General Reference Service

Civil War Genealogy: Resources Available in the University of Minnesota Libraries

Manuals and Handbooks
Archives
Bibliography
Biography
Maps
Official Records
Periodicals

Prisoners and Prisons
Regimental Histories and Campaigns
Minnesota Regimental Histories
Registers
Forms to Request Military Records and Federal Pension Application
Searching MNCAT
Internet Research

Call numbers for this list are for the University of Minnesota Libraries. A note is included after the call number if an item is also available at the Minnesota Historical Society. University of Minnesota materials only circulate to University faculty, students, and staff, but may be used while you are in the building. See Wilson Library Borrowing Services for additional information.

Manuals, Handbooks, and General Sources

Boatner, Mark Mayo. The Civil War Dictionary. New York: McKay, 1988.: Location: Wilson Reference E468 .B7 1988
Campbell, Robert A. The Rebellion Register: a history of the principal persons and places, important dates, documents and statistics, military and political, connected with the civil war in America. Indianapolis : A. D. Streight, 1867.: Location: Wilson Annex Sub-Basement 973.7 C153
Encyclopedia of the Confederacy. Richard N. Current, editor. New York : Simon & Schuster, c1993. Broad in scope; includes biographical sketches and accounts of campaigns and battles.: Location: Wilson Reference quarto E487 .E55 1993 v.1-4
Groene, Bertram Hawthorne. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. New York: Ballantine Books, 1973.: Location: Wilson Reference CD3047 .G76 1995; also Minnesota Historical Society and the Minneapolis Public Library

Bibliography

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.: Location: Wilson Reference E468 .B29x 1996
Dornbusch, Charles Emil. Military Bibliography of the Civil War. New York: New York Public Library, 1971.: Location: Wilson Reference E462 .D67x 1971 v.1-3
An excellent guide to regimental publications, books and articles, and personal narratives of both Union and Confederate organizations.
Nevins. Allan. Civil War Books: A Critical Bibliography. Baton Rouge: U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission by Louisiana State University Press, 1967.: Location: Magrath quarto 016.9737 N417 v.1-2; also Minnesota Historical Society
An annotated bibliography of almost all the significant, and many insignificant, Civil War books printed from the 1850s to the 1960s.
Smith, Myron J. American Civil War Navies: A Bibliography. Metuchen, N.J., Scarecrow Press, 1972.: Location: Wilson Reference E591 .S65x 1972
Bibliographic listing of English-language books, articles, and papers published from the 1850s to 1972.
U.S. Army Military History Research Collection. The Era of the Civil War--1820-1876. By Franklin Cooling. Carlisle Barracks, Pa.: U.S. Army Military History Research Collection, 1974.: Location: Wilson 016.355 Un305; also Minnesota Historical Society
United States. War Dept. Library. Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War, 1861-1866. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1913.: Location: Wilson Reference E462 .U55x 1913

Biography

Evans, Clement Anselm. Confederate Military History: A Library of Confederate States History, written by distinguished men of the south. Atlanta, Ga.: Confederate Publishing Company, 1899. 12 vol.: Location: Wilson Subbasement Annex 973.7 Ev15; vol. 12 is an index; also Minnesota Historical Society
Hamersly, Lewis Randolph. The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1870: Location: Wilson Subbasement Annex 359.0973 H179; also Minnesota Historical Society
Short biographies of United States naval officers who survived the war and were still alive in 1870.
Hubbell, John T. and James W. Geary. Biographical Dictionary of the Union: Northern Leaders of the Civil War. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1995.: Location: Wilson Reference E467 .B56 1995
Short sketches of 872 individuals who influences public policy, opinion, and events during the Civil War. Extensive bibliography.
Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York, N.Y. : Facts on File, c1988.: Location: Wilson Reference quarto E467 .S56 1988
Wakelyn, Jon L. Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1977. Biographical sketches of Confederate leaders.: Location: Wilson Reference E467 .W2; also Minnesota Historical Society

