Civil War History 

Online Education/Learning Links

(Revised 7-12-2023)

The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia (with the help of its Director Steve Jaren) has created this listing of Civil War history-related resources available online (and in some cases also in-person).  Most of the links will open for free, but some may require registration and/or the payment of a fee or a subscription.  Information is noted below if a site has a cost associated with viewing its contents.

Many of the sites are secure and their website URL address will start with “https.”  An unsecured site’s URL address will start with only “http” (that is, without the letter “s” at the end of “http”). Before clicking on any of these sites, though, please make sure your personal device/computer has the appropriate software to protect against any potential malicious malware.

The list is not exhaustive.  If you have any suggestions for additional sites that our membership will find of interest or if you have any edits or questions, please contact Steve Jaren at steven.jaren@gmail.com.

 

INDEX (Click on a category below to navigate directly to that topic)

  

CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLES AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS


1.    The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia:

The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia (CWRTDC) was established in 1951 with Bruce Catton and Virgil Carrington "Pat" Jones among its founding members. Its purpose is to stimulate and expand interest in the military, political, diplomatic, economic, and socio-cultural history of the United States and particularly the Civil War. It is also committed to preserving historical sites and landmarks through initiatives such as, among others, its annual Edwin C. Bearss Awards. Among its achievements, the Round Table spawned the National Civil War Centennial Commission.

For more information about the CWRTDC, visit https://www.cwrtdc.org/

Click on a speaker or topic listed under the "Listen To Past Speakers" tab or by clicking the link below for audio/video recordings hosted on SoundCloud and YouTube.  The CWRTDC now has now posted over 100 lectures and associated PowerPoint Slide decks of its speakers' presentations, and no registration is required.

https://cwrtdc-audio.blogspot.com

The Round Table also maintains a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cwrtdc/

In addition, the CWRTDC has archived its newsletters dating back to 1951.  For more information, visit https://cwrtdc-newsletters.blogspot.com/p/archive.html


2.     Emerging Civil War (ECW) Podcasts:

The Emerging Civil War site contains various Civil War history-related posts, in addition to Podcasts that are available by subscription.  Taken from its web page, and slightly edited, these Podcasts provide fresh perspectives and great insights from the historians at Emerging Civil War regarding America’s defining event. 

The podcasts are co-hosted by Chris Mackowski and a revolving cadre of ECW’s contributors.  The Podcasts tap into an award-winning line-up of historians from a wide variety of backgrounds and with expertise in many Civil War history-related topics.

Emerging Civil War also offers an exclusive Podcast experience through "Patreon."  You can subscribe to receive the Podcasts at the current patron supporter levels, fees, and benefits of: (a) Enlisted – $1.99 per month, receive access to a new Podcast every month; and, (b) Non-Commissioned Officer – $3.99 per month, receive access to two new Podcasts every month.

https://emergingcivilwar.com/the-emerging-civil-war-podcast/

ECW also hosts virtual symposia. The presentations are available on the ECW webpage, linked below, along with archived symposia dating back to 2014:

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2021-symposium/past-symposiums/


3.     Blue and Gray Education Society (BGES):

The site has posted various Civil War blogs at: https://blueandgrayeducation.org/blog/

BGES also has past tours and presentations available under its Video Archives.  Access to the videos is only available to BGES members, which involves a cost.  Information on the membership prices can be found at the BGES website.  

BGES has an archive of more than one thousand hours of video produced over a 26-year period that is divided between lectures and field tours. The lectures exceed 300 in volume, totaling about 400 hours.  The video offering can be accessed at the BGES website http://www.blueandgrayeducation.org.  Scroll down beneath “Our Charitable Works” to “Video Archives” and click on “Read More.”  

To access the videos as a BGES member you will need to register and receive a computer-generated password (which you will be able to change).  The parameters will be set so that each registration will be approved by the BGES.  In approving your access, BGES will enter your renewal date.  That date will be the firewall to admitting you to the site to view videos.


4.      Bull Run Civil War Round Table (BRCWRT):

The BRCWRT posts audio podcasts and video recordings of its meetings and other events, some with accompanying slides.  Click the “Podcasts of Presentations” bullet of its homepage at http://bullruncwrt.org/  or click on the link below to access its podcasts.  

http://bullruncwrt.org/BRCWRT/AudioArchives/Audio_menu.html#Block22

No registration required.  Please note that this not a secure website.


5.      CWRT Congress:

The CWRT Congress has produced a variety of video lectures that can be found on its YouTube site.   It requests that you click the bell icon located in the upper right-hand corner of its YouTube site so that you will be notified of future videos added to the site.

https://www.youtube.com/c/CWRTCongress 


6.      C-SPAN3 American History Channel TV:

C-SPAN is an independent, private, nonprofit organization funded by its cable and satellite affiliates. This site has recorded and produced (or has posted) numerous videos on Civil War history-related events. Visit https://www.c-span.org/ and search "civil war."

