U.S. Civil War: A Research Guide

Researchers of the U.S. Civil War (1861–1865) will find a great deal of information to quickly begin their research from the materials listed below. The war between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern States (the Confederates) is also called the War of the Rebellion, War of Secession, and the War for Southern Independence. Students will find that a great deal of information awaits them once they have referenced the materials listed within this guide. Much of the material, in addition to text, are pictorial works, atlases, statistics, diaries, and cover the causes of the war, diplomatic relations, involvement of African-Americans, medical issues, prison, art, and music. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

American Civil War Almanac by Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom, and Lawrence W. Baker. Detroit: UXL, 2000. ISBN: 0787638234.
This book presents a comprehensive overview of the war in chronological order starting with issues leading up to the war and ending with Reconstruction. Other notable chapters cover the roles of women and blacks in the war. A time line, glossaries, and sources for further reading are also included.

American Civil War Biographies by Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom, and Lawrence W. Baker. Detroit: UXL, 2000. ISBN: 078763820X.
This set covers the life stories of sixty individuals important in the Civil War. The entries are in alphabetical order and include pictures, additional sources, and a time line.

American Civil War Primary Sources by Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom, and Lawrence W. Baker. Detroit: UXL, 2000. ISBN: 0787638242.
This volume includes speeches, letters, diaries, and photographs by people who lived during the war. Each entry has an explanatory introduction and sources for additional reading.

Civil War A to Z: A Young Readers' Guide to over 100 People, Places, and Points of Importance by Norm Bolotin. New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2002. ISBN: 0525462686.
This book contains alphabetically arranged short entries on 100 important people, places, issues, and events of the Civil War.

Life in the North during the Civil War by Timothy L. Biel. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1997. ISBN: 1560063343.
This book tells about life in the army, in the city, and in the country and about the racial and political tensions present in northern society.

Life in the South During the Civil War by James P. Reger. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1997. ISBN: 1560063335.
The lifestyle of plantation owners, slaves, mountain folk, and the nonslave holding middle class is covered in this book, as well as the effect of total warfare on the south.

Songs and Stories of the Civil War by Jerry Silverman. Brookfield, CT : Twenty-First Century
Books, 2002. ISBN: 0761323058.
This book tells the story of the war through the music of the time and includes lyrics and sheet music for each song.

The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861–1865 by E. B. Long and Barbara Long. New York: Da Capo Press, 1985, 1971. ISBN: 0306802554.
Important events on a daily basis from President Lincoln's election into early 1866.

Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History by David Stephen Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler, and David J. Coles. Santa Barbara , CA: ABC-CLIO, 2000. ISBN: 1576070662.
This set covers political, social, and military history in entries arranged in alphabetical order. References for further reading as well as pictures, maps, a chronology of events, and many primary sources are included.

Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War edited by Patricia L. Faust and Norman C. Delaney. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. ISBN: 0061812617.
This book includes more than 2,000 entries ranging from several lines to several pages. It covers military events, campaigns, battles, political, economic and social developments, and biographies.

The Photographic History of the Civil War: Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861–65 by Francis Trevelyan Miller and Robert S. Lanier. 10 vols. New York: Review of Reviews, 1911.
If you need pictures, this old multivolume set is a gold mine. Vol 1: The opening battles; vol. 2: 2 years of grim war; vol 3: The decisive battles; vol. 4: The cavalry; vol. 5: Forts and artillery; vol. 6: The navies; vol. 7: Prisons and hospitals; vol. 8: Soldier life, secret service; vol. 9: Poetry and eloquence of Blue and Gray; vol. 10: Armies and leaders.

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Civil War Maps
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/cwmhtml/cwmhome.html
Reconnaissance, sketch, coastal, and theater-of-war maps that depict troop activities and fortifications during the Civil War are included in this collection from the Library of Congress.

A Nation Divided: The U.S. Civil War 1861–1865
www.historyplace.com/civilwar/
This site has a time line with many printable pictures.

The U.S. Civil War Center
www.cwc.lsu.edu
This site offers a huge list of links to all kinds of Civil War topics.