United States Civil War

America: History and Life 
Use to find articles and other works on U.S. and Canadian history 

American National Biography Online 
Biograpaphical essays on men and women whose lives shaped the nation

Archives USA 
A subject guide to special collections in archives across the country

ArchiveGrid 
Use to discover archival materials in U.S. and international collections

American Broadsides and Ephemera 
Broadsides created from 1820 to 1900 and printed ephemera from between 1760 and 1900 

Biography and Genealogy Master Index 
Find biographies published in specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries

Civil War Letters and Diaries 
Full-text of writings from over 400 authors, as well as related materials

Historical Abstracts 
Find articles and other materials written about World history from the year 1450 to the present

History Cooperative 
Full text of history journals from the Organization of American Historians and other sources

Muse 
Full-text of scholarly journals, including Civil War History and other history journals

North American Women: Letters and Diaries
Letters and diaries from Colonial times to around 1950

JSTOR 
Full-text archive of scholarly journals many fields, including dozens of core history journals 

Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 
Digital archive of the journal of the Pennsylvania Historical Association

Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 
Digital archive of the scholarly journal published by The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Periodicals Archive Online 
Full-text of back issue of academic journals

Serial Set 
Full-text of government publications, including congressional reports, executive and department reports and other documents ordered printed by Congress

Western Pennsylvania History
Digital archive of the journal currently published by the Senator John Heinz History Center

Wright American Fiction, 1851-1875 
Contains full texts of American novels first published between 1851 and 1875.  

America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1922   
Full-text of hundreds of papers from all regions of the United States
Accessible Archives  
Full-text of three Civil War newspapers and early 19th Century African-American newspapers
American Periodicals Series Online, 1740-1900 
Full-text of American magazines and journals that originated between 1741 and 1900
Pennsylvania Civil War Era Newspapers  
A free digital collection of newspapers from February 1831 to February 1877.
New York Times Historical Digital Archive, 1851-  
Full-text of all the back issues of the NY Times.  Does not include the most recent years.
Nineteenth Century U.S Newspapers  
Digital archive of the 19th century press
19th Century Newspapers, British Library Collection  
Full runs of selected national and regional newspapers
Times of London Digital Archive , 1785-1985   
Complete digital reproduction of the world's "newspaper of record". 

The Penn State Libraries have original or microfilmed magazines and newspapers from the Civil War era. 

Use NewsCAT to locate newspapers by time period, region, or format. For a list of 19th Century articles published in U.S. magazines and journals consult the Poole's Index to Periodical Literature, 1802-1906 (find in the CAT)

Search The CAT to find Books and Other Materials at Penn State

For more information on searching The CAT, click here or consult our Online Guide to the CAT

How to find materials NOT at Penn State

E-Books
Many historical books have been scanned and are now available online.  Our E-Books page contains links to a number of projects that offer full-text of historical works.  A few examples:

Google Books   Full-text of millions of books scanned from library collections.  Books published before 1923 can be freely viewed online.  More recent works may have limits on access.

Open Library  Aims to create one web page for every book ever published.  Contains descriptions of over 30 million books, with over one million available as full-text.

PA's Past: Digital Bookshelf   Online works pertaining to Pennsylvania history.

The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and Research (find in the CAT)
Call # Z1242.A47 1996, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

The Civil War and Reconstruction: A Student Companion (find in the CAT)
Call # E468.B319 2000, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Guide to Civil War Books: An Annotated Selection of Modern Works on the War Between the States (find in the CAT), Call # Z1242.B18 1996, Pattee Stacks Level 2

The Official Records of the American Civil War: A Researcher's Guide (find in the CAT)
Call # Z6207.U5A34, Pattee Stackes Level 2

A companion to the Civil War and Reconstruction (find in the CAT)
Call # E468.5.C64 2005 , Pattee Stacks Level 1. Contains essays summarizing the historical development and current state of the field for various Civil War topics

Bibliographies

Civil War eyewitnesses : an annotated bibliography of books and articles, 1955-1986
(find in the CAT),  E601.C78 1988 Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection. See Regimental Histories Section

Civil War eyewitnesses : an annotated bibliography of books and articles, 1986-1996
(find in the CAT),  E601.C79 2000 Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection. See Regimental Histories Section

The Civil War in Books: An Analytical Bibliography (find in the CAT)
Call # E468.E34 1997, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Civil War Novels: An Annotated Bibliography (find in the CAT)
Call # Z1231.F4M46 1986, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Confederate Imprints: a Bibliography of Southern Publications from Secession to Surrender  (find in the CAT),  Call # Z1242.5.P37 1987, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Regimental Publications & Personal Narratives of the Civil War: a Checklist (find in the CAT)
Call # Z1242.D6, Pattee Stacks Level 2

Bibliography of State Participation in the Civil War 1861-1866 (find in the CAT)
Call # Z1242.U581 1913, Pattee Stacks Level 2

Women and the American Civil War: an annotated bibliography (find in the CAT)
Call # E628.M355 2003, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

To locate more bibliographies on your topic try a keyword search in The CAT combining your subject and the word bibliography. It typically works best if you use more general topics, e.g. military history and bibliography, nineteenth century and bibliography, women and bibliography, etc...