Maps

Bosse, David C. Civil War Newspaper Maps: A Historical Atlas. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map quarto G1201 .S5 B6 1993
Gottschall, Irwin. A Bibliography of Maps of the Civil War Battlefield Areas. Washington, 1962.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map GA405.5 .G68x 1962
Guide to Civil War Maps in the National Archives. Washington, D.C.: NARA, 1986.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map quarto E468 .G85x 1986
Library of Congress. Map Division. Civil War Maps: An Annotated List of Maps and Atlases in Map Collections of the Library of Congress. Compiled by Richard W. Stephenson. Washington, 1961.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map GA405.5 L53x 1961
National Archives (U.S.) Civil War Maps in the National Archives. Washington: NARS, 1964.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map GA405.5 .U6x 1964
National Geographic Society (U.S.). Cartographic Division. Battlefields of the Civil War. Washington, D.C.: The Society, 1992.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Thematic Maps) G3701 .S5 1974 .N3x
Nelson, Christopher. Mapping the Civil War: Featuring Rare Maps from the Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.: Starwood Pub., 1992.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map quarto E468 .N38 1992
O'Reilly, Noel S. Civil War Maps: A Graphic Index to the Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Chicago: Newberry Library, 1987.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map quarto G1201 .S5 U6 1891 Index
U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Selected Civil War Maps. Washington, D.C., 1961.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Flat Folio) Flat G1201 .S5 U55 1961
United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Military Maps Illustrating the Operations of the Armies of the Potomac and James. Washington: War Department, Office of the Chief of Engineers, 1869.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Flat Folio) Flat G1201 .S5 U515 1869
United States. War Department. The Official Atlas of the Civil War. New York: T. Yoseloff, 1958.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Flat Folio) Flat G1201 .S5 U6 1958
United States. War Department. The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War. George B. Davis, Leslie J. Perry, Joseph W. Kirkley. New York: Arno Press, 1978.: Location: Wilson Borchert Map (Flat Folio) Flat G1201 .S5 U6 1978

Official Records

Aimone, Alan Conrad. A User's Guide to the Official Records of the American Civil War. Shippensburg, Pa.: White Mane Pub. Co., 1993.: Location: Wilson E464 .A36 1993; also Minnesota Historical Society
Klingberg, Frank Wysor. The Southern Claims Commission. Berkely: University of California Press, 1955.: Location: Wilson 973.7 K686
Marhenke, Chris E. Finding Official Records Volumes in the U.S. Serial Set. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, Library Programs Service, 1997.: Location: Wilson Government Publications quarto E646 .U61x 1997
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. Compiled by Dallas Irvine.: Location: Wilson Government Publications (US Docs) GS 4.21:v.1-5; also Minnesota Historical Society
An index to the official reports and correspondence of all military actions; useful to researchers attempting to expand upon their Civil War ancestor's military carerr.
United States. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. 70 vols. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1880-1901.: Location: Wilson 973.7 Un3 (check holdings information in MNCAT); also Minnesota Historical Society
Also known as OR, this is the most important set of books for Civil War researchers, 128 volumes (in 70 volumes), contains both Union and Confederate army records, reports, orders, and memoranda.
United States. Navy Department. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Washington: GPO, 1894-1922.: Location: Wilson 973.7 Un3o ser.1:v.1-ser.1:v.24, ser.2:v.1-ser.2:v.3; also Minnesota Historical Society
Also known and the ORN, this companion to the Official Records (OR) collects records of the Union and Confederate navies.
United States. National Archives and Records Service. List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947. Compiled by Claudia Bradley. Washington, D.C.: NARS, General Services Administration, 1978.: Location: Wilson Government Publications (US Docs) GS 4.7:44; also Minnesota Historical Society
Index to National Archives microfilm of day-to-day activities of individual Naval vessels.
U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Project. National Park Service.: http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/
Indext to more than 230,000 African Americans who served in the Civil War.

