.
(E 548 C83 1982). - Confederate officers with their staffs that served with them. Officer promotions are given.
- Eicher, John H. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University
press, 2001.
(Ref E 467 E35 2001). - A comprehensive look at the generals who commanded during the Civil War. For each officer the sketch notes birth and death information, dates of their promotions, battles they commanded in, wounds and/or captured information, etc. Other information includes organization during and after the Civil War, grades and rank, command structure, chronology of the War, etc. A scholarly work.
- Freeman, Douglas S. Lee's Lieutenants, a Study in Command. New York: Scribner's
Sons, 1942-1944. 3 vol.
(E 470.2 F7). - Detailed account of the officer's who served under Lee. Volume three contains a bibliography.
- Heitman, Francis H. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from
its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903. Washington, D. C.: Government
Printing Office, 1903. 2 vol.
(Ref U 11 U5 H6 1965). - Useful both as a biographical and genealogical source. This work provides the service record of United States Army officers for the period covered. Some additional information on the Civil War era is provided.
- Hubbell, John T. Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War
. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1995.
(Ref E 467 B56 1995). - Over 870 short sketches of Union leaders are provided. Entries note one, or more, references. A major bibliography is a highlight of the work.
- Krick, Robert K. Lee's Colonels: a Biographical Register of the Field Officers of the
Army of Northern Virginia. Dayton, Ohio: Morningside Bookshop. 1979.
(E 467 K73). - Biographical sketches.
- McPherson, James M. Encyclopedia of Civil War Biographies. Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe
Reference, 2000. 3 vol.
(Ref E 467 E53 2000). - This encyclopedia has taken the biographial entries from the reference work National Cyclopedia of American Biography which was published from 1888-1984. McPherson has enhanced the original text with notes to update and correct the original text. Arranged alphabetically, this biographical dictionary includes some women and individuals who did not fight but were involved in the War. Volume 3 contains a subject and geographic index.
- Owen, Richard. Generals at Rest: the Grave Sites of the 425 Official Confederate Generals
. Shippensburg, Penn.: White Mane Publishing Co., 1997.
(Ref E 467 O94 1997). - Owen spent a number of years tracking down the grave sites of Confederate generals. For each general he has provided pictures of the general, the grave site, and occasionally other pictures. He gives a brief biographical sketch of the general. Scholarly.
- Ritter, Charles F., ed. Leaders of the American Civil War: a Biographical and
Historiographical Dictionary. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998.
(Ref E 467 L43 1998). - Forty-seven individuals are sketched in this volume. Each entry contains a bibliography.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts on File, 1988.
(Ref E 467 S56 1988). - About 2,500 entries with an emphasis on military figures. Some non-combatants, e.g. journalists and nurses, are included. A chronology of the War and a bibliography are appended.
- Spencer, James. Civil War Generals: Categorical Listings and a Biographical Directory
. New York: Greenwood, 1986.
(E 467 S78 1986). - Fourteen separate arrangements of information including biographies. Examples of information include listings by rank, state and hometown, and those killed in action.
- Wakelyn, John L. Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy. Westport, Conn.:
Greenwood, 1977.
(Ref E 467 W2). - In addition to military personnel there are entries for women, intellectuals, etc. Indexes include listings for occupations, religious and political affiliation, and education. Contains a bibliography.
- Warner, Ezra J. Biographical Register of the Confederate Congress. Baton Rouge:
Louisiana State University, 1975.
(JK 9663 W3). - Scholarly biographical sketches with appendices that include session dates for the Confederate Congresses, standing committees of the Congresses, membership of each Congress, and annual maps of occupied Confederate territory. Contains a bibliography.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue; Lives of the Union Commanders. [Baton Rouge]:
Louisiana State University, [1964].
(E 467 W29). - Illustrated entries. Excellent bibliography.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray; Lives of the Confederate Commanders.
[Baton Rouge]: Louisiana State University, [1959].
(E 467 W3). - Illustrated entries. Excellent bibliography.
Pictorial Works
Carrier Library has a large number of sources providing pictorial histories of the Civil War. Miller's publication is a classic work. The six volume series "The Image of War" provides recent scholarship on this aspect of Civil War studies.
- Abell, Sam. The Civil War: an Aerial Portrait. Charlottesville, Va.:
Thomasson-Grant, 1990.
(E 468.7 A23 1990). - Contemporary and current aerial photographs of Civil War battle sites are interspersed with brief commentary. Key commanders are included.
- Buchanan, Lamont. A Pictorial History of the Confederacy. New York: Crown,
[1951].
(E 487 B8). - Drawings and photographs are taken from a large number of Southern publications.
- Catton, Bruce. The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War. New York:
American Heritage, [1960].
(E 468.7 C3 1960). - A pictorial history with commentary. Maps compliment the text.
- Davis, William C., ed. The Embattled Confederacy. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday,
1982. (The Image of War, 1861-1865; vol. 3).
(E 487 E52 1982). - Events from Antietam through Gettysburg are covered.
- Davis, William C., ed. The End of an Era. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1984.
(The Image of War, 1861-1865; vol. 6).
(E 470 E52 1984). - The final stages of the War and its aftermath are covered.
- Davis, William C., ed. Fighting for Time. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1983.
(The Image of the War, 1861-1865; vol. 4).
(E 468.7 F53 1983). - Miscellaneous coverage in this volume includes Vicksburg, Confederate commerce on the ocean, medical aspects of the War, cavalry action, prison life, etc.
- Grossman, Julian. Echo of a Distant Drum: Winslow Homer and the Civil War. New
York: H. N. Abrams, [1974].
