Civil War

For Educators

• The Fight for Equal Rights: Black Soldiers in the Civil War

Prologue articles 

• " Black Men in Navy Blue during the Civil War"
• " Exploring the Life and History of the 'Buffalo Soldiers'"
• " Face to Face with History"
• " Researching African-Americans in the U.S. Army, 1866-1890: Buffalo Soldiers and Black Infantrymen"

Basic Research Sources

Carded Medical Records for Soldiers in the U.S. Army, 1821–1912

Compiled Military Service Records

Court-Martial Case Files

Pre-World War I Army Medals

Pre World War I Army Pensions  

Confederate Pension Records

Confederate Navy

Prologue articles

• Confederate Medical Personnel
• Researching Confederate Marines in the Civil War

• Civil War Draft  Records, an article in Prologue magazine

Basic Resource Sources

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Civil War Atlas Manuscript Maps

View in National Archives Catalog

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Civil Works Map File

View in National Archives Catalog

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Post and Reservation maps

View in National Archives Catalog

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War Department Map Collection

View in National Archives Catalog

• Civil War Records in the Cartographic Research Room
• Enhancing Your Family Tree with Civil War Maps, Prologue article
• Guide to Civil War Maps
• Cartographic and Architectural Records: Military Campaigns

• Civil War and Later Navy Personnel Records, an article in Prologue magazine

• " 'A Reasonable Degree of Promptitude': Civil War Pension Application Processing, 1861–1885", Prologue article
• Civil War Records, overview of records
• Confederate Pension Records
• Pre-World War I U.S. Army Pension and Bounty Land Applications

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Sketches by Herbert E. Valentine

View in National Archives Catalog

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Mathew Brady Photos

View in National Archives Catalog

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Sketches by Alexander Gardner

View in National Archives Catalog

• Pictures of the Civil War
• Pictures of United States Navy Ships
• Teaching With Documents: The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady

Southern Claims Commission Case Files

" Income Tax Records of the Civil War Years", a Prologue article

" What does the Civil War have to do with Income Taxes?", article from the National Archives at Atlanta

" More on Tax Records at the National Archives", blog article from NARAtions.

" Researching the Career of a 19th Century Physician", Prologue article that shows how Civil War era tax records can be used in researching an individual.

Teaching with Civil War Documents

Black Soldiers in the Civil War

• Civil War Draft Records, an article in Prologue magazine
• Civil War Union Court-Martial Case Files, an article in Prologue magazine 
• Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers from Pennsylvania (August Sungrist through Isaac Sweeney)
• Wagonmasters Serving the Union During the Civil War

• Leavenworth Soldiers Home, Leavenworth, Kansas, ca. 1885 - ca. 1933,  Sample Case Files of Veterans Temporarily at the Branch
• Leavenworth Soldiers Home, Leavenworth, Kansas,  ca. 1885 - ca. 1933, Sample Case Files of Veterans
• Sawtelle Disabled Veterans Home Case Files, Los Angeles, 1888-1933