Newspapers and Periodicals

Civil War History. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, Mar. 1955-: Location: Wilson Periodicals (check MNCAT for library holdings); also Minnesota Historical Society
The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective (computer file). Malvern, Pa.: Accessible Archives, Inc., 1994.: Location: Wilson Electronic Research Center (non-circulating) CD-ROM E468 .C58x 1994
Contains the full text of over 11,000 articles, including over 700 graphic images of battlefield maps and illustrations, from over 2,500 issues of newspapers published between November 1, 1860, and April 390, 1865.
Confederate Veteran. Nashville, Tenn.: S.A. Cunningham, 1893-1932.: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex (incomplete holdings; check holdings in MNCAT); also Minnesota Historical Society
Contains the largest collection of Confederate memoirs, anecdotes, incidents, and personal stories in existence. Cumulative index available (see next item)
Confederate Veteran Magazine, 1893-1932. Cumulative Index. Louis H. Manarin, editor. Wilmington, N.C., 1986.: Location: Wilson quarto E482 .C743 1986
The Land We Love. Charlotte, N.C.: Jas. P. Irwin & D.H. Hill, 1866-1869 v.1, no.1 - v.6, no5: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex; also Minnesota Historical Society
Prologue. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record Service. v.1- (1969).: Location: Wilson Periodicals (check MNCAT for Library holdings); also Minnesota Historical Society
Southern Historical Society. Papers. J. William Jones, ed. Richmond, Va.: 1876 - 1959.: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex 973.7 So8 v.1-v.52; Indexes v.1-3 (1992); also Minnesota Historical Society
Devoted to the description of the causes, progress, and results of the Civil War from the southern point of view.

Prisoners and Prisons

Abbott, A.O. Prison Life in the South: At Richmond, Macon, Savannah, Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Goldsborough, and Andersonville, During the Years 1864 and 1865. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1865.: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex 973.77 Ab26; also Minnesota Historical Society
Atwater, Dorence. A List of the Union Soldiers Buried at Andersonville. New York: Tribune Association, 1866.: Location: Wilson Rare Books (non-circulating) 973.77 At93; also Minnesota Historical Society

Regimental Histories and Campaigns

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War. Being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers. New York: T. Yoseloff, 1958-59.: Location: Wilson 973.73 J62a v.1-4; also Minnesota Historical Society
Bergeron, Arthur W. Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989: Location: Wilson E565.4 .B32 1989
Burton, William L. Melting Pot Soldiers: The Union's Ethnic Regiments. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1988.: Location: Wilson E540.F6 B87 1988
Dornbusch, C.E. Military Bibliography of the Civil War. New York: New York Public Library, 1971.: Location: Wilson Reference E462 .D67x 1971 v.1-3
Dornbusch, C.E. Regimental Publications and Personal Narratives of the Civil War: A Checklist. New York: New York Public Library, 1961-1972. 8 pts in 3 vols.: Minnesota Historical Society
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. New York, T. Yoseloff, 1959.: Location: Wilson folio 973.7 D988 (1908 edition); Wilson quarto 973.7 D988a v.2; Minnesota Historical Society has all three volumes
An outline of the histories, commanders, and movements of all the regiments in the Union army.
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. Army Life in a Black Regiment. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, 1900.: Location: Wilson 973.7415 H535; reprint Wilson E492.94 1st .H53 1984; also Minnesota Historical Society
Hood, John Bell. Advance and Retreat: Personal Experiences in the United States and Confederate States Armies. New York: Da Capo Press, 1993.: Location: Wilson F470 .H77 1993
Regimental Histories of the American Civil War (microform). Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI, 1991-1993: Location: Center for Research Libraries, Chicago. Available through interlibrary loan to University of Minnesota--Twin Cities faculty, staff, and students
This microfiche collection has attempted a comprehensive filming of all monographic histories lists in C.E. Dornbusch's Military Bibliography of the Civil War, Volumes I and II.
Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies. New York: Facts on File, 1992-1995.: Location: Wilson Reference E546 .S58 1991; check MNCAT for holdings
Organized in volumes by state, each volume includes chapters on artillery, cavalry, and infantry units; lists commanders, field officers, and battles of each unit.