(Oversize N 6537 H58 G76). - Paintings and drawings of a leading artist of the Civil War. Most of the illustrations appeared originally in Harper's Weekly. Short bibliography.
- Guernsey, Alfred H. Harpers's Pictorial History of the Civil War. New York:
Fairfax Press, 1977.
(Oversize E 468.7 G95 1977). - Published originally shortly after the Civil War. The illustrations were from Harper's Weekly. Also available in microfiche @ Microform Area LAC 23994.
- Guns of '62. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, [1981]. (The Image of War, 1861-1865;
vol. 2).
(E 470 G87). - Coverage highlights include ironclad battle action, the Peninsular Campaign, "in camp with the common soldier," railroads in the War, war on the Mississippi River, and Jackson's Valley Campaign.
- Library of Congress. Prints and Photographs Division. Civil War Photography, 1861-1865; a
Catalog of Copy Negatives Made from Originals Selected from the Mathew B. Brady Collection in the
Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Washington, D. C.: The Library,
1961.
(Ref Z 663.39 C5). - Arrangement is by campaigns and individual battles. A final chapter lists available portraits.
- Lossing, Benson J. Pictorial History of the Civil War in the United States of America
. Philadelphia: G.W. Childs, 1866-1868. 3 vol.
(E 468 L88). - Useful because the author was a historian who expericenced the Civil War and because it was an early pictorial work on the War. Also @ Microform Area LAC 22570-22571.
- Miller, Francis T. The Photographic History of the Civil War.... New York: The
Review of Reviews, 1911. 10 vol.
(E 468.7 M64). - Massive compilation of pictures, with text, from the Civil War. The standard, classic, pictorial work. Contains the largest single collection of Brady's published photographs.
- Neely, Mark E. The Confederate Image: Prints of the Lost Cause. Chapel Hill,
N. C.: University of North Carolina, 1987.
(E 467 N44 1987). - Scholarly study of drawings and portraits by Southern artists. Contains a bibliography.
- Neely, Mark E., Jr. The Union Image: Popular Prints of the Civil War North.
2000.
(E 468.7 N44 2000). - Illustations, with text, of the Union forces in the Civil War. Compliments Neely's work on the Confederate image.
- Pratt, Fletcher, ed. Civil War in Pictures. New York: Holt, [1955].
(E 468.7 P7). - Illustrations, with text, taken from drawings in Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
- Shadows of the Storm. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1981. (The Image of War,
1861-1865; vol. 1).
(E 468.7 S5). - Coverage includes pre-War events and early battles. One section discusses "the photographers of the War."
- Smith, Kristen M., ed. The Lines are Drawn: Political Cartoons of the Civil War.
Athens, Ga.: Hill Street Press, 1999.
(E 647 L66 1999). - The examples of political cartoons presented here demonstrate the ability of a genre that was used during the Civil War. This is the day before the photograph could do more than "still" pictures and the cartoon was an important part of the war's image for the masses.
- The South Besieged Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, 1983. (The Image of War,
1861-1865; vol. 5).
(E 470 S76 1983). - Coverage is geographically broad, e.g. Tennessee, naval warfare, Atlanta Campaign, and 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley.
Atlases
The United States War Department's "Official Atlas" is the definitive atlas for Civil War research. The reference collection contains a number of additional atlases on American history that include Civil War map information.
- Bosse, David, comp. Civil War Newspaper Maps: a Cartobibliography of the Northern Daily
Press . Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1993.
(Ref GA 405.5 B67 1993). - Twenty newspapers were searched to locate contemporary maps. Arrangement is by newspaper and date. Some entries have brief annotations on the coverage of the map.
- Civil War Maps
- This web page is part of the Library of Congress's LC) American Memory site. The site is a combination of LC, Library of Virginia, and Virginia Historical Society map holdings from the Civil War era. Access is by keyword, geographic location, subject, title, etc. indexes.
- Martis, Kenneth C. The Historical Atlas of the Congresses of the Confederate States of
America, 1861-1865 . New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
(Ref G 1281 F8 M3 1994). - Topics covered include the provisional Congress, elections, roll-call votes, etc. Appendices include state laws, electoral procedures, etc. A bibliography completes the work.
- McElfresh, Earl B. Maps and Mapmakers of the Civil War. New York: Harry N.
Abrams, 1999.
(E 468.9 M135 1999). - In addition to maps throughout this volume there is a discussion of maps and their role in the Civil War. Bibliography.
- McPherson, James M., ed. The Atlas of the Civil War. New York: Macmillan, 1994.
(Ref G 1201 S5 A85 1994). - Detailed maps and photographs are used with comentary to describe the campaigns and battles of the War. Bibliography.
- Nelson, Christopher. Maping the Civil War: Featuring Rare Maps from the Library of
Congress. [n.p.]: Starwood Publishing, 1992.
(E 468 N38 1992). - A discussion of the use of maps during the War is featured. The critical analysis of the use of maps in the war effort includes facsimilies of maps used in the various battles.
- O'Reilly, Noel S. Civil War Maps: a Graphic Index to the Atlas to Accompany the Offical
Records of the Union and Confederate Armies . Chicago: Newberry Library, 1987.
(Ref G 1201 S5 U6 index). - State maps are used to locate the maps found in the "Official Atlas." Within each state the arrangement is by the "sequential ordering of the maps in the atlas." Information given includes the plate number, the map number on a given plate, asterisk (when applicable) signifying landownership designations, and an ampersand (also when applicable) denoting a map judged to contain significant topographical detail.
