Civil War Collection

Location of collection:

College of William and Mary

Special Collections Research Center

Earl Gregg Swem Library

College of William and Mary

400 Landrum Drive

PO 8795

Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795

Contact for questions and access:

Email: spcoll@wm.edu

Phone: (757) 221-3090

Fax: (757) 221-5440

Web: swem.wm.edu/scrc

Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Terms of access:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred citation:

Civil War Collection, Special Collections Research Center, W&M Libraries, William & Mary

Summary

Extent:

3 Linear Feet

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Civil War Collection, Special Collections Research Center, W&M Libraries, William & Mary

Background

Scope and content:

The Civil War Collection is an artificial collection of material, chiefly 1861-1865, pertaining to the American Civil War including items from both Union and Confederate forces. The collection includes official correspondence, general and special orders, descriptions of campaigns and battles, articles concerning the war, and artifacts. There are pardons, poems, songs, autographs, maps, muster rolls, pen and ink sketches of camp life, engineers' drawings, and a memorandum of signals used by Confederate steamers when approaching batteries.

Acquisition information:

Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member.

Purchased 589 items prior to 1941; purchased 12 items on 12/26/1941; received 6 items 4/7/1958, gift of Mrs. George P. Coleman including Acc. 1957.58; gift of J. T. Baldwin in 1971; gift of 9 items from Alberta J. Portergen in 1976; purchase from Henry Stevens, Sons; Stiles in 5/1980; purchase from Dana's House, Tx. in 10/1980; received 4 items in 3/1982; purchase in 9/1982; purchase from James Lowe in 12/1982; gift of 3 items from Ruth J. Staton in 5/1984; transfer from the US Military Collection in 5/1985; gift of John Weaver in 7/1985; purchase of 1 item from Howard Mott on 1/20/1988; purchase of 1 item from Bauman on 4/20/1988; 1991.58, 2 items as gift of Spencer and Ruth Timm; 1992.19, 1 item as gift of Ralph Poriss; 1995.06, 1 item purchased, 2/21/1995; Acc. 1997.64, 5 items as gift (copies) through Fay Savadge (originals in National Archives), 11/17/1997; 1998.04, 1 item purchased, 2/10/1998; 1998.24, 2 items purchased, 6/10/1998; 1998.47, 21 items as gift of Christian Vinyard; 1998.61, purchase from Ralph Poriss; 1999.18, 2 items as gift of David Upshur; 2001.17, 1 item purchased; 2003.23, 1 item. unknown; 2003.23, 1 item purchased; 2003.58, 1 item; 2003.43, 1 item purchased; 2003.55, 1 item purchased; 2003.57, 1 item purchased; 2003.58, 1 item purchased; 2004.06, 1 item purchased; 2004.40, 1 item purchased; 2004.41, 1 item purchased; 2004.57, 1 item purchased; 2005.59, 1 item purchased; 2006.13, 1 item purchased; 2006.57, 1 item purchased; 2006.64, 1 item purchased; 2006.71, 1 item purchased. 2008.41, 1 item purchased. 2010.399, gift of Philip Hairston Seawell, per Gene L. Hardin.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related

Related material:

There are numerous small collections that contain the personal correspondence of soldiers and civilians involved in the Civil War. Please see individual collections in the range of SC 00277-SC 00446.

Confederate Currency Collection, MS 00015.

Oversize Virgina maps: Buckholtz 1858 Railroads of Virgina and the West and Johnston 1862 map of Virginia, depicting cities, principle towns, railroads, rivers, canals and other internal movements.

Other descriptive data:

Other Information:

The transcription project of "From Fights to Rights: The Long Road to a More Perfect Union" is a massive effort by volunteers to transcribe thousands of manuscripts such as diaries and letters from Special Collections and make them available online at http://scrcdigital.swem.wm.edu/collections/show/1 .

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Blackwater, Battle of, 1863
College of William and Mary--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Confederate States of America. Army. Virginia Infantry Regiment, 14th
Culpeper County (Va.)--History--19th century
Fredericksburg (Va.), Battle of, 1862
Gloucester County (Va.)--History--19th century
Hampton (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Louisa County (Va.)--History--19th century
Military pensions.
Peninsular Campaign, 1862
Petersburg (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Philosophy and religion
Political cartoons
Portsmouth (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Richmond (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Suffolk, Battle of, Va., 1863
Surry County (Va.)--History--19th century
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--African Americans
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Hospitals
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Maps
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations--Confederate States
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Participation, African American
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Poetry
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Regimental histories--Army of the Potomac
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Songs and music
United States. Army--Supplies and stores
United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 142nd (1861-1865)
United States. Army. New York Volunteers, 55th. Company C
United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 61st
United States. Navy--History--Civil War
Account books
Drawings and graphics
Financial records
Maps
Maps--United States
Orders (military records)
Poems
Publications
Receipts (financial records)
Rosters
Transcripts
Virginia--Maps
Watercolors (drawings)

Names:

United States. Army. Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 10th
United States. Army. Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 1st
United States. Army. Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, 22nd
United States. Army. Massachusetts Mounted Rifles, 1st
United States. Army. New York Infantry Regiment, 70th
United States. Army. Ohio Volunteers
United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 101st
United States. Army. Rhode Island Volunteers, 2nd
United States. Army. Vermont Infantry Regiment, 2nd

Places:

Camp Allen (Jamestown Island, Va.)
Jamestown (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Surry County (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Diaries
Vicksburg (Miss.)--History
Virginia--History
Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Williamsburg (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
Yorktown (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865