The following videos in particular feature CWRTDC' members:

Jon Willen talking about Dr. Charles Leale, who treated the mortally wounded President Lincoln at https://www.c-span.org/video/?460076-1/lincoln-assassination-attending-doctors

Loretta Neumann, who disusses the Battle of Fort Stevens, at https://www.c-span.org/video/?462599-1/battle-fort-stevens-155th-anniversary

David Kent, emceeing the Lincoln Memorial Dedication Centennial Celebration at https://www.c-span.org/video/?520493-1/lincoln-memorial-centennial-ceremony


7.      The Tattooed Historian, John Heckman:

The Tattooed Historian, John Heckman, has posted a number of Civil War history-related talks with historians, academics, and subject of interest on Facebook, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts, listed below:

Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/thetattooedhistorian/videos/?ref=page_internal

YouTube -

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheTattooedHistorian/featured

Apple Podcasts -

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tattooed-historian-show/id1448205370


8.     The Civil War Round Table of Chicago:

The Civil War Round Table of Chicago hosts a website that contains YouTube links to prior meeting presentations, copies of its monthly newsletters, and links of other Civil War history-related resources.

https://www.chicagocwrt.org/


9.     D. Scott Hartwig, retired Gettysburg National Park Supervisory Historian:

Scott Hartwig hosts a webpage of his articles and video presentations at the link provided below.    

https://dscotthartwig.com/links--resources.html


10.    Irish in the Civil War:

This website provides information and podcasts about Irish involvement in the Civil War.

https://irishamericancivilwar.com/

 

11.      Ann Arbor Civil War Round Table:

This CWRT website lists a number of Civil War history-related resources. On the left-hand side of its main page is a tab entitled "CW Resources," where you will find “…an eclectic list of links to Civil War sites.”  The categories include: Information Archives; Sites related to battles; Blogs (including Dave Powell's on Chickamauga, and Brooks Simpson's); Sites related to people (Civil War-related persons); Genealogical sites; Miscellaneous sites (a single link entitled, “Music and poetry”); Slavery and Emancipation sites; and Discussion Groups/Online Journals.  Please note that this not a secure website.

http://www.aacwrt.org


12.      Links to other CWRTs:

The CWRT Congress provides links to over 250 CWRTs, with most of those organizations hosting a website or/and a Facebook page with various resources.  Please note that this not a secure website.

http://www.cwrtcongress.org/c-registry/websites.php


BACK TO INDEX

 

ACADEMIA - COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES


1.      Gettysburg College Civil War Institute:

Under the Gettysburg College Civil War Institute homepage is a "Digital Projects" link to two key resources of interest for Civil War history enthusiasts.  One resource is “The Gettysburg Compiler,” which is written and edited by students and staff of the College.  Established in 2012, it serves as a virtual bridge between its students and the public.  

The other resource is “Killed at Gettysburg,” which is a new digital history project.  Researched and written by Gettysburg College students and partners, the site contains the stories of the men who gave the last full measure of devotion at the Battle of Gettysburg.

https://www.gettysburg.edu/civil-war-institute/digital-projects

 

2.      Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) Virginia Center for Civil War Studies:

This website contains a tab entitled, “Programs and Projects,” which contains a list of faculty and student projects in video and other media formats.

https://civilwar.vt.edu/

 

3.    University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) John L. Nau Center for Civil War History:

This site maintains a Blog of Civil War history-related articles.

https://naucenter.as.virginia.edu/blog-articles  

 

4.      McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University (Winchester, VA):

The McCormick Civil War Institute at Shenandoah University has available for viewing blog posts under the "MCWI" tab.

https://www.su.edu/mcwi/

 

5.     The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC):

This digital publishing initiative sponsored by the University Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides access to digitized primary materials that offer Southern perspectives on American history and culture.

https://docsouth.unc.edu/docsouthdata/

The companion Southern Homefront, 1861-1865 presents documents related to all aspects of Southern life during the Civil War. In particular, government and civilian publications demonstrate the Confederate States of America's unsuccessful attempt to create a viable nation state. This collection includes over 400 Civil War era maps, broadsides, photographs, printed works, Confederate currency, and manuscript letters and diaries.

https://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/

 

6.     Shepard University (Shepherdstown, WVA) - George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War:

The George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War at Shepherd University is engaged in a long-term project to establish a Civil War soldier database with initial emphasis on West Virginia soldiers. The Center has a Civil War library and sponsors lectures by leading authorities on antebellum and Civil War history, summer seminars, and battlefield tours.  These can be accessed at their YouTube site linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB_xyHtmeVWnPbCNo9d60XA

BACK TO INDEX

 

RESEARCH SITES AND DATABASES


1.    The U.S. Army Center of Military History:

The Center of Military History (CMH) states that is mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and express the Army's history and material culture to more broadly educate and develop our force, the military profession, and the nation.  Its website contains a tab entitled, “Civil War Research and Commemoration,” which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

https://history.army.mil/html/bookshelves/resmat/civil_war/index.html 

 

2.    National Archives Civil War Search:

The National Archives offers a wide variety of Civil War history related materials.  The link below will display a search of its website materials recommended by the Archives.

https://search.archives.gov/search?query=civil+war&submit=&utf8=&affiliate=national-archives 


 4.     Library of Congress Civil War Search:

Like the National Archives, the Library of Congress offers a wide variety of Civil War history related resources, including documents, artifacts, photographs, and other media.  The link below will display a search of its website using the term "Civil War"

https://www.loc.gov/search?new=true&q=civil+war


5.    American Civil War Research Database:

The American Civil War Research Database website (hosted by Historical Data Systems, Inc.) explains that it was established using information from soldier's military and civilian experiences to build a database from the "ground up" rather than from the "top down."  The website also states that it has created the only database of its kind that can be used for statistical and analytical examinations of the War.  It is now possible to examine and measure the impact these individual soldier experiences had upon regimental effectiveness. 

It is a relational database. There are numerous files (i.e., roster records, pension index records, GAR records, etc.).  The "relationship" or connection between these multiple files is the soldier's name.  The primary source of information comes from the State Rosters as published by the Adjutants' General of each state.  In addition, the site has begun to enter information for Roll of Honor soldiers, soldiers awarded the Medal of Honor, soldiers or family members who filed for pensions (pension record index information), 1860 census town summary information, 1890 enumeration of Civil War veterans or widows, and regimental histories.  There are records for more than 4 million soldiers.  Please note the site is not a secure site.

This is a commercial website and there is an annual fee of $25 to access the database. 

http://civilwardata.com/ 

 

6.      CivilWar.Com:

CivilWar.com is a commercial website that states it is owned by Premier Internet, Inc.  The site explains that the owners have always held a fascination with the history of the American Civil War and wanted to create a virtual monument to the War.  Please note this is not a secure site and there is advertising throughout its pages.

http://www.civilwar.com/overview.html

 

7.      Civil War Profiles:

The intent of Civil War Profiles is to tell the stories of those who served.  It is a dot com website blog focused on the individuals and the actions they performed during the Civil War.  From the information found on the website, the effort is the work of internal medicine Dr. Mathew W. Lively of West Virginia.  The site contains posts, along with a large number of Civil War history-related resources.

https://www.civilwarprofiles.com/ 


8.     The Civil War Index:

This site explains that it is meant to be an index of Armies, Soldiers, and Battles of the Civil War sources.  It provides links to the Official Records, to free online books, to books that may be purchased, and to other websites.  The Armies list describes the various Regiments created by the states.  It also lists the Armies as they were created throughout the War. 

The Soldiers list provides information about Officers and Enlisted Men. 

The Battles list contains the Events as listed in the Official Records, with links to correspondence and other information concerning each event.

 

9.     National Park Service (NPS) Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System:

This NPS website contains the service records of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors from both sides of the conflict.  It contains an index of the men who served in the Civil War with only rudimentary information from the service records (including name, rank, and unit in which they served).

The full-service records are housed at the National Archives and Records Administration.  This site provides the information needed to obtain copies of those records, using the film number listed in the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System record. 

Additionally, all records in this database have been transcribed from the National Archives' original documents; thus, alternate names and/or misspellings are recorded as initially documented.

www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers.htm

 

10.      Gilder Lehrman Collection:

The Gilder Lehrman Collection contains more than 75,000 items documenting the political, social, and economic history of the United States covering 500 years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World to soldiers’ letters from World War II and Vietnam. The collection includes items associated with the Civil War and with Slavery. 

The “Programs” link will open a page that may be searched for topics associated with both the Civil War and Reconstruction. 

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-and-events

 

11.    Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area (formerly Mosby Heritage Area Association) Remote Learning Resources:

The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area site offers a variety of remote learning resources and describes its events. Its content is available free of charge to anyone interested in learning about local history.

https://www.piedmontheritage.org/

BACK TO INDEX

 

 

OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS


1.     Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War:

As the American Civil War progressed, Congress formed a Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War to investigate various aspects of the war.  The first report was published in 1863, followed by additional reports in 1864 and 1866, and a supplemental report in 1866, which included testimonies from prominent Union generals. 