Civil War: Day by Day: An Almanac, 1861-1865 (find in the CAT)
Call #E468.3L6, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Encyclopedia of the Confederacy (find in the CAT)
Call # E487.E55 1993, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History
(find in the CAT),  Call #E468.E53 2000, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Encyclopedia of the United States in the Nineteenth Century (find in the CAT)
Call #E169.1.E626 2001, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Everyday Life During the Civil War: A Guide for Writers, Students and Historians
(find in the CAT),  Call #E468.9.V37 1999, Pattee Stacks Level 1

Historical Dictionary of Reconstruction (find in the CAT)
Call #E668.T66 1991, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

"A House Divided"--: a Century of Great Civil War Quotations (find in the CAT)
Call #E468.9.H68 1997, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

The Language of the Civil War (find in the CAT)
Call #E468.9.W755 2001, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection. Contains definitions of common terms used during the Civil War

American Memory: Civil War Maps

Atlas for the American Civil War (find in the CAT)
Call # G1201.S5A8 1986 F, Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Atlas of the Civil War (find in the CAT)

Atlas to Accompany Confederate Military History (find in the CAT)
Call # E484.C65 1962 Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Civil War Battlefield Guide (find in the CAT)
Call # E641.C58 1998, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Civil War Maps: An Annotated List of Maps and Atlases in the Library of Congress
(find in the CAT),  Call #Z6027.U5U55 1989, Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Civil War Maps in the National Archives (find in the CAT)
Call # Z6027.U5U58, Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Civil War Newspaper Maps (find in the CAT)
Call # G1201.S5B6 1993, Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Civil War Sites, Memorials, Museums, and Library Collections: A State-by-State Guidebook to Places Open to the Public (find in the CAT),  Call # E641.G45 1997, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War: Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (find in the CAT), Call # G1201.S5U6 1983 F, Maps Library, Basement level Paterno

Access Pennsylvania Digital Repository
A statewide digitization service on behalf of the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. Includes digitized collections created by libraries and other entities located throughout Pennsylvania

Black Abolitionist Papers, 1830-1865 (find in the CAT)

Black Literature, 1827-1940 (find in the CAT)

Letters received by the Secretary of War, irregular series, 1861-1866 (find in the CAT)
Call # Microfilm A441, News & Microforms, West Pattee, Ground Floor

Congressional Documents (U.S. Serial Set)
Extensive collection of 19th century government documents: including hearings, reports, and other materials ordered printed by Congress

Letters received by the Secretary of War, irregular series, 1861-1866 (find in the CAT)
Call #Microfilm A441, News & Microforms, West Pattee, Ground Floor - Microforms

Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion (1861-1865)  (find in the CAT)
Call # RD205.U5, vol. 1-12, Life Sciences Library, 4th Floor Paterno

The Civil War CD-ROM II : official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion (on CD-ROM)  (find in the CAT), Call # E591.U582 1999, Music and Media Center, 2nd Floor West Pattee Library. The print volumes are in the Annex. The records are also available on Microcrard in the News and Microforms Library, Basement West Pattee Library

Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery (find in the CAT)
Call #Microfilm A52 and Microfilm A253, News and Microforms Library, Basement West Pattee Library.

Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War
(find in the CAT)

Records of the Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (find in the CAT)

Records of the Confederate States of America, 1859-1872 (find in the CAT)
Call #Microfilm A347, News and Microforms Library, Basement West Pattee
Guide: Call # JK9665.L53 1967

Slavery Pamphlets (find in the CAT)

Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (find in the CAT)
Call # E464.U62 1994, Pattee Stacks Level 1. Contains information left out of the original Official Records

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. (find in the CAT), Call # E464.U6 1985, Pattee Stacks Level 1A; also available ONLINE. Also on CD-ROM, E464.C51997b, Music and Media Center, 2nd Floor West Pattee Library. Also see the Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies described above.

Writers' Program. Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves. Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938. Also online as part of American Memory: Born in Slavery. Slave Naratives from the Federal Weriter's Project, 1936-1938

Civil War Manuscripts a Guide to Publications in the Library of Congress (find in the CAT)
Call # Z1242.L48 1986, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America
(find in the CAT), Call # CD3047.B4, Arts and Humanities Reference, 2nd Floor Pattee Library

Guide to Federal Archives Relating to the Civil War (find in the CAT)
Call # CD3047.M8, Pattee Stacks Level BA

Biographies of Individuals associated with the Civil War

The easiest way to locate a biography is to do a Browse Subject search in The CAT. Enter the name of the person as the subject. For autobiographies do an Author search.

Unfortunately the above approach only works if most or all of the book is about the individual. Many people are not famous enough to have entire books devoted to them (or you may not want to read an entire book!) In these cases your best bet is to consult a biographical dictionary or encyclopedia. Typically these sources provide a brief essay (a paragraph to a few pages) summarizing the individual's major accomplishments. The library has hundreds, if not thousands, of these sources. The ones below will get you started.

Biographical Dictionary of the Confederacy (find in the CAT)
Call #E467.W2, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Biographical Dictionary of the Union : Northern Leaders of the Civil War (find in the CAT)
Call #E467.B56 1995, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
An attempt by the National Park Service to provide basic information about all who served in the war

Leaders of the American Civil War: a Biographical and Historiographical Dictionary
(find in the CAT),  Call #E467.L43 1998, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection

Pennsylvania Scrap Book Necrology
Obituaries from circa 1891-1904, mostly of PA Civil War veterans)

Pennsylvania Civil War Project/Pennsylvanians in the Civil War
A searchable set of data on men who served in during the Civil War and were either residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or enlisted in the military units in the state. Data presented was gathered from the Volumes: History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5 by Samuel P. Bates (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902, descendants of the servicemen, and other public records.

The sources below often give minimal information about individuals, but can be useful to verify service, and to place people within their historical context.

Civil War Eyewitnesses: An Annotated Bibliography of Books and Articles
Vol 1, 1955-1986 (find in the CAT), Call #E601.C78 1988, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
Vol. 2, 1986-1996 (find in the CAT), Call #E601.C79 2000, Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection Describes published accounts written by those who witnessed the Civil War

Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (find in the CAT)
Call #973.7D988c, Pattee Stacks Level 2

History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5 (find in the CAT)
Call # E527.B32, Rare Books and Special Collections Library, 1st Floor Paterno; also ONLINE

Pennsylvania Civil War Project/Pennsylvanians in the Civil War
A searchable set of data on men who served in during the Civil War and were either residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or enlisted in the military units in the state. Data presented was gathered from the Volumes: History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5 by Samuel P. Bates (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902, descendants of the servicemen, and other public records

Regimental Publications and Personal Narratives of the Civil War: A Checklist
(find in the CAT), Call #Z1242.D6, Pattee Stacks Level 2

The Roster of Confederate Soldiers, 1861-1865 (find in the CAT)
Call #E548.R65 1995, Pattee Stacks Level 1

The Roster of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 (find in the CAT)
Call # E494.H4, Pattee Stacks Level 1

Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (find in the CAT)
Call # E464.U62 1994, Pattee Stacks Level 1. Contains information left out of the original Official Records

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (find in the CAT), Call # E464.U6 1985, Pattee Stacks Level 1A; also available ONLINE. Also on CD-ROM, E464.C51997b, Music and Media Center, 2nd Floor West Pattee Library. Also see the Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies described above

The links below are for general sites and those that provide starting points for research.

State Library of Pennsylvania Civil War Collection

Penn State Civil War Era Center

The United States Civil War Center

American Memory
Includes African-American Pamphlets, Civil War Era Band Music, Civil War Images, Maps, Papers of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, Slave Narratives and other 19th Century collections

Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
An attempt by the National Park Service to provide basic information about all who served in the war

Documenting the American South
An online collection of sources, including diaries, oral histories, and literature from the South

Valley of the Shadow
A hypermedia archive of thousands of sources for the Civil War era in Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania

H-CivWar Discussion Network
A discussion list for the culture and history of the Civil War. The web site contains an archive as well as reviews

PA's Past Digital Bookshelf

Internet Modern History Sourcebook: U.S. Civil War
Full-text of source documents

Making of America
Over 8,000 texts originally published in the 19th Century, with an emphasis on the period from 1850-1875

Secession Era Editorials Project
Provides full-text of editorials grouped around major political issues in the pre-Civil War years

Selected Civil War Photographs (Library of Congress)

The American Civil War Home Page
Links to (mostly free) sites with information on all aspects of the war (music, fiction, regimental histories, state resources, etc...). Includes scholarly resources produced by libraries, archives and museums as well as personal websites and commercial sites.

Eric Novotny
History Librarian
Arts & Humanities Library
W321 Pattee Library
Penn State University
814-865-1014
ecn1@psu.edu

Services for History Researchers

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