Firsthand Accounts
Published: 3/3/25
Cleaning Ironclads
A look at the process used to clean the ironclad monitor-class warships that made up the Union's South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
Published: 1/13/25
Extra Voices: Narrow Escapes
Read first-hand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about the close calls they and their comrades had in combat during the Civil War.
Published: 1/1/25
An Eventful New Year
Explore a letter from a Union officer that documents an Emancipation Day celebration in New Bern, North Carolina, on New Year's Day, 1865.
Published: 12/30/24
The Loss of the “Monitor”
Explore the tragic story of the USS Monitor's loss in a storm off Cape Hatteras through the first-hand account of seaman Francis B. Butts.
Published: 12/16/24
How a Man Feels in Battle
How did men experience combat during the Civil War? A Union veteran of the Battle of Bull Run offers his thoughts.
Published: 10/28/24
Death of a Loyal Brother
Read the poignant letters of a Byron B. Wilson, a Union soldier in the 4th Vermont Infantry, to his sister during the Civil War.
Published: 10/20/24
Eyewitness to Ball’s Bluff
Discover first-hand accounts of the Battle of Ball's Bluff through the letters of Richard C. Derby, a Union soldier in the 15th Massachusetts Infantry.
Published: 9/30/24
A Spy’s Demise
In 1865, the United States Sanitary Commission, a private relief agency that supported sick and wounded soldiers during the Civil War, published a volume of Union soldiers’ writings titled Soldiers’...
Published: 9/23/24
Extra Voices: Accidental Deaths
Read firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about occurrences of accidental deaths in Civil War armies.
Published: 9/9/24
A Woman’s Devotion
Explore the memoir of Sarah Brock, a witness to the Civil War in Richmond, who tells the tale of a brave woman's devotion in the face of adversity.
Published: 8/26/24
Extra Voices: Killing the Enemy
Get a glimpse into the mindset of Union and Confederate soldiers when it came to killing. Read their unfiltered quotes and insights.
Published: 8/23/24
The Coffee Wagon
Delve into the intriguing tale of Jacob Dunton's coffee wagon, a welcome invention that delivered hot drinks to Union soldiers during the Civil War.
Published: 8/16/24
Death of a Patriotic Lady
Discover the touching and tragic story of a patriotic young woman during the Civil War.
Published: 7/15/24
An Emotional Welcome Home
Experience the powerful emotions of a family's reunion with Confederate soldiers returning home after the surrender at Appomattox.
Published: 7/8/24
The New York City Draft Riots
Discover the history of the New York City draft riots in 1863. Explore the causes, events, and aftermath of this violent protest.
Published: 6/24/24
Second Thoughts of a “Self-Reliant” Woman
In the summer of 1865, New York City resident Mary Putnam had second thoughts about a recent decision to accept a proposal of marriage.
Published: 6/10/24
Extra Voices: Civil War Homecomings
Read firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers and civilians about the homecomings that occurred at the end of the Civil War.
Published: 5/13/24
A Hospital Steward’s Story
Read Union soldier James Kendall Hosmer's account of the "soul-touching" time he spent as a hospital steward aboard the steamship "Iberville" in 1863.