The digitized version of these reports found at the link below is provided though the HathiTrust website.  HathiTrust is a not-for-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries preserving 17+ million digitized items.  These documents are facsimile copies of the original reports.

https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000452116

 

2.     Cornell University Library, NY - The War of the Rebellion: Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies:

The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, to include “The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.”  In addition, the Library has the official naval records for both sides that can be accessed using the link below.

https://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/waro.html

Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies.

https://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/ofre.html

The atlas that accompanies these records can be found at the Library of Congress link provided below.  The Library of Congress also has digital copies of both the Armies and Navies records in their original form.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3701sm.gcw0099000/?st=gallery 

 

3.    Battles & Leaders of the Civil War – The Ohio State University:

The Ohio State University has digitized the "The Century war series, Battles & Leaders of the Civil War" publications.  This digitized version was published from November 1884 to November 1887 in the Century magazine.

https://ehistory.osu.edu/books/battles

In addition, the Ohio State University has digitized The War of the Rebellion: a Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies records and the atlas that accompanies these records.

https://ehistory.osu.edu/books/official-records

 

4.    Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States:

The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) was founded by Federal Officers of the Civil War the day President Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. This website contains a listing of nearly 12,000 Original Companions who served as officers during the Civil War or continued in the military service after the War, eventually becoming commissioned officers.

See the MOLLUS homepage at https://suvcw.org/mollus for additional history of the Order.  The index  page linked below provides the name of each Companion, his military rank, regiment, and branch of service.  There are some Companions of the "3rd Class," or what is today referred to as "Honorary" Companions, who did not serve in the military or qualify for membership but who significantly contributed to the war effort or contributed to the well-being of the Republic and personified in their own lives the principles of the Order.  

https://loyallegion.org/historical-information/original-companions/


5.     Private Voices - University of Georgia ehistory.org (Dr. Stephen Berry) website:

Private Voices is the offspring of the Corpus of American Civil War Letters (CACWL) project.  Michael Ellis of Missouri State University and Michael Montgomery of the University of South Carolina began the project in 2007 with the goal of seeking and transcribing letters written during the Civil War to gather evidence of regional American English in the 19th century.  As of May 2018, the project amassed more than 10,000 letters and diaries written during the conflict by common soldiers and their families from all parts of the country.

Private Voices was launched in July 2017 with transcriptions of nearly 4,000 letters from four Southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.  It has now entered its second phase with an additional 2,000 letters from four Northern states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Maine. Preparations are underway to add letters from other Northern and Southern states, as well as additional letters from the eight states they have already introduced.

Besides the letter transcriptions, the site has created two sections dealing specifically with language: “Camp Talk,” which features specialized glossaries of terms gleaned from the letters, and “Word Maps,” which features dozens of maps that locate geographically some of the most regionally distinctive words and linguistic features found in the letters. The site also has a search feature which enables the user to search words in context.  Users can also check out the website’s “Writers and Collections” section to browse letters, letter writers, and archival collections. 

https://altchive.org/

BACK TO INDEX

 

IN-PERSON AND/OR ONLINE LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS


1.    The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia:

The Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia (CWRTDC) was established in 1951 with Bruce Catton and Virgil Carrington "Pat" Jones among its founding members. Its purpose is to stimulate and expand interest in the military, political, diplomatic, economic, and socio-cultural history of the United States and particularly the Civil War. For more information about the CWRTDC, visit https://www.cwrtdc.org/

The CWRTDC hosts presentations in-person and hybrid. They are free to attemnd and all are welcome.  For more information about its events and lectrures, visit 

https://cwrtdc-meetings.blogspot.com/

The CWRTDC has also archived past presentations on SoundCloud and YouTube.  It now has over 100 lectures and associated PowerPoint Slide decks posted, and no registration is required.  Visit the link below for an index of available talks.

https://cwrtdc-audio.blogspot.com


2.      CWRT Congress:

The CWRT Congress hosts an ongoing virtual speaker series.  You will need to register for each specific lecture.  Donations are appreciated. To register for a virtual seat, click the link below, wich is a secure site. 

https://www.cwrtcongress.org/speaker.html


3.     Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours:

The Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours has initiated virtual lecture series via Zoom. There is a cost of $6 per session.  Attendees will receive the Zoom login information upon registering and making payment.

https://www.civilwarseminars.org/lectures

 

4.      Gettysburg College Civil War Institute:

CWI offers Civil War-history-related lectures and presentations via YouTube at.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLUHqKmasrS3q2DvbVP2HBauOrp9PuR_g

In addition, the CWI Robert Fortenbaugh Memorial Lecture is presented each year on November 19, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, at: 

https://www.gettysburg.edu/civil-war-institute/events/fortenbaugh-lecture/past-fortenbaugh-speakers 


5.  The Rock Creek Civil War Roundtable:

 The Rock Creek Civil War Roundtable hosts monthly Civil War history-related presentations monthly via Zoom and also organizes tours in the Washington DC area.  It does not have a website, however.  If you wish to have your email address added to its meeting notification list contact Bruce Fagin at azurehome@verizon.net.  


