Firsthand Accounts
Published: 7/30/20
Eyewitness to the Crater
Read Confederate officer William "Willie" Pegram's eyewitness account of the Battle of the Crater during the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia.
Published: 6/15/20
Extra Voices: Camp Sports
Read firsthand Union and Confederate soldiers' quotes on the various sports they played during downtime in camp.
Published: 6/1/20
Camp Sports
Firsthand quotes about the camp sports that kept soldiers occupied and entertained during the Civil War, from baseball to boxing.
Published: 3/13/20
Extra Voices: Payday
Firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers about their reactions to receiving their monthly wages.
Published: 1/26/20
“What will not the human body endure?”
Read Union Corporal James K. Hosmer's detailed account of the harrowing seven days he spent on detached duty as a nurse.
Published: 12/14/19
Eyewitness to the Battle of Fredericksburg
Explore the Battle of Fredericksburg through the eyewitness account of Union officer William Thompson Lusk.
Published: 12/3/19
Extra Voices: Gambling
Read firsthand Union and Confederate soldiers' quotes on incidents of gambling they encountered during their Civil War service.
Published: 9/23/19
A Triple Bereavement at Cairo
Learn about the valuable work of 40-year-old Civil War nurse Mary Livermore in a scene from her memoir of the conflict.
Published: 8/25/19
Extra Voices: Clara Barton, The Angel of the Battlefield
Read first person quotes by and about famed Civil War nurse Clara Barton.
Published: 8/14/19
Mutiny in the Army
Read a firsthand account of the mutiny among disgruntled soldiers in the 79th New York Infantry in the summer of 1861.
Published: 7/26/19
“My Little ‘Rebel’ Heart Was on Fire”
Read an excerpt from the autobiography of teenaged Confederate spy Belle Boyd regarding a traumatic event that led her into this role.
Published: 3/4/19
Extra Voices: Avid Readers
Read more firsthand quotes by Union and Confederate soldiers who had a deep love of reading.
Published: 12/31/18
New Year’s Eve in Camp
Read the poignant reflections of Union officer William Thompson Lusk in a letter to his sister written on New Year's Eve 1862.
Published: 11/12/18
“A Lady of Excellent Worth”
Learn about Amanda Gardner's bravery in helping Union soldiers during their captivity at Castle Morgan prison in Cahaba, Alabama.
Published: 3/17/18
St. Patrick’s Day in the Army
A look at St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the Union army through Lieutenant Josiah Marshall Favill's firsthand observations.
Published: 3/16/18
Extra Voices: Tobacco
Explore the historical use of tobacco during the Civil War through first-person accounts from Union and Confederate troops.
Published: 2/2/18
A Story from the Trenches
Read Union surgeon John Gardner Perry's letter detailing a tragic incident involving a young lieutenant at Petersburg.
Published: 1/19/18
Close Calls at Beaver Dam Creek
Discover the historical significance of the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek through the personal letter of Private Oliver Willcox Norton.