Illinois in the Civil War | Libraries and Institutions | Lincoln | Miscellaneous | Online Books, Exhibits, Video, and Audio
Regions, Cities, and Towns | Soldiers, Regiments, and Camps | Women | Youth
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Illinois in the Civil War
Illinois Civil War Bibliography
Civil War Regiments by County
The stories of Illinois’ Medal of Honor recipients from 1861 – 1865
Civil War Memorials in the Prairie State
Historic Illinois, Vol. 8:2Bibliography of Published and Printed Illinois Civil War Regimental Sources in the Collections of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Part I
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 8:2 by William B. TubbsBibliography of Published and Printed Illinois Civil War Regimental Sources in the Collections of the Abraham LincolnPresidential Library, Part II
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 9:2 by William B. Tubbshttp://dig.lib.niu.edu/civilwar/about.html
A product of Northern Illinois University Libraries Digitization Unit, this resource brings together primary source materials from a number of libraries, museums and archives. These institutions include the Newberry Library, the Chicago Historical Society and the Illinois State Library.http://www.idaillinois.org/
Access digital publications available from the Illinois State Library on the Civil War including journals, documents, reports, newspapers and much more.Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database.
http://www.civil-war.com/flag.htm
Outstanding site with pictures and information on Civil War flags from Illinois.http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=7&smtid;=1
Civil War Resource Guide hosted by the University of Houston and developed in collaboration with the Chicago Historical Society among others.Illinois Civil War regiments by county.
http://libguides.niu.edu/civilwar
Vestiges of an Nation Divided: The Civil War’s impact on northern Illinois, on line exhibit.http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/military/civil_war/civil_war.html
Civil War Veterans of Peoria Countyhttp://www.nps.gov/cwindepth/StateByState/Illinois.html
National Park Service’s summary of Illinois’ role in the Civil War.http://www.il.ngb.army.mil/history/civil%20war/
This site includes a list of battles, information on a number of Illinois Civil War veterans, and articles on topics of interest.Civil War Newspapers Holdings of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, 1861-1865
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African Americans, Slavery, & Abolition
African American Genealogy Resources at The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Slavery: Cause and Catalyst of the Civil War
pamphlet from the National Park Service.I’ve Been Working on the (Underground) Railroad
Historic Illinois, Vol. 22:6Jack Jackson: Civil War Soldier
Historic Illinois, Vol. 33:1Owen Lovejoy: Illinois Abolitionist
Historic Illinois, Vol. 22:6Remembering the Flight to Freedom: Underground Rail Road in Illinois
Historic Illinois, Vol. 22:6http://www.afroamcivilwar.org/
The African American Civil War Memorial and Museumhttp://www.illinoishistory.gov/lib/AfAmHist.htm
Brief history of African Americans in Illinois from territorial times through the end of the 20th Century.http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart4.html
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship online exhibit explores black America’s quest for equality from the early national period through the twentieth century. This link takes you to the Civil War section of the exhibition.http://memory.loc.gov/learn///features/timeline/civilwar/aasoldrs/soldiers.html
African American Soldiers during the Civil Warhttp://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/history/aa_history.htm
A history of African Americans in the Civil War from the National Park Service.http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/lesson00.htm
“Been Here So Long”: Selections from the WPA American Slave Narrativeshttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/opugrr.htm
Aboard the Underground Railroad: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary introduces travelers, researchers, historians, preservationists, and anyone interested in African American history to the fascinating people and places associated with the Underground Railroad. The following are three sites listed on the National Park Service’s registry of Underground Railroad sites.http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/il1.htm
– Owen Lovejoy Househttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/il2.htm
– John Hassack Househttp://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/il3.htm
– Dr. Richard Eels House[TOP}
Correspondence and the Homefront
Conventions and Sentiments of Civil War Correspondence in the Minto Letters
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 5:2 by Jill Rebman Martin“Your work is truly a good one” Illinoisans and Soldiers’ Homes during the Civil War
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 12:3 by Glenna R. Shroeder-LeinLetters: Joseph & Currency Van Nattan
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 12:2 by Thomas BahdeThe Spy Who Came in from the Coalfield: A British Spy in Illinois
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 10:2 by Joseph Clark[TOP}