6.    The Chesapeake Civil War Round Table:

Founded in May 1999, the main purpose of The Chesapeake Civil War Roundtable is to support the preservation and education of the events that affected the United States during 1860’s. This includes not only guest speakers but panel discussions, and field trips to locations of interest. 

Meetings occur on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in room 207 of the Cade Building on the campus of Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. For more information, call 410-777-2428.

Visit its website linked below to obtain information about its upcoming meetings and to receive meeting notifications and login information. Or call 410-777-2428.

https://ccwr.net/


7.      Missouri Athletic Club-Military History Group:

The Military History Group within the Missouri Athletic Club (mac-stl.org) meets at noon, central time, the fourth Tuesday of the month and hosts a speaker. Past speakers have shared their impressions or experiences of various wars, including the Civil War.  Its meetings are available to attend via Zoom.  Contact Katie Maurer, Director of Special Events at kmaurer@mac-stl.org for more information.


8.      Pasadena Civil War Round Table: 

This Pasadena, California, group (http://www.pasadenacwrt.org/) meets regularly and hosts speakers via Zoom free of charge to all visitors.  A list of its upcoming presentations is posted at: http://www.pasadenacwrt.org/upcoming_presentations  This is not a secure site.


9.      Montgomery County Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT):

For information about the MCCWRT's list of speakers and topics, visit its website at http://www.mccivilwar.org/  Or email Paul Weller at pweller@agriwashington.org to obtain information regarding its meetings.  Please note that this not a secure website.


BACK TO INDEX

 

FOCUS ON BATTLES AND BATTLEFIELDS


1.      American Battlefield Trust:

The American Battlefield Trust video collection includes hundreds of videos covering a wide range of topics.

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/videos

In addition, the ABT site contains other resources under its “Learn” tab, at: 

https://www.battlefields.org/learn

 

2.      National Park Service (NPS):

This National Park Service site provides links to various NPS sources, such as individual NPS managed battlefield sites and other Civil War resources.

https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/index.htm

 

3.      Gettysburg Foundation Virtual Gettysburg:

This site contains resources that include an ability to experience a 360-degree virtual view of the Gettysburg Cyclorama, complete with notes and highlights.  The site states that it is the next best thing to actually visiting the historic painting.

https://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/virtual-gettysburg

 

4.      Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW): 

The Battle of Fort Stevens Commemoration consisted of digital programs featured on the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) Facebook page.  Prior programs are also available for viewing.

https://www.facebook.com/cwdwnps/

 

5.     Monocacy National Battlefield Foundation Audio Tours:

The Monocacy National Battlefield Foundation has produced audio presentations about the Battle and other interesting facts connected to the auto stops in the Park.  The audio files are in a MP3 format.  Not a secure web site. 

http://www.monocacynbfoundation.com/

 

6.      Antietam on the Web:

This website focuses on the people who participated in the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg).  In addition to thousands of individual soldier profiles, the site offers several ways to look at the battle and the campaign of September 1862, with interactive maps, narratives from the official to the personal, and special projects highlighting aspects of the history.

https://antietam.aotw.org/

 

7.     The Civil War Battle Series at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library:

This YouTube site contains eight videos presented by Dr. Mark DePue on different Civil War battles .  Each presentation is over an hour in length.  The presentations are undated, but they appear to have been made from 2016 to 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+civil+war+battle+series

 

8.     Central Virginia Battlefields Trust (CVBT):

The CVBT is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of endangered, historic battlefields in the Virginia areas of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House.  It has helped preserve over 1,350 acres of historic battlefield terrain.  The CVBT's website contains a number of informational documents associated with the Civil War battlefields in central Virginia.

https://www.cvbt.org/

 

9.     Brandy Station Foundation (the Battle of Brandy Station):

The Battle of Brandy Station was one of history's greatest cavalry engagements with over 20,000 troops, including 17,000 cavalry.  The Graffiti House served as a field hospital for the South during this and other local battles during the war.  It also served as a headquarters facility for the Federal forces during the winter encampment of 1863-64.  Soldiers from both sides made drawings and signed their names and unit numbers on the walls.  The website contains information not only about this battle, but also about the Graffiti House.  The site also provides information about a tour of other places in northern Virginia that also contain Civil War graffiti. 

https://www.brandystationfoundation.com/

BACK TO INDEX

 

CW MILITARY SPECIALTIES


1.     The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC):

The U.S. Navy hosts a website containing Civil War naval documents.  Explore these resources to learn more about the significance of the Navy during the Civil War, read first-hand accounts of the conflict, and analyze technological developments of the time.

