Series 1: Materials Related to the Civil War Experiences of Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians

Scope and content:

Series 1: Materials Related to the Civil War Experiences of Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians (1806-1988; approx. 83 cubic feet) consists primarily of personal letters and diaries authored by white Civil War soldiers and officers in addition to associated materials such as service records relating to official wartime functions (e.g., government documents, including paroles, furloughs, pay vouchers, discharge certifications, oaths, and pension records); photographs; autographs; personal belongings and realia (e.g., bibles, publications, and uniform buttons); and veterans' memorabilia (e.g. medals, ribbons, and event programs). Series 1 also contains correspondence written by civilians and family members (often women) from the home front, including letters by Varina Davis (1826-1906) and Helen Dortch Longstreet (1863-1962).

Arrangement:

Series 1 is arranged in three subseries.

Subseries A: Personal Papers, Service Records, and Artifacts, 1806-1988

The arrangement approach of Subseries A is based on the archival concept of personal papers. Materials, including those authored by, owned by, addressed to, or relating to a particular individual or individuals, are grouped together and arranged in alphabetical order according to surname or last name. Internally, these groupings of personal papers (or secondary collections) are arranged in chronological order with undated materials at the end.

The above is followed by materials with incomplete or first name only attributions in alphabetical order. Finally, materials of unknown authorship or provenance are in chronological order, followed by unknown, undated materials in order of donor accession number (see resource record note titled Alphanumeric Designations).

Subseries B: Materials Related to Libby Prison, Richmond, Virginia, is arranged in chronological order, followed by undated materials.

Subseries C: Veterans' Organizations Materials is arranged by record creator in alphabetical order. Within groupings of the same record creator, files are arranged in chronological order.

Access and use

Contents