Minnesota Regimental Histories

Journal of Sibley's Indian Expedition During the Summer of 1863 and Record of Troops Employed. By a Soldier in Company H, 6th Regiment. Minneapolis: J.D. Thueson, 1980.: Location: Wilson E601 .6x 1980; also Minnesota Historical Society
Bircher, William. A Drummer-Boy's Diary. St. Paul: St. Paul Book and Stationery Co., 1889.: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex 973.78 B53; also Minnesota Historical Society
Brown, Alonzo Leighton. History of the Fourth Regiment of Minnesota Infantry Volunteers During the Great Rebellion, 1861-1865. St. Paul: The Pioneer Press Company, 1982.: Location: Wilson 973.74 B81; also Minnesota Historical Society
Company C, First Infantry, Minnesota National Guard, Its History and Development. Compiled for the Company by the Editorial Board of the Souvenir Book Committee. St. Paul: Brown, Treacy & Sperry Co., 1905.: Location: Wilson 976.8 M66I; also Minnesota Historical Society
Hill, Alfred James. History of Company E, of the Sixth Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. St. Paul: Pioneer Press Co., 1899.: Location: Wilson 976.8 H55; also Minnesota Historical Society
Imholte, John Quinn. The First Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 1861-1864. N.p., 1961.: Location: Wilson Sub-Basement Annex 378.7M66 OKIm32; also Minnesota Historical Society
Imholte, John Quinn. The First Volunteers: History of the First Minnesota Volunteer Regiment, 1861-1865. Minneapolis: Ross & Haines, 1963.: Location: Wilson 973.74 Im3; also Minnesota Historical Society
Moe, Richard. The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers. New York: Henry Holt, 1993.: Location: Wilson E515.5 1st. .M64 1993; also Minnesota Historical Society
United States. Army. Minnesota Infantry Regiment, 1st (1861-1864). History of the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864. Stillwater, Minn.: Easton & Masterman, 1916: Location: Wilson 973.74 M66; also Minnesota Historical Society

Registers

Amann, William Frayne. Personnel of the Civil War. New York: T. Yoseloff, 1961.: Location: Wilson 973.74 Am13; v.1: The Confederate Armies; v.2: The Union Armies; also Minnesota Historical Society
Useful source for tracing company nicknames.
Compiled Records Showing Service of Military Units in Volunteer Union Organizations <microform>. Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1964.: Location: Available at the Minnesota Historical Society
General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 (microform). Washington: National Archives and Records Service, 1993. 544 microfilm reels.: Location: Center for Research Libraries, Chicago. Available through interlibrary loan to University of Minnesota--Twin Cities faculty, staff, and students
This microform publication reproduces a general index to pension files, 1861-1934. Most of the files relate to Civil War veterans.
Hamersly, Thomas. Complete Regular Army Register for the United States: For One Hundred Years (1779 to 1879). Washington, D.C.: The Author, 1880.: Location: Wilson 355.0973 H179
Heitman, Francis Bernard. Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from Its Organization, September 19, 1789, to March 2, 1903. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1903.: Location: Wilson Reference quarto E181 .H47 v. 1-2; also Minnesota Historical Society
Official army register of the volunteer force of the United States army for the years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65. United States. Adjutant General's Office. Washington, D.C,: 1865-67.: Location: Available at the Minnesota Historical Society
Lists volunteer officers who served in the union volunteer army
Pension Index File (microfilm): Service Organization. Veterans Administration, Contact and Administrative Services, Index Division. Washington, D.C.: V.A.C.O. Microfilm Section, 1949.: Location: Center for Research Libraries, Chicago. Available through interlibrary loan to University of Minnesota--Twin Cities faculty, staff, and students
Arranged alphabetically by state, within state by unit.
Powell, William Henry. List of Officers of the Army of the United States from 1779 to 1900, embracing a register of all appointments by the President of the United States in the volunteer service during the Civil War and of volunteer officers in the service of the United States June 1, 1900. Compiled from the official records. Detroit: Gail Research, 1967.: Location: Wilson 355.0973 P871; also Minnesota Historical Society

Forms to Request Military Records and Federal Pension Application

The National Archives has the military service records for each soldier, volunteer or regular, Union or Confederate, and most of the compiled Union and Confederate Naval and Marine Corps service records. Union pension records for all state volunteers and regulars, Army, Navy, and Marines. They do no hold records for state militia members. Go directly to the state for these records. Also, Confederate pension records are held at the state level.