Amos Green, Paris, Illinois Civil War Lawyer, Editorialist, and Copperhead
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 11:1 , by Peter J. BarryThe Charleston Riot and Its Aftermath Civil, Military, and Presidential Responses
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 7:2 , by Peter J. BarryMilitary Arrest: Judge Charles Constable
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 9:1 by Stephen E. Towne[TOP}
Genealogy
http://civilwar.ilgenweb.net/
This site is part of the USGenWeb Project and is largely focused on genealogy. The best feature is the transcribed rosters that are searchable by county and regiment. It also has all the state’s generals along with information on their promotions.http://illinoisgenweb.org/
Civil War genealogyhttp://www.ilsos.gov/GenealogyMWeb/ilnavysrch.html
Database from the Illinois State Archives of Illinois Civil War veterans serving in the U. S. Navyhttp://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/intro_to_civil_war_research
A “how to” site on Civil War genealogy[TOP}
Libraries and Institutions
McKendree University’s Civil War Story
Historic Illinois, Vol. 20:3http://dlxs2.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/
Making of America collection of Cornell University
Civil War records at the National ArchivesVirginia Military Institute
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We have presented only a few of the resources on Lincoln. There are many, many such resources to be easily found on the web.Lincoln’s Neighborhood and the Civil War
document noting neighbors of Lincoln and their Civil War serviceA chronology of Abraham Lincoln
Published by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and supported by the Illinois Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.“We’ve Been Elected”
booklet on the making of the President and the 1860 election from Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Historic Sites Division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agencyhttp://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html
The complete Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress consists of approximately 20,000 documents.http://www.knox.edu/academics/distinctive-programs/lincoln-studies-center/burlingame-abraham-lincoln-a-life.html
Knox College provides full text PDFs of Michael Burlingame’s Abraham Lincoln: A Life.http://www.knox.edu/academics/distinctive-programs/lincoln-studies-center/debate-podcasts.html
Rodney Davis and Douglas Wilson of the Lincoln Studies Center at Knox College discuss each of the Lincoln-Douglas debates via podcast.http://libguides.iwu.edu/Gateway_Lincoln
Gateway: Lincoln and the Civil War provided by Illinois Wesleyan University.http://abrahamlincolnandthecivilwar.wordpress.com/
A day-by-day of President Lincoln and the Civil War sponsored by the Lincoln Institute and Lerhman Institute[TOP}
Miscellaneous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfHylwlq9Ow
The legendary “Rebel Yell” rediscovered by the Museum of the Confederacy.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_iq5yzJ-Dk
Last eye-witness to Lincoln assassination appears on television in 1956.
Photo essay of Illinois Civil War graves[TOP}
Online Books, Exhibits, Video, and Audio
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/civil_war_series/
The National Park Service’s Civil War serieshttp://civilwarwiki.net/wiki/Main_Page
Civil War Wikipediahttp://www.edutube.org/en/video/american-civil-war-slideshow
Photographic slides show of the Civil Warhttp://civilwar150.longwood.edu/
“That a Nation Might Live,” the Civil War Sesquicentennial one week at a timehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/assassination/
The American Experience presents the Assassination of Abraham Lincolnhttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/lee/
The American Experience presents Robert E. Lee, at war with his country and himselfhttp://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/ahd/index.html
A House Divided: America in the Age of Lincolnhttp://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/jackson-lincoln/interactives/lincoln-douglas-and-their-historic-debates
Lincoln Douglas Debateshttp://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/gettysburg/index.html
“I take up my pen”: Letters from the Civil Warhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/index.html
The Underground Rail Road online exhibit from National Geographic
YouTube video highlighting the exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library entitled, “Illinois Answers the Call: Boys in Blue.”http://civilwaranimated.com/ShilohAnimation.html
Animation of the Battle of Shiloh where General Grant took Forts Henry and Donelson.http://www.civilwarinart.org/
Civilwarinart.org makes nearly 130 works of art from seven Chicago cultural organizations accessible to teachers, parents, and students around the world.Online exhibits from the Smithsonian
http://www2.illinois.gov/alplm/library/programs/boysinblue/Pages/BoysinBlueI.aspx
Highlights of part one of the Boys in Blue exhibit of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Libraryhttp://cdm16447.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/.landingpage/collection/p15414coll1
See images of the Boys in Blue collection of Illinois soldiers housed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library[TOP}