- Paullin, Charles O. Atlas of the Historical Geography of the United States .
Washington, D. C.: Published Jointly by Carnegie Institution of Washington and the American
Geographical Society of New York, 1932.
(Ref G 3701 S1 P3). - The first scholarly American atlas. Good on political aspects of the Civil War including election maps. Contains some battle maps.
- United States Military Academy. Department of Military Art and Engineering. The West
Point Atlas of American Wars . New York: Praeger, [1959]. 2 vol.
(Ref G 1201 S1 U5 1959). - In addition to the Civil War maps there is a scholarly discussion of the battles.
- United States. War Department. The Official Atlas of the Civil War . New York:
T. Yoseloff, [1958].
(Ref G 1201 S5 U6). - A slightly reduced in size reprint of the "Atlas to accompany the official records of the Union and Confederate armies." The most important atlas source for Civil War research. Indispensable.
Statistics
In addition to the sources listed here many general histories will include either tables/charts in the text or appendices with statistical information.
- Fox, William F. Regimental Losses in the American Civil War, 1861-1865. A Treatise on
the Extent and Nature of the Mortuary Losses in the Union Regiments.... Albany, N. Y.:
Albany Publishing Co., 1889.
(Microform Area LAC 14624). - Statistical analysis with histories of regimental units. Union forces only.
- Livermore, Thomas L. Numbers & Losses in the Civil War in America, 1861-65.
Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University, 1957.
(E 491 L77 1957). - In addition to Livermore's analysis of War losses he provides statistical tables for most of the battles.
- Phisterer, Frederick. Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States.
New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1883.
(E 491 P44). - Covers Union forces only. Both macro and micro statistical analysis is available. A chronological list of engagements and battles is given. A final section has a list of Union officers.
- United States. Bureau of the Census. Historical Statistics of the United States,
Colonial Times to 1970. Bicentennial ed. Washington, D. C.: The Bureau, 1975. 2 vol.
(Ref HA 202 A385 1975). - The standard source for United States historical statistics. Topically arranged.
Diaries
Diaries offer the researcher primary source material. The Arksay bibliography is the current standard. Its indexing arrangement allows for rapid selection of diaries covering the Civil War. In the BIBLIOGRAPHY section the Cole and Coulter entries are useful for locating diary information.
- Arskay, Laura. American Diaries: an Annotated Bibliography of Published American Diaries
and Journals. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983-1987. 2 vol.
(Ref CT 214 A73 1983). - Currently the most comprehensive source for American diary literature. The subject index
contains detailed approaches on Civil War diaries. Over 6,000 entries.
- Goodfriend, Joyce D. The Published Diaries and Letters of American Women: an Annotated
Bibliography. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987.
(Ref CT 3260 G65 1987). - Arrangement is by year the diary started. The researcher may need to scan the Civil War years, or (ideally) use the subject index for those diaries that started before the War.
- Havlice, Patricia P. And So to Bed: a Bibliography of Diaries Published in English
. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1987.
(Ref CT 25 H38 1987). - The General Index has few entries on the Civil War. It is useful to check the Civil War years
since the arrangement is by diary year. Over 2500 entries.
- Smith, Albert E., Jr., comp. Civil War Diaries and Personal Narratives.
Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1998.
(Gov Doc LC 1.12/2:C49/2). - Over 300 diaries, personal narritives, and some collected narratives are listed in this bibliography. Arranged alphbetically by author this bibliography highlights sources in the Library of Congress. The entries were generally published between 1960 and 1994.
Causes
This section highlights the historical background and genesis of the Civil War. Additional material on the causes will be found in some of the GENERAL HISTORIES & CAMPAIGNS section books.
- Craven, Avery O. The Coming of the Civil War. [2nd ed. Chicago]: University of
Chicago, [1957].
(E 338 C92 1957). - A scholarly survey of the period leading into the Civil War.
- Potter, David M. The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.
(E 459 P67 1976b). - A scholarly survey with excellent bibliographical essay.
- Stampp, Kenneth M., ed. The Causes of the Civil War. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.:
Prentice-Hall, [1965].
(E 458 S8 1965). - Ninety-two documents, in eight categories, e.g. "right and wrong of slavery," are used to demonstrate the War's origins. Brief comments introduce the documents.
Diplomatic Relations
This section highlights several sources of foreign relations activity on the part of both governments. See also the Bemis and Burns entries in the GUIDES section.
- Blumenthal, Henry. A Reappraisal of Franco-American Relations, 1830-1871.
Chapel Hill, N. C.: University of North Carolina, [1959].
(E 183.8 F8 B55). - A scholarly study with excellent bibliography.
- Owsley, Frank L. King Cotton Diplomacy; Foreign Relations of the Confederate States of
America. 2nd ed., rev. [Chicago]: University of Chicago, [1959].
(E 488 O85 1959).- United States. Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States . Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1861- . annual.
(Microform Area Microfiche). - United States. Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States . Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1861- . annual.
- The standard primary source for documentation on American foreign relations. An index for the years 1861-1899 is @ Ref JX 233 A3).
African Americans
- Berlin, Ira, ed. The Black Military Experience. New York: Cambridge University,
1982.
(E 185.2 F88 ser.2). - This documentary text is prefaced by commentary./DD>
- Cornish, Dudley T. The Sable Arm; Negro Troops in the Union Army, 1861-1865.
New York: W. W. Norton, [1966].
(E 540 N3 C77 1966). - A standard work on African Americans in the Civil War. Good bibliography./DD>
- McPherson, James M. The Negro's Civil War; How American Negroes Felt and Acted During
the War for the Union. New York: Pantheon, [1965].
(E 540 N3 M25). - Contemporary Accounts, covering a wide-range of topics, are provided in this collection.
- Mohr, Clarence L. "Southern Blacks in the Civil War; a Century of Historiography ." The Journal of Negro History. 59 (April 1974): 177-195.
- A scholarly presentation.
- Quarles, Benjamin. The Negro in the Civil War. Boston: Little, Brown, [1953].
(E 540 N3 Q3). - A standard history furnishing an overview of African Americans on both sides during the War. Good bibliography.
- Wiley, Bell I. Southern Negroes, 1861-1865. [2nd ed.]. New York: Rinehart,
[1938].
(E 185.2 W65 1953). - A scholarly study with a good bibliography.
- Williams, George W. A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865;
Preceded by a Review of the Military Services of Negroes in Ancient and Modern Times. New
York: Negro Universities, [1969 reprint of the 1888 edition].
(E 540 N3 W7 1969). - A scholarly, standard work. No bibliography. Also available in the Microform Area @ LAC 12901.
Historiography
This section features several monographs and a bibliography on viewpoints, controversies, etc. regarding Civil War scholarship.
- Beringer, Richard E. Why the South Lost the Civil War. Athens, Ga.: University
of Georgia, 1986.
(E 487 W48 1986).- Kinnell, Susan K., ed. Historiography: an Annotated Bibliography of Journal Articles, Books, and Dissertations. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1987.
(Ref D 13 H58 1987). - Kinnell, Susan K., ed. Historiography: an Annotated Bibliography of Journal Articles, Books, and Dissertations. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio, 1987.
- The Civil War is included in this bibliography on historiographical studies.
- Link, Arthur S., ed. Writing Southern History: Essays in Historiography in Honor of
Fletcher M. Green. [Baton Rouge]: Louisiana State University, [1965].
(F 208.2 L5). - Three chapters discuss the Civil War era in this scholarly work.
- Pressly, Thomas J. Americans Interpret Their Civil War. New York: Free Press,
[1962].
(E 468.5 P7 1962). - A somewhat controversial discussion of Civil War interpretation. Bibliographical essay.
- Swierenga, Robert P., ed. Beyond the Civil War Synthesis: Political Essays of the Civil
War era. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1975.
(E 468.5 B49). - Four chapters discusss recent interpretations of the Civil War.
- Vandiver, Frank E. "Some Problems Involved in Writing Confederate History." The
Journal of Southern History. 36 (August 1970): [400]-410.
Medical
- Brooks, Stewart M. Civil War Medicine. Springfield, Ill.: C.C. Thomas, [1966].
(E 621 B88). - Useful for its general coverage and its excellent bibliography.
- Chisolm, J. Julian. A Manual of Military Surgery, for the Use of Surgeons in the
Confederate States Army: With Explanatory Plates of All Useful Operations. Dayton, Ohio:
Morningside House, 1991 reprint of the 1864 ed.
(RD 151 C56 1864a). - Written for the Confederate surgeons during the Civil War this manual contains a number of plates detailing operating procedures. Useful for its writing during the War.
- Dammann, Gordon. Pictorial Encyclopedia of Civil War Medical Instruments and Equipment
. Missoula, Mont.: Pictorial Histories, 1983. 2 vol.
(R 856 A5 D36 1983). - A heavily illustrated, and popularly written, work. Volume one has a brief bibliography and volume two has a short statistical section on Union sickness, deaths, etc.
- Duncan, Louis C. The Medical Department of the United States Army in the Civil War
. reprint ed. Gaitherburg, Md.: Old Soldier Books, [1987].
(E 621 D85 1987). - A general medial history.
- Freemon, Frank R. Gangrene and Glory: Medical Care During the American Civil War.
Madison, N. J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University, 1998.
(E 621 F84 1998). - A full discussion, with illustrations, of the medical aspects of the Civil War. Union and Confederate coverage. A glossary and footnotes are available.
- Kuz, Julian E. Orthopaedic Injuries of the Civil War: An Atlas of Orthopaedic Injuries
and Treatments During the Civil War. Kennesaw, Ga.: Kennesaw Mountain Press, 1996.
(E 621 K89 1996) - This illustrated study discusses injuries in general and then by region of the body. A glossary and bibliography complete the work.
- United States. Center for Military History. The Army Medical Department, 1818-1865
. Washington, D. C.: The Center, 1987.
(Gov Doc D 114.19:818-865). - Comprehensive coverage of medical aspects of the Civil War. Scholarly, with a lengthy bibliography.
- United States. Surgeon-General's Office. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of
the Rebellion (1861-65). Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1875-1883. 3 vol.
in 6.
(Microform Area LAC 22396-22405). - The official government medical report of the medical aspects of the War.
Prisons
- Futch, Ovid L. History of Anderson Prison. [Gainesville, Fla.]: University of
Florida, 1968.
(E 612 A5 F8). - Scholarly presentation with an excellent bibliographical essay.
- Hesseltine, William B. Civil War Prisons; a Study in War Psychology. New York:
F. Ungar, [1964, 1930].
(E 611 H453).- Murray, John O. The Immortal Six Hundred; a Story of Cruelty to Confederate Prisoners of War. Roanoke, Va.: The Stone Printing and Manufacturing Co., 1911.
(Sp Coll E 615 M99). - Murray, John O. The Immortal Six Hundred; a Story of Cruelty to Confederate Prisoners of War. Roanoke, Va.: The Stone Printing and Manufacturing Co., 1911.
- An example of the treatment of Confederate officers as prisoners.