Other records held at the National Archives include:

Court-martial case file records
Medical records on individual soldiers
Prisoner of war records
Draft records
Burial recordsv

To order military records for Civil War soliders, use NATF Form 86. To order federal pesion or bounty land warrant applications, use NATF Form 85. You may get these forms at the National Archives or one of its branches. You may also order copies via e-mail. Send a message to inquire@nara.gov and include how many copies you'd like and be sure to include your postal mailing address. They are not available over the Internet.

You will need a separate form for each type of record and for each military unit in which your ancestor served. Before you order the military records, you need to know the branch of service and military unit in which your ancestor served. The National Archives will not do this research for you. When ordering these records, send a separate request for military records and pension records. At the top of each respective request, write:

Send all military records
Send all pension records

This way, they will send the complete records.

If you think your ancestor was either wounded or court martialed, you will need to send a separate form for each of these, too. Again, write at the top of the forms:

Send all court-martial records
Send complete medical records

For additional information on ordering records from the National Archives, see How To Order Military and Pension Records for Union Civil War Veterans from the National Archives

Searching MNCAT

You can use MNCAT, the University Libraries' computerized catalog, to search for specific subjects. The following are some examples of useful subject terms for genealogists; other examples are found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books located in Wilson Reference. These subject headings may be used in other libraries that use Library of Congress headings.

archives--united states--catalogs
confederate states of america
confederate states of america. army
confederate states of america. army--biography
confederate states of america. army--cavalry
confederate states of america. army--history
confederate states of america. army--history--sources
confederate states of america. army--infantry
confederate states of america. army--registers
confederate states of america. army--regimental histories
confederate states of america. army [state]
confederate states of america. army of [state or specfic army] for example

confederate states of america. army of northern viriginia
confederate states of america. army of tennessee
confederate states of america. army of the potomac
confederate states of america. army sibley brigade
confederate states of america. army stonewall brigade
confederate states of america--bibliography
confederate states of america--biography
confederate states of america--history
confederate states of america--history--periodicals
confederate states of america--history--sources
confederate states of america.--history--sources--bibliography
confederate states of america--history military
confederate states of america--history naval
confederate states of america--registers
grand army of the republic
military order of the loyal legion of the united states
military pensions--united states--civil war, 1861-1865
military pensions--united states--registers
soldiers--[state] for example:

soldiers--massachusetts
soldiers--new york (state)

[state]--history--civil war, 1861-1865 for example

louisiana--history--civil war, 1861-1865
minnesota--history--civil war, 1861-1865
united states. army--registers
united states. army--biography
united states. army. cavalry
united states. army cavalry--history--civil war, 1861-1865
united states. army--history--civil war, 1861-1865--sources
united states. army. minnesota infantry regiment
united states. army. new york infantry
united states. army of the potomac
united states. army of the cumberland
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--bibliography
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--biography
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--campaigns
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--claims
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--maps
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--periodicals
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--personal narratives
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--pictoral work
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--prisoners and prisons
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--regimental histories
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--registers
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--societies
united states--history--civil war, 1861-1865--sources
united states. navy--history--civil war, 1861-1865
united states military academy--register
united states. war dept. war of the rebellion

Search under specific regimental names, for example

grand army of the republic
wheeler's cavalry corps, c.s.a.

Search under battles, for example:

gettysburg (pa.), battle of, 1863
murfreesboro (tenn.), battle of, 1862-1863

If you don't find anything using a subject heading, try using the terms as a keyword search.

Internet Research

Cyndi's List: U.S. - Civil War / War for Southern Independence
http://www.CyndisList.com/cw.htm
An excellent source of links pertaining to Civil War genealogy
Minnesota Historical Society Library
http://www.mnhs.org/
Military Service Records:A Select Catalog of NARA Microfilm Publications (National Archives and Records Administration)
http://www.nara.gov/publications/microfilm/military/miltoc.html/
Civil War Records (NARA)
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/civilwar.html
Confederate Pension Records (NARA)
http://www.nara.gov/genealogy/confed.html
Order Forms for Military Service and Family History Records
http://www.nara.gov/research/ordering/ordrfrms.html#use

Page comments: Janet M. Roseen

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