civil war manuscripts - American Memory from the Library of Congress

Many of the collections listed in the guide came to the
Library in the first half of the 20th century, roughly between
1900 and 1940, either as purchases or gifts. Occasionally, a
collection will have been placed in the Library on deposit at
some early date and subsequently converted to a gift. The collections
continue to grow and readers are encouraged to inquire
about any recent acquisitions. The papers of Gen. Nathaniel
Banks, for example, were not acquired until 1964; those of
Frederick Douglass, which contain a few significant Civil War
items, came to the Library in 1972; and those of Orlando M. Poe
and Francis P. Blair, Jr., arrived in 1982.
The index is primarily a name index; however, it includes
a generous number of subjects. Essentially, the index reflects
the collection descriptions. It is keyed to entry numbers rather
than pages, and boldfaced numbers identify main entries. All
volunteer regiments are listed under their respective states,
but readers are advised that considerable additional information
is available on military units in the accounts of the battles
and campaigns in which they participated. Also, a researcher's
study of a particular battle or skirmish should take into account
the campaign in which the action took place.
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