- Speer, Lonnie R.Portals to Hell: Military Prisons of the Civil War.
Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books, 1997.
(E 615 S65 1997). - A scholarly work covering both sides in the War. Appendices contain a medial glossary, a glossary of "language of the prison camps, and a list of the prisons with statistics.
- Stevenson, R. Randolph. The Southern Side; or, Andersonville Prison. Baltimore:
Turnbull Brothers, 1876.
(Microform Area LAC 14563). - The discussion includes mortality figures on both sides in the War. Appendices list prisoners that died at Andersonville and print documentation on that prison.
Music
- Allan, Francis D., comp. Allan's Lone Star Ballads; a Collection of Southern Patriotic
Songs, Made During the Confederate Times. New York: B. Franklin, [1970 reprint of the 1874
edition].
(Music Lib M 1641 A46 A4 1970).- Crawford, Richard. The Civil War Songbook: Complete Original Sheet Music for 37 songs . New York: Dover, 1977.
(Music Lib M 1637 C6).- Emurian, Ernest K. Stories of Civil War Songs. Natick, Mass.: W.A. Wilde, [1960].
(ML 3561 W3 E5). - Crawford, Richard. The Civil War Songbook: Complete Original Sheet Music for 37 songs . New York: Dover, 1977.
- Background analysis of twelve songs and their writers. Examples include Dixie and the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Lyrics only.
- Garofalo, Robert. A Pictorial History of Civil War Era Musical Instruments and Military
Bands. Charleston, W. Va.: Pictorial Histories, 1985.
(ML 1311.4 G33 1985). - A detailed history which includes a discography and bibliography.
- Harwell, Richard B. Confederate Music. Chapel Hill, N. C.: University of North
Carolina, [1950].
(ML 3551 H3). - In this scholarly study an analysis of the music is followed by a listing of sheet music published in the South. Appendices include Confederate music dealers and publishers. Bibliography.
- Swank, Walbrook D. Ballads of the North and South in the Civil War. Shippensburg,
Penn.: Burd Street Press, 1996.
(PS 595 C55 B35 1991). - Arranged by Union and Confederate ballads this book has over eighty songs of the War.
- Wellman, Manly W. The Rebel Songster; Songs the Confederates Sang. Charlotte, N. C.: Heritage House, [1959].
(Music Lib M 1641 W4 R4).
Confederate Government
This section provides primary sources, generally, on the Confederate Government. The accent is on Constitutions and Congressional materials.
- Beringer, Richard E. "A Profile of Members of the Confederate Congress." The Journal of Southern History. 33 (November 1967): 518-541.
- A scholarly study.
- Confederate States of America. Congress. Journal of the Congress of the Confederate
States of America, 1861-1865. Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1904-1905.
7 vol.
(Microform Area LAC 20045-20051). - Also available on Microcard in the Microform Area.
- Confederate States of America. Constitution. Provisional and Permanent Constitutions of
the Confederate States. Richmond: Tyler, Wise, Allegre and Smith, Printers, 1861.
(Microform Area LaC 10405).- Confederate States of America. Laws, Statutes, etc. Acts and Resolutions of the Second Session of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, Held at Montgomery, Ala. Richmond: Enquirer Book and Job Press, 1861.
(Microform Area LAC 10253).- Confederate States of America. Laws, Statutes, etc. The Statutes at Large of the Provisional Government of the Confederate States of America, from the Institution of the Government, February 8, 1861, to its Termination, February 18, 1862, Inclusive.... Richmond: R.M. Smith, Printer to Congress, 1864.
(Microform Area LAC 16804).- Confederate States of America. President. The Messages and Papers of Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy, Including Diplomatic Correspondence, 1861-1865. A New Edition with a Comprehensive Introduction by Allan Nevins. New York: Chelsea House-Robert Hector, 1966. 2 vol.
(E 487 C746 1966). - Confederate States of America. Laws, Statutes, etc. Acts and Resolutions of the Second Session of the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, Held at Montgomery, Ala. Richmond: Enquirer Book and Job Press, 1861.
- Volume I covers Davis and the Confederate Government. Volume II contains diplomatic correspondence. The Nevins essay entitled "The Embattled Confederacy: its Tasks and its Leadership" is a masterful introduction to the documentation. A 1905 edition entitled A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Confederacy, Including the Diplomatic Correspondence, 1861-1853 is @ E 487 C746. This is also in LAC @ 20043-20044.
- Constitution of the Confederate States of America
- A web page copy of the Constitution.
- DeRosa, Marshall L. The Confederate Constitution of 1861: an Inquiry into America
Constitutionalism. Columbia, Mo.: University of Missouri, 1991.
(KFZ 9002 D47 1991). - A scholarly study with an extensive bibliography. An appendix contains the text of the Constitution.
- Lee, Charles R. The Confederate Constitutions. Chapel Hill, N. C.: University of
North Carolina, [1963].
(KFZ 9000 L4). - A scholarly discussion with an excellent bibliography. Appendices include the text of the Constitutions along with the United States and Confederate Constitutions in parallel columns.
- Library of Congress. Manuscript Division. Records of the Confederate States of America,
1859-1872. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1967.
(Microform Area. Microfilm no. 1319-1388). - The papers of the Confederate States of America, also called the "Pickett Papers," are the major primary source on the Confederate government and its activities. Reel 1 has brief notes on the collection. A print guide is available in the Microform Area.
- "The Official Flags of the Confederate States." The Commonwealth. 18 (December 1951): 10-13,80.
- Six flags used during the Confederacy are illustrated and discussed.
- Williams, Earl P., Jr. What You Should Know About the Flags of the Confederacy.
Gettysburg, Penn.: Thomas Publications, 1993.
(CR 113.5 W55 1993) - This illustrated pamphlet shows the various Confederate flags including state flags and the Great Seal of the Confederacy. A glossary and bibliography complete the work.
- Youmans, Alice I., comp. "[Primary Sources for the Confederate Government]." Law Library Journal. 83 (Summer 1991): 599-609.
- In a question and answer format the compilers discuss the key sources for information on the Confederate government.
Weapons
- Albaugh, William A. III. Confederate Arms. Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot
Publishing Company, 1993.
(UD 383.5 A39 1993) - This heavily illustrated work has chapters on handguns, shoulder arms, edged weapons, armories, and accoutremnts. A directory of maufacturers, dealers, etc. and a short bibliography complete the work.
- Albaugh, William A. III. Confederate Edged Weapons. Wilmington, N.C.: Broadfoot
Publishing Company, 1993 [reprint] of the 1960 ed.
(U 856 C6 A89 1993) - This heavily illustrated work has sections on arms that have identified manufacturers, arms that the manufacturer has not been identified, and a directory of persons and places manufacturing Confederate edged weapons.
- Davies, Paul J. C.S. Armory Richmond: A History of the Confederate States Armory,
Richmond, Virginia and the Stock Shop at the C.S. Armory, Macon, Georgia. Carlisle, Penn.:
Paul J. Davies, 2000.
(UD 383.5 D38 2000). - A scholarly work, heavily illustrated. Excellent bibliography.
Genealogy
- Groene, Bertram H. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. Winston-Salem, N. C.:
J. F. Blair, [1973].
(Ref CD 3047 G76). - An excellent overview of Civil War genealogical research. Appendices include a bibliography and
lists of titles having primary source materials./DD>
- Neagles, James C. Confederate Research Sources: a Guide to Archive Collections.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1986.
(Ref E 487 N3 1986). - A genealogical guide. Chapters include searching in the Confederate and border states, the
National Archives, United Daughters of the Confederacy sources, and general searching./DD>
- United States. National Archives Trust Fund Board. Military Service Records: a Select
Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington, D. C.: The Board, 1985.
(Ref CD 3033 1985). - The standard source listing service records of wars including the Civil War. The records are
available for purchase, for use in holdings libraries, or by interlibrary loan service./DD>
Battlefields
This section highlights several series published by the National Park Service on the historical background of the battlefields and their present upkeep.
- CWSAC Battle Summaries
- This a site with information on the battlefields of the Civil War. This is from technical volume II of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission 's Report on the Nation's Civil War Battlefields. The entry for each battlefield give the battle date. a description of the battle, principal commanders, and estimated casualties. The full report (volume II) is available.
- Davis, William C. The Battlefields of the Civil War. Norman, Okla.: University
of Oklahoma, 1996.
(E 470 D35 1996). - This heavily illustrated book looks at thirteen major Civil War battles. A short bibliography is included.
- Kennedy, Frances H., comp. The Civil War Battlefield Guide. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1990.
(Ref E 641 C58 1990). - Ca. sixty battlefields are described in this work. Illustrations and maps accompany the text. Appendices include a comprehensive list of Civil War battles, lost Civil War Battlefields, combat strengths and casualties, war statistics, and a glossay.
- McKeever, C. Civil War Battle Flags of the Union Army and Order of Battle. New
York: Knickerbocker Press, 1997 reprint of the 1887 ed.
(Oversize E 491 U593 1997). - Official records from the Quartermaster General of the Army records.
- Newbitt, Mark. Rebel Rivers: a Guide to Civil War Sites on the Potomac, Rappahannock,
York, and James. Mechanicsburg, Penn.: Stackpole Books, 1993.
(Ref E 641 N49 1993). - Illustrations and maps enhance this guide to battles near the Virginia rivers. The book gives an overview of what to see at each site.
- Salmon, John S. The Official Virginia Civil War Battlefield Guide. Mechanicsburg,
Penn.: Stackpole Books, 2001.
(Ref E 534 S27 2001). - This detailed guide is arranged by campaign or region and then individual battlefields. For each site there is a description of the battle, picture(s), a map and directions for locating the site. Appendices include a glossary, bibliography, and major battlefield preservation organizations.
- United States. National Park Service. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military
Park, General and Mangagement Plan. Washington, D. C.: National Park Service, 1986.
(Gov Doc I 29.2:F87/2). - An example of the federal government's plans for a Civil War battle site. Maps and bibliography.
- United States. National Park Service. Historical Report on the Troop Movements for the
Second Battle of Manasses, August 28 through August 30, 1862. Washington, D. C.: National
Park Service, 1985.
(Gov Doc I 29.2:M31/5). - An example of a government document with analysis of a battle. Detailed maps and extensive bibliography.
- United States. National Park Service. Richmond: National Battlefield Park, Virginia
. Washington, D. C.: National Park Service, 1961.
(Gov Doc I 29.58:33). - One in a series of the National Park Services Historical Handbook Series. An overview of the battles is presented along with The Service's work in administering the battlefields.
- Vandiver, Frank E. Civil War Battlefields and Landmarks; A Guide to the National Park
Sites: With Official National Park Service Maps for Each Site. New York: Random House, 1996.
(Ref E 641 V36 1996). - This reference work has information on all of the National Park sites of Civil War battles and landmarks. Heavily illustrated with maps, pictures, and drawings. A reference section includes information on the soldiers and generals, weapons and tactics, statistics, a chronology, bibliography, etc.
