United States Army materials relating to the American Civil War, 1860s-1890s

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Summary

Abstract:
The United States Army, also referred to as the Northern, Union, or Federal army, fought against the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. This collection was assembled by Rubenstein Library out of miscellaneous and disparate archival and manuscript collections, including: U.S. Army units and regimental records, inventories, and orders; as assorted letters and correspondence from various Army soldiers and officers; maps, letterheads, and blank forms, all created or produced during the Civil War era. Many materials relate to troop movements; inventories of supplies, equipment, troops, and food; enlistment, pay, and service histories of various members of the U.S. Army; activities of particular regiments; action or battles against the Confederacy; examples of personal letters to and from soldiers' family members; reports and summaries of war conditions in Southern territories (poverty and hunger in Southern towns, destruction and seizure of property, and the difficult circumstances facing newly-freed Black populations); and other assorted bureaucratic and administrative Army records.
Extent:
0.5 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.11914

Background

Scope and content:

This collection consists of many U.S. Army-related manuscript and archival materials, all dating from the American Civil War and its aftermath. Many of the materials relate to Union army activities in occupied Southern states, and include some official records from the Department of North Carolina, Department of the Tennessee, and Army of the Tennessee; regimental histories, orders, and other assorted materials from the 9th Maine Infantry, the 19th New York Cavalry (New York Dragoons), 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry, 1st Connecticut Artillery, and other miscellaneous army orders and reports; unsorted travel passes, personal and official letters to and from various Union officers and enlisted men, legal papers, affidavits, and loyalty oaths; inventories of supplies, ordnances, and attendance; some handmade maps of Civil War battlefields, including Petersburg; and a collection of Civil War-era letterhead and printed emblems.

Many materials relate to troop movements; inventories of supplies, equipment, troops, and food; enlistment, pay, and service histories of various members of the U.S. Army; activities of particular regiments; action or battles against the Confederacy; examples of personal letters to and from soldiers' family members; reports and summaries of war conditions in Southern territories (poverty and hunger in Southern towns, destruction and seizure of property, and the difficult circumstances facing newly-freed Black populations); and other assorted bureaucratic and administrative Army records. There are some references to refugees, widows, and enslaved people in the correspondence and in some of the company records and affidavits. The correspondence relays different soldiers' personal experiences and opinions of war, political and military battle news, and family updates.

Biographical / historical:

During the American Civil War (1861-1865) the United States Army (also called the Federal or the Union Army) fought to preserve the union and end chattel slavery. The Union Army was opposed by military forces in the Confederate States, which consisted of Southern states that seceded from the United States and rebelled against the federal government.

Acquisition information:
The United States Army Materials relating to the American Civil War were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in multiple acquisitions from a variety of places. It was assembled by library staff under the "Army" title between the 1930s and 1950s, with later additions added up through the 1980s.
Processing information:

Processed by RL Staff. Rehoused and gathered into a finding aid by Meghan Lyon, July 2021.

Arrangement:

Materials are foldered by unit or regiment, with summaries of formats or contents supplied. Unaffiliated officers or soldiers' letters or correspondence are grouped separately.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], United States Army materials relating to the American Civil War, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1tj1m