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/civil-war.html

 

2.    Confederate States Navy and Marines:

This website is the work of the CS Navy Research Center based in Mobile, Alabama  The site states that the specialty of the organization is to collect and catalog originals and copies of anything and everything (no matter how small and trivial) involving the Confederate States Navy and Marines and to make its site a one-stop information center.  This is not a secure site.

http://www.csnavy.org/

 

3.      Signal Corps Association 1860-1865:

This site contains links related to the following topics: 1) Aeronautics, 2) Signal Services, 3) Genealogy, 4) Cryptography, 5) Spies, Scouts, & Raiders, 6) Young Signalists, 7) Signal Forum, and 8) Telegraph Service.  Not a secure web site.

http://www.civilwarsignals.org/

 

4.     Confederate Railroads:

This website is the work of Mr. David L. Bright.  On his home page, Mr. Bright states that he presents the details behind the railroads.  Here you will find each railroad, its location and length, its type and size of rail, the number of cars and locomotives it had when the war started, and the names and technical data of each locomotive.

Mr. Blight also provides lists of stations on each road and comments about most Confederate cities, as taken from a Confederate railroad guide.  He has also posted well over 19,600 transcriptions of the railroad issues-related documents.

Mr. Blight is also looking for photographs of Confederate locomotives that he can post.  Not a secure web site.

http://www.csa-railroads.com/


5.     North-South Skirmish Association (N-SSA):

The N-SSA, formed in 1950, promotes the competitive shooting of Civil War firearms and artillery while encouraging the preservation of battlefields, artifacts, clothing and education of the period.  Its website states that the American Civil War is a subject that fascinates tens of thousands of our Nation’s citizens.  Skirmishers enjoy re-creating that history through competition with the firearms of that war. Each of its member organizations takes its name and uniform from a historically documented unit that served during the war years. In this way, the N-SSA commemorates the heroism of soldiers and civilians of both the Union and the Confederacy who took part in the epic struggle of 1861-65.

Videos of various events are posted at http://www.n-ssa.org/video  Please note that this is not a secure site.

BACK TO INDEX

 

AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN THE CW

 

1.     Freedmen and Southern Society Project – Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Maryland:

Dr. Leslie S. Rowland spoke at the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia on May 14, 2019 regarding exciting new documents associated with the African American military experience uncovered as part of her research as the Director of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project.  More information about the topic and the speaker is available at https://cwrtdc-audio.blogspot.com/p/rowland-audio.html

Earlier documents (letters, affidavits, and memorials) — drawn from the records of the National Archives  revealed the variety and complexity of the African-American experience during the era of emancipation.  The Freedom Project is publishing a projected nine-volume series of books entitled “Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867.  The link below provides sample documents from the published volumes similar to what Dr. Rowland discussed.  Like all the documents in Freedom, they are transcriptions (or, in some cases, images) of originals housed in the National Archives of the United States.  Not a secure web site.

http://www.freedmen.umd.edu/index.html

 

2.      Michigan State University’s Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade:

Launched in December 2020, Enslaved: Peoples of the Historical Slave Trade is a project of Matrix: The Center for Digital Humanities & Social Sciences at Michigan State University (MSU), in partnership with the MSU Department of History, University of Maryland, and scholars at these institutions. 

Enslaved.org’s primary focus is people: individuals who were enslaved, owned slaves, or participated in slave trading.  Users may search numerous datasets and reconstruct the lives of people involved in the historical slave trade.  You may browse interconnected data, generate visualizations, and explore short biographies of enslaved and freed peoples.  Discover and explore nearly a half million people records and 5 million data points. From archival fragments and spreadsheet entries, see the lives of the enslaved in richer detail.  The site welcomes the help of scholars, educators, and family historians to expand the site.

https://enslaved.org/

 

3.      African American Civil War Memorial Museum, Washington, DC Posts:

The African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation was incorporated in 1992 to tell the largely unknown story of the United States Colored Troops (USCTs).  One of the website’s features is a Blog of various posts, available at the link below.

https://www.tumblr.com/afroamcivilwar

BACK TO INDEX

 

WOMEN IN THE CW


1.     The Society for Women and the Civil War:

The Society for Women and the Civil War is dedicated to recognizing the efforts of women who lived through or participated in the American Civil War and those who research, reenact or otherwise honor these women of the past.  The society sponsors an annual conference and a quarterly e-journal. Under the “more” tab you can find educational materials and copies of past newsletters back to calendar year 2019.

https://www.swcw.org/

 

2.     Duke University, NC - The Civil War: Women and the Homefront:

Numerous resources on the topic of women and the Civil War are available at the Duke University Rubenstein Library.  The site entitled, “Primary Sources Online” includes digitized material from Duke Libraries and other sources, primary source databases, and microfilm collections.

https://guides.library.duke.edu/civilwarwomen

BACK TO INDEX

 

FOCUS ON ABRAHAM LINCOLN

  

1.     The Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia (LGDC):

The Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia, organized in 1935, is an active institution dedicated to a better understanding the Nation's 16th President. The founders were scholars and elected officials who shared a wish to meet regularly in the national capital to study and promote the governing philosophy and perpetuate the legacy of Abraham Lincoln.

It hosts in-person and/or hybrid meetings (via Zoom) covering a variety of Civil War history related topics.  Click on its “Events” link at the website linked below to obtain more information about its upcoming events.

 https://www.lincolnian.org/

 

2.    The Surratt Society:

The Surratt Society is a volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of history involving the Surratt House.  Founded in 1975, the Surratt Society encourages research into the role that this historic site played in the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

As part of an education effort, The Surratt Society publishes the Surratt Courier on a bi-monthly newsletter basis.  It includes articles related to the Lincoln assassination, the Civil War, and Victorian times, many of which, are contributed by scholars and authors who are Society members.   The Surratt Courier for the calendar years 2020 through 2023 are available digitally, at.

https://www.surrattmuseum.org/surratt-courier

Articles prior to 2020 have been compiled into a comprehensive index. To view the Surratt Courier Index, click on the link below.  For any inquiries about past articles please contact the James O. Hall Research Center.

https://e5ec1477-9120-45b9-bf06-b84967a7a27b.filesusr.com/ugd/b78e5a_2c47133a181a46fb8a4006bdb3d6f945.pdf

BACK TO INDEX

 

FOCUS ON ULYSSES S. GRANT


1.    The Grant Monument Association:

The Grant Monument Association website has a link to “Other Sites Related to Grant,” copied below.  The online links available under this tab are both Grant-specific and about other topics of interest.

https://grantstomb.org/homepage/other-sites-related-to-grant/

 

2.     Library of Congress - Ulysses S. Grant Papers Collection:

The Library of Congress has digitized the papers of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), army officer and eighteenth president of the United States. The digital archive contains approximately 50,000 items dating from 1819-1974, with the bulk falling in the period 1843-1885.  These include general and family correspondence, speeches, writings, reports, messages, military records, financial and legal records, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, memorabilia, and other papers throughout his entire life. 

The collection also includes the manuscript draft of his Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, correspondence and memoirs of his wife Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902), and a galley proof of the biography Ulysses S. Grant: Warrior and Statesman (1969) by his grandson Ulysses S. Grant III.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/ulysses-s-grant-papers/about-this-collection/

 

3.    U.S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University:

This site has a collection of Grant papers and related items that are maintained at the Mississippi State University.

https://www.usgrantlibrary.org/collections

BACK TO INDEX

 

CW PHOTOGRAPHY


1.      The Center for Civil War Photography:

This website contains not only still Civil War photographs, but also videos discussing Civil War photography. 

https://www.civilwarphotography.org/

 

2.     Mathew Brady:

The U.S. National Archives has digitized over 6,000 images from the series Mathew Brady Photographs of Civil War-Era Personalities and Scenes (National Archives’ Local Identifier 111-B).  They are also included in its online catalog. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/collections/72157622495226723/

 

3.     Blue and Gray Educational Society (BGES) Medford Photograph Series:

In the late 19th century, General Samuel C. Lawrence collected nearly 3,700 photographic images.  It was his passion and whenever copies were presented or opportunities existed he  expanded his collection.  Most are familiar to us.  Gen. Lawrence was able to identify some and marked them accordingly.  Some were misidentified, while others were unknown to him. 

In partnership with the Medford Historical Society and Museum, BGES is compiling and evaluating the photographs and forwarding credible information to the Medford Historical Society to make the collection more functional for users. 

https://blueandgrayeducation.org/medford-photographic-collection-treasure-hunt/medford-photographic-collection-treasure-hunt-april-2021/

 

4.    Virginia Tech - Civil War Photo Sleuth:

Virginia Tech supports the Civil War Photo Sleuth website using crowdsourcing and facial recognition technologies to identify soldiers, sailors, and civilians.  The site contains a large number of Civil War era photographs. 

Under the Help pulldown tab is a link entitled “Resources.”  This link contains a large number of national and local Civil War era photographic websites that provide further photographic resources.

https://www.civilwarphotosleuth.com/

BACK TO INDEX

 

WASHINGTON, DC DURING THE CW


1.    The White House Historical Association

The Association has Civil War history-related information on its website at following link:

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/search?q=Civil+War

 

2.    National Park Service (NPS) Civil War Defenses of Washington:

The Civil War Defenses of Washington were a group of Union Army forts (68) and artillery batteries (93) that protected Washington, D.C. from invasion by the Confederates during the Civil War.  The NPS currently manages 19 forts and artillery battery sites.  Information regarding these defenses can be found at the NPS website link copied below.

https://www.nps.gov/cwdw/learn/photosmultimedia/multimedia.htm

The National Park Service has also developed an extensive Civil War Defenses of Washington resource guide entitled, National Park Service Civil War Defenses of Washington Historic Resources Study.  This guide can be accessed at the following link.

