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By Kyle McQueen, Chuck Hill, Neil Kasiak
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Civil War Collection (1861-1865) is an artificial collection of correspondence, documents and printed material relating to the American Civil War. The Collection is comprised of a variety of items donated or purchased primarily because of their relationship to the war; some of the material predates, or postdates, the Civil War. The reason for their collection had mainly to do with the war or to a person closely associated with the war. Rather than create a number of small collections, especially where only one document or letter constitutes the entire collection, we have chosen to bring them together as a subject oriented artificial collection. For ease of access, they have been grouped together as follows: Personal Documents, Photographs, Military Documents - USA, Military Documents - CSA, Prints and Drawings, and Published Material.
Collection Historical Note
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a conflict that has been well documented over the past 150 years. Researchers will undoubtedly have consulted many sources relevant to their particular topic or interest. For a brief history of the conflict, we suggest looking at web sites such as "The American Civil War Homepage" (http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/warweb.html), or consult your library for any number of published books and journal articles about the war or specific battles, events and persons.
The American Civil War began with the secession of southern states. On 20 Dec 1860, South Carolina seceded from the Union, followed within two months by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. These states formed a loose union of their own, the Confederate States of America (CSA). The armed conflict between the confederacy and the union began 12 Apr 1861 when CSA forces under Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
The conflict continued for four years, until the CSA armies commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union forces under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on 9 Apr 1865. All remaining Confederate forces surrendered by the end of May 1865. The war was fought on many battlefields across many states and took the lives of over 620,000 Americans, with disease killing twice as many as those lost in battle. 50,000 survivors returned home as amputees. With the end of the war a period of Reconstruction began that eventually saw all the states that had seceded brought back into the Union. By 1870 all Confederate states had rejoined the Union but the last Union troops did not leave until 1877.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Various donors
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Folder OS 1: Maps],
[
Folder OS 2: Newspapers],
[
Folder OS 3: Military documents],
[
All]
- Box 2
- Barcode: 31234013925423
- Item 1: Journal captured by James Cottingham, Co. F, 126th Illinois Infantry, 1857-1865
- Originally a journal belonging to the Sons of Temperance, Hopewell Division, Des Arc, AR. This volume contains membership information, meeting minutes and accounts of the Society. It was apparently taken by Cottingham during the occupation of that part of the State. An entry dated 8 Feb 1864 states that "James W. Cottingham captured this book at the town of Des Arc situated on the banks of the White River in Arkansas, County of Prairie." Cottingham made this into a combination personal notebook and scrapbook with articles pasted in the front and a myriad of handwritten entries. He makes fanciful orders, writes poems and generally uses the book to practice his handwriting although there are some entries regarding mail delivery that appear official. [Research indicates that James W. Cottingham was a Sergeant in Co. F, 126th Illinois Infantry and was from Danville, IL.] (From the Dorris Museum Collection, 1615.14)
- Acquisition method: Dorris Museum
- Item 2: 8th Kentucky Infantry, USA, 1861-1864
- Account book, Co. A & C, 8th Kentucky Infantry, USA. A list of each soldier in the regiment with their payments recorded. Also includes the soldiers' signatures and their places and dates of enlistment. (From the Dorris Museum Collection, N.45.64)
- Acquisition method: Dorris Museum
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Use restrictions: Photocopies must be used before original
- Item 3: 8th Kentucky Infantry, USA, 1861-1863
- Roster, Co. B & C, 8th Kentucky Infantry, USA. Contains lists of commissioned and non-commissioned officers, deserters, soldiers transferred or discharged, deaths, and descriptive rolls of soldiers. (From the Dorris Museum Collection, N.45.63)
- Acquisition method: Dorris Museum
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Use restrictions: Photocopies must be used before original
- Item 4: 8th Kentucky Infantry, USA, 1862-1864
- Contains general and standing orders, special orders, and a list of soldiers and the equipment issued to them. (From the Dorris Museum Collection, N.45.65)
- Acquisition method: Dorris Museum
- Item 5: 12th Michigan Infantry, USA, 1864-1866
- Journal for Co. K listing day-to-day events including demotions, war news, deaths, woundings, maneuvers, desertions, etc. (From Dorris Museum Collection, 1348)
- Acquisition method: Dorris Museum
-
Use Restrictions: Photocopy must be used before original
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[Box 2],
[
Box 3],
[
Folder OS 1: Maps],
[
Folder OS 2: Newspapers],
[
Folder OS 3: Military documents],
[
All]
