-------------Forward from Everton's Newsletter --------------- >> Thursday, 30 September 1999 >> >> Documenting the Civil War >> >> In the aftermath of the U.S. Civil War (a.k.a. The War of the >> Rebellion, The War Between the States, The War for Southern >> Independence, etc.), the Secretary of War (Elihu Root) commissioned a >> printed compilation of records of the two forces involved in that >> conflict. >> >> The task was completed under the direction of Brigadier General Fred >> C. Ainsworth and Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley. The fruit of their labors >> (and of those who served with them) was 128 printed volumes, many of >> which ran to more than 1,000 pages. This massive reference work was >> published by the Government Printing Office from 1880 to 1901, and is >> considered one of the best reference works for anyone seeking to >> understand the American Civil War. It is certainly one of the most >> comprehensive. >> >> Thanks to Cornell University's part in the "Making of America" >> project, All of the 128 books in this series have been scanned and >> placed online for free access to researchers. The result is a unique >> opportunity for all genealogists who are seeking to learn more about >> their ancestors who saw duty in the Civil War, whether they fought >> for the Union or the Confederacy. >> >> The material is largely based on reports from those who commanded in >> various actions in the war, often composed of minute-by-minute >> descriptions of battles, troop movements and casualty reports. An >> amazing number of men are mentioned by name, with descriptions of >> their individual acts, and often commendations for their heroism. >> >> The interface to the volumes is extremely sparse, consisting of the >> series and volume numbers, the size of the book and the year of >> publication. But each volume has a serviceable index at the end, and >> each has a table of contents preceding the reports, correspondence >> and other documents which it contains. >> >> Whether you are a historian seeking to learn more about the day to >> day life of those who served, or a genealogist seeking personal data >> on your ancestors, this online edition of The War of the Rebellion >> will be an invaluable addition to your list of favorite websites. >> >> Resources: >> >> The War of the Rebellion >> http://moa.cit.cornell.edu/MOA/MOA-JOURNALS2/WARO.html >> >> Online Resources for American Civil War Research >> http://www.everton.com/resources/usa-resource.html > Mary Ann Kaylor Morgan County ILGenWeb Coordinator & Mail List http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmorgan/morgan.htm Sangamon County ILGenWeb Coordinator, Mail List & GenConnect Cluster Boards http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsangam/sangamon.htm Menard County ILGenWeb Mail List MENARD-L-request@rootsweb.com - ------------------------------------------------ KAYLOR-L-request@rootsweb.com & GenConnect Cluster Boards KALER-L-request@rootsweb.com TEDROW-L-request@rootsweb.com