Collectors & Collections
- Kope, Spencer. Everything Civil War: The Ultimate Guide to Civil War Products, Services,
Places of Interest, Organizations, Archives, Accommodations. Silverdale, Wash.: Willow Creek
Press of Washington, 1996.
(Ref E 468 K65 1996). - Arranged in a directory format the author lists a wide range of products, organizations, etc. on the Civil War.
- Lawliss, Chuck. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Civil War Collectibles: A Comprehensive
Guide to Union and Confederate Arms, Equipment, Uniforms, and Other Memorabilia. New York:
Henry Holt and Company, 1997.
(Ref E 646.5 L39 1997). - The main part of this book is alphabetically arranged and lists the various collectibles of the
War. A lengthy introduction discusses the branches of service. Appendices contain information on a)
getting started, b) where to buy, c) sources of additional information, d) a guide to prices, and
e) books for Civil War Enthusiasts.
- Lord, Francis A. Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia; Arms, Uniforms, and Equipment of the
Union and Confederacy. Harrisburg, Penn.: Stackpole, [1963].
(Ref UC 23 1861-65 L6). - A heavily illustrated encyclopedia with an alphabetical arrangement. Appendices include lists of federal contractors and patentees of military equipment; Confederate arms makers, contractors, and dealers; and Confederate patents. Brief bibliography.
- Museum of the Confederacy (Richmond, Va.). Catalogue of Uniforms, the Museum of the
Confederacy: a Checklist of Confederate Uniform Clothing in the Collections of the Museum of the
Confederacy. Richmond: The Museum, 1987.
(E 646 M87 1987). - Heavily illustrated with descriptions of the entries.
- Wellikoff, Alan. Civil War Supply Catalogue: A Comprehensive Sourcebook of Products From
the Civil War Era Available Today. New York: Crown, 1996.
(Ref E 646.5 W44 1996). - Arranged by type of source this catalog contains pictures and descriptions of the item along with a current (1996) source(s) of supply.
Directories
Directories are useful in knowing of research possibilities in other libraries. The listed sources are for the advanced researcher who has the time to travel and/or make contacts. Information from these directories could include interlibrary loan possibilities, bibliographies and other types of publications, and advice from a subject specialist. The GUIDE section will also be useful in determining libraries and depositories with strong Civil War collections.
- Ash, Lee, comp. Subject Collections: a Guide to Special Book Collections and Subject
Emphases as Reported by University, College, Public, and Special Libraries and Museums in the United
States and Canada. 7th ed. New Providence, N. J.: Bowker, 1993. 2 vol.
(Ref Z 688 A2 A8 1993). - Arranged by subject this directory lists libraries have strong Civil War collections.
- Directory of Historical Societies and Agencies in the United States and Canada.
Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1990. 14th ed.
(Ref E 172 A538). - Comprehensive listing of societies that emphasize local history organizations. Useful for locating societies with a Civil War emphasis and/or for determining organizations in a given geographic area that may have information.
- Associations Unlimited.
Electronic Text. - This annual computer database is the major source for information on associations in the United States.
Dissertations
Because of original research and extensive bibliographies dissertations have value for advanced research. Carrier Library has few dissertations. Check at the reference desk for assistance on how to obtain this type of information.
- Comprehensive Dissertation Index. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms
International. 1861-1989.
(Index/Abstracts Area). - This index lists, by keyword and author, all dissertations produced in the United States through 1989.
- Dissertation Abstracts.
Electronic Text. - This database has indexing for American dissertations beginning in 1861. Only an abstract of the dissertation is available.
- Dissertation Abstracts International. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms
International. 1938-1991.
(Index/Abstracts Area). - Dissertation abstracts are produced in this title. Since Carrier Library no longer receives this source check with a reference librarian for online database indexing assistance.
Databases and Article Indexes
Below are links to a selection of electronic resources that are most useful for research concerning the American Civil War. Remember, however, that history encompasses many areas of endeavor (e.g., Education, Art, Economics), so you will wish to check all databases that cover your area and time period of interest. Click here for Research Resources Home, where you may browse for other useful resources.
- America: History and Life. 1964- . CD-ROM)
- Historical Abstracts. 1955- .
- Combined Retrospective Index to Journals in History, 1838-1974.
- Essay and General Literature Index. 1900- .
- Humanities Index. 1974- . (1984- on CD)
- Index to U.S. Government Periodicals. 1970- .
- New York Times Index. 1851- .
- Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide. 1890-1899.
- Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. 1802-1906.
- Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. 1900- . (1984- on CD).
- Religion Index One. 1977- . From 1949-1976 this was entitled Index to Religious Periodical Literature.
- Social Sciences and Humanities Index. 1965-1974.
- Social Sciences Citation Index. 1976- .
- Social Sciences Index. 1974- . (1983- on CD)
- Historical Abstracts. 1955- .
Journals/Serials
The two journals listed here are generally the most useful of Carrier Library holdings on the Civil War. Civil War History is the leading scholarly journal in the field. In some years it contains an annual bibliography of Civil War research. The Journal of Southern History has an annual bibliography which includes Civil War studies. Many other journals will contain articles on the Civil War. Th e Congressional Globe was the daily debates publication for the United States Congress. It has its own index with the debates. The Confederate Veteran Magazine will have interest especially for its information on individuals involved in the War.
- Civil War History. 1955- .
- The Confederate Veteran Magazine. 1893-1932.
- This reprint of the Magazine is a gold mine of information on all aspects of the Confederacy in the War. A three volume index is available. The first volume of the index has a discussion on the periodical and includes sections on topics as genealogy, battle synonyms, Confederate military organizations by local designation and by military unit, etc. This index is cataloged @ Ref E 545 C8 1990.
- The Congressional Globe.... 1833-1873.
- Journal of Southern History 1935, 1937- .
- Journal of Southern History 1935, 1937- .
Electronic Text Sources
The Internet offers access to Civil War sources. Below are listed a starting point for this type of information. The History section on the Carrier Library Home Page has several major sources.
- The American Civil War Homepage
- A comprehensive site. All aspects of the War are available. A first choice site.
- American Civil War Unit Bibliographies
- This web page is from the U.S. Army Military History Institute at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It lists bibliographies on specific units. The site has a browse and a search feature. Compare with the Dornbusch bibliography noted above (under bibliographies).
- Causes of the Civil War
- A collection of documents is available here. Categories of documents include party platforms and secession documents, state and local resolutions, compromise proposals, Abraham Lincoln's speeches and letters, editorial commentary, a chronology, etc.
- The Civil War: a Newspaper Perspective.
- This CD-ROM full-text database has over 11,000 articles covering 1 November 1860 to 30 April 1865. The Charleston Mercury, The New York Herald, and The Richmond Enquirer are indexed. Over 700 battlefield maps and illustrations are included. For access check at the reference desk.
- The Civil War CD-ROM.
- This CD-ROM is a full-text database of The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. This is the most important primary source for the Civil War. It is in 130 volumes in four series. Additional reference sources on the CD include A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Frederick H. Dyer, Regimental Losses in the American Civil War by William F. Fox, A User's Guide to the Official Records of the American Civil War by Alan and Barbara Aimone, and Military Operations of the Civil War: A Guide Index to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. For access check at the reference desk. This source is also available on the Internet as Official Records.
- Civil War Maps
- This is an Internet site from the Library of Congress' "American Memory" web site. In January 2000 there were ca. 2200 maps available. This is an ongoing project with new maps being added. The collection includes Confederate maps with those of Jedediah Hotchkiss, Stonewall Jackson's cartographer, highlighted.
- Civil War Records
- The National Archives page on what records on the Civil War are available in their collections.
- Civil War Resources on the Internet: Abolitionism to Reconstruction (1830's - 1890's)
- This is a major site of links to aspects of the Civil War. Many of the links are to primary sources.
- Civil War Resources: Virginia Military Institute Archives
- VMI's Civil War page. Among the collection sources are materials on Stonewall Jackson.
- Carrier Library's Home Page contains Internet access to WWW sites by subject area. Check this
under the topics of HISTORY and GENEALOGY to locate Civil War Web sites. Some of the available
material includes primary sources. The History URL is:
History.
- Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System
- The National Park Service provides this site which is in process of development. Categories for searching include soldiers, sailors, regiments, cemeteries, battles, prisoners of war, etc.
- Civil War Treasurers from the New York Historical Society
- The American Memory project of the Library of Congress has made this collection of Civil War records available. In addition to a search engine there are browseable subject and name collections.
- Confederate Regimental History Links
- Arranged by state with categories by general, artillery, cavalry, and infantry. A separate section of links covers a wide range of topics incluing genealogical applications. For a link to the Union regiments use Union Army Regimental History Index.
- Harper's Weekly
- Harper's Weekly magazine for 1857-1865 is available at this site. A search engine is provided. This periodical gives one viewpoint and opinion of the Civil War. The Weekly's home page is @ Harper's Weekly.
- The Historical New York Times Project: Chapter 2: The Civil War Years, 1860-1866
- This site has selections from the newpaper on events dealing with the Civil War. The images are the actual digitization of newspaper columns. The images are just a specific article/column and not necessarily the full page. A search engine is provided.
- Index of Civil War Information Available on the Internet
- Arranged in a topical approach this site attempts to have all Civil War site linked here. Comprehensive.
- MHI Photograph Database
- This site is an index to photograph holdings of the Military Historical Institute in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. A search engine is used to locate a photograph. Any photography would need to be ordered/requested.
- Museum of the Confederacy
- This museum, in Richmond, is devoted to all aspects of the Confederacy.
- The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
- The full-text of the primary source War of the Rebellion is available here. It includes the index to this massive set. Published in 130 volumes in the print edition. Another web site is The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Copnfederate Armies. This is sponsored by the "Making of America" web site. It includes the official index to the set. This is available at Series IV, vol. IV, 1901.
- Secession Era Editorials Project
- Editorials on key events, e.g. John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry, are printed on this web page. The editorials represent all areas of the country and demonstrate the issues and journalism's response.
- Selected Civil War Photographs
- This collection of Civil War photographs are part of the Library of Congress' American Memory program. There is a search engine approach along with a suject and chronological approaches.
- U.S. Colored Troops
- Sponsored by the National Park Service this site lists ca. 230,000 Black Americans that fought in the Civil War. One link has historical background on the Black troops. Useful especially in genealogy.
- Valley of the Shadow: Living the Civil War in Pennsylvania and Virginia
- Records from Civil War era Staunton, Virginia and Chambersberg, Pennsylvania are at this site. Data, manuscripts, newspapers, etc. available here. This site attempts to show two communities, one northern and one in the south, during the Conflict.
- The Internet contains LISTSERV discussion lists on many (and ever expanding) subjects. One
available one for Civil War research is H-CivWar@uicvm. To subscribe you would need to go through the
VAX:
TO: IN%"LIST@H-CIVWAR@UICVM"
SUBJECT: (leave blank)Subscribe H-CivWar your name
CTRL Z (to send the message)
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