Regions, Cities, and Towns
A Sterling Treasure: The Kirk/Dillon Home
Historic Illinois, Vol. 20:3http://collections.carli.illinois.edu
The Southern Illinois University at Carbondale has launched the Southern Illinois Civil War Collection. The digital collection assembles handwritten letters, diaries, and military orders spanning the era before, during, and after the American Civil War (1861-1865). The collection documents the southern Illinois experience of the war, and spotlights life on the home front from the perspective of two women whose husbands served in the Fifth Illinois Cavalry.http://www.altonweb.com/history/civilwar/index.html
Alton in the Civil War.http://www.angelfire.com/wi/wisconsin42nd/cairo.html
Information on Cairo in the Civil Warhttp://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/2379.html
Encyclopedia of Chicago webpage on Chicago in the Civil War.http://www.egyptianaaa.org/SI-History2.html
History of Southern Illinois during the Civil War.[TOP}
Soldiers, Regiments, and Camps
Camp Butler National Cemetery
Historic Illinois, Vol. 31:1Illinois Adjutant General’s Report, Regimental and Unit Histories
contains official histories of Civil War regiments and units as compiled by the Illinois State Archives.“We should have killed them all” The Violent Reaction of Union Soldiers to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 10:1 by Steven J. Ramoldhttp://www.illinoisgenealogy.org/illinois_civil_war_records.htm
Transcriptions from the Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois (1900-1902) original reports are housed at the Illinois State Archives and are available for download.http://www.alplm.org/library/boys_intro.html
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library owns around 7000 images of Illinois “Boys in Blue.” This database lists the soldier’s name, regiment, town of residence, and other information.http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/units_num.html
List of Illinois regiments including information on Illinoisans serving under other states’ regiments.Union regimental index for Illinois.
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf8k4006m3
A guide to the collection of six large record books from Company “M” of the 4th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry at Stanford University. It consists of a clothing book, a descriptive roll of the company, morning reports, the record of a general court martial, and an order book.http://www.10thillinoisvolcavalry.com/
Site of a reenactmment group portraying the 10th Cavalry Regiment, mustered from the counties of Sangamon, Logan and Menard.http://www.ioweb.com/civilwar/
An Illinois Soldier in the Civil War contains photographs, memoirs, and documents on Private Jefferson Moses of Company G, 93rd Illinois Volunteers.http://www.dieterich.k12.il.us/faculty/kjohnson/civilwar/41st Illinois.htm
The 41st Illinois Volunteer Infantry.Boys in Blue: Images of Civil War Soldiers from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library by Mary Michals
Journal of Illinois History, Vol. 14 #1, by Mary Michalshttp://genealogybooklinks.com/CWRegIllinois.htm
Collection of online books and publications related to Illinois Civil War regiments.http://cdm16447.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/
Illinois Boys in Blue images. This project includes nearly 600 scanned images of selected, original Illinois Civil War soldier photographs held in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library’s Audio Visual Collection. Each soldier’s photograph (including front and back images) is accompanied by cataloging information including the soldier’s regiment, company, residence (town and county if known), and in many cases, the studio’s name and location in which the photo was taken. To date, Illinois infantry regiments included in the database are the 7th, 9th, 17th, 33rd, 37th, 56th, 64th, 77th, 86th, and 108th. The 4th Illinois Cavalry is also represented.[TOP}
Women
http://www.civilwarwomenblog.com/
The Civil War Women Bloghttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104452266
National Public Radio story on female Illinois Civil War Veteran Jennie Hodgers aka Albert J. D. Cashierhttp://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cwirish/Cashier.html
Another article on Cashier entitiled An Irish CailĂn Goes to War: Jennie Hodgers, Private, Co. G, 95th Illinois Infantryhttp://www.lexingtonillinoisfort.org/Articles/2009/June/MemorialDayRemembered.htm
More on Cashier as well as highlights of the Cashier Historic Home restorationhttp://www.civilwarwomenblog.com/2007/01/frances-hook.html
Frances Hook aka Frank Miller is covered on the Civil War Women Bloghttp://civilwarwomenblog.com/category/female-soldiers/
Civil War Women Soldiers Bloghttp://www.footnote.com/page/778_female_civil_war_soldiers_spies/
Female Civil War Soldiers and Spieshttp://www.bivouacbooks.com/bbv5i4s1.htm
Women on the Civil War Battelfront
New York Times blog on women and the Civil War.Women Soldiers of the Civil War, Pt I
Women Soldiers of the Civil War, Pt II
Women Soldiers of the Civil War, Pt III
http://americancivilwar.com/women/
Women Soldiers and Nurses of the American Civil War.http://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/collections/digitized/civil-war-women/
Civil War Women: Digitized collections of Duke Universityhttp://library.duke.edu/specialcollections/bