American Civil War

Included are 67 Collections of maps, letters, diaries, speeches, musical scores, photographs and more from the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Between 1861 and 1865, 10,000 battles and engagements were fought across the continent, from Vermont to the New Mexico Territory, and beyond. The four-year struggle between north and south made heroes of citizen soldiers, forever changed the role of women in society, and freed more than 3 million slaves. In the end, 620,000 or more Americans were left dead in its wake.

This is a digitized version of Frederick Dyer's original 1908 printed Compendium, hosted by Hathi Trust and digitized by the University of Michigan. The Federal army's organization, regimental movements and assignments, battles engaged in and casualty statistics can all be found in this source.

This digital archive unites over a thousand letters, diaries, and other Civil War era documents from 12 manuscript collections held in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections at Ohio University. It features writings from a diverse array of Ohioans, including soldiers of varying ranks fighting across the country, military doctors treating the wounded on the battlefield and in hospitals, and family and friends on the home front facing the struggles of rural existence. These letters contain descriptions of daily life in the military and of several important battles. They also reveal the relationships between correspondents, including expressions of love and regret, news of illness, and social gossip, along with discussions of politics and recent events.

This site includes images and descriptions of surgical sets, images of U.S. Army and U.S. Navy surgeons, and an extensive bibliography of medical text books.

Compilation of this Congressional committee's investigations into aspects of the war, including the Fort Pillow Massacre, the Battle of Fort Fisher, and the Siege of Petersburg/Battle of the Crater.

In the United States, the National Archives is the largest repository of documents relating to Union and Confederate military operations, military service of individuals, Federal and Confederate government activities during the war, political activities, intelligence, diplomacy, and photographs.

This web site provides a guide to Civil War resources under the management of the National Park Service by promoting the National Park Service heritage sites. There are links to a state-by-state listing of Civil War battlefields, national parks, and cemeteries, as well as several searchable databases such as The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System for records of Union and Confederate soldiers and units. Another database provides medal citations for recipients of the Medal of Honor, and there are searchable records of several Union and Confederate prisons.