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/civilwar/hrs1-b.htm

 

3.    Civil War Washington – University of Nebraska-Lincoln:

Civil War Washington examines the U.S. national capital from multiple perspectives as a case study of the social, political, cultural, and medical/scientific transitions provoked or accelerated by the Civil War.   Its website features essays, conference papers, grant narratives, and other materials about Civil War Washington as a project.  

https://civilwardc.org/

BACK TO INDEX

 

SELECTED CW HISTORY-RELATED MUSEUMS


1.     Pamplin Historical Park (Petersburg, VA):

The Pamplin Historical Park and The National Museum of the Civil War Soldier has launched a searchable database that offers scholars and history students an opportunity to view documents from the 18th to 20th centuries.  The core of the archives is the famed Wiley Sword Collection, which ranges from personal letters to general orders. Wiley Sword was the author of several Civil War histories and awarded the Fletcher Pratt Prize for the best book of Civil War history.  Also included in the Pamplin Historical Park archives is the Gladstone Collection, and over 3,000 periodicals and titles in the Civil War Research Library.  A rare assortment of mail envelopes and postage related archives comprise the Park's Gladstone Collection. 

The  digital archives can be accessed through the Pamplin Historical Park's homepage under the "About The Park" drop down menu tab before clicking on "Pamplin Digital Archives."  Three periods are covered in the archives:  Antebellum, Civil War and Postbellum.  Antebellum includes documents dating to before the start of the Civil War, such as civilian, Seminole Wars, and the Mexican-American War.  The Civil War category consists of personal letters of soldiers and civilians, general orders, staff endorsements.  Postbellum documents include memoirs of soldiers and survivors, letters from their descendants, and recollections of Reconstruction.

https://pamplinpark.org/

 

2.      The American Civil War Museum (Richmond, VA):

In 2013, The American Civil War Museum was formed by the merger of the American Civil War Center and the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA.  Under its pulldown link labelled “Videos” are a number of videos, such as one entitled, "What Caused the Civil War," presented by Ed Ayers.

https://acwm.org/blog/category/video/

In addition, the museum maintains a YouTube site of various presentations, at.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9LWfcSZ68HpFTaROJQ8i5A/videos 

 

3.      The National Civil War Museum (Harrisburg, PA):

This site has posted a number of Civil War history-related videos, at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChzZS4t8cZN2L2qPEIzBdwA/featured

 

4.      Smithsonian National Museum of American History Blog Posts in “Civil War 150:”

The museum has 58 different blog posts on various Civil War history-related stories, at https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog?term_node_tid_depth=113

 

5.     Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Museum: (Washington, DC):

The Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office is one of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine’s three sites.  Located on 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC, the third floor contains the restored rooms and items related to when Clara Barton lived at this location during and immediately after the Civil War.  By the time the office closed in 1868, she and her staff had identified the fate of over 22,000 men. 

The museum contains her original tin advertisement signs, handwritten letters, and a Civil War-era map of forts and hospitals in Washington D.C.  The website contains a tab entitled, “learning.”  When you click on that tab you will find additional resources, including a “Blog” link.

https://www.clarabartonmuseum.org/blog/

 

6.      The Mariner’s Museum (Newport News, VA):

The Mariner’s Museum hosts a Civil War Blog which can be found at the following link.

https://www.marinersmuseum.org/search/?search=Civil+War

In addition, the site contains a number of archived lectures about Naval aspects of the Civil War by John V. Quarstein, Director emeritus, USS Monitor Center.

https://www.marinersmuseum.org/search/?search=quarstein

 

7.      National Museum of Civil War Medicine (Frederick, MD):

This website states that its online resources are designed to help educators and students discover and share the history of Civil War medicine.

https://www.civilwarmed.org/online-resources/

In particular, please review its recording linked below with Jon Willen, a former President of the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia, NMCWM Executive Director David Price, and NMCWM Director of Interpretation Jake Wynn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N62QyCecPPQ 

BACK TO INDEX

 

MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES


1.      YouTube American Civil War Search:

This URL provides the results of various Civil War history related videos posted on YouTube.  

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=american+civil+war 

 



BACK TO INDEX















Note to Webmaster:   Html codes for creating  hyperlinks within this webpage:


For INDEX anchor and BACK TO INDEX 

At Index: <a id="INDEX">INDEX </a>

At each BACK TO INDEX: <a href="#INDEX">BACK TO INDEX </a>

 

For EACH Index Item:

Note: Each h id number can appear only once on a page.

For example:

At Index: <a href="#h1">Civil War Round Tables and Related Organizations</a>

At target: <h1 id="h1">CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLES AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS</h1>

Change numbers to “h2” to “h3” to “h3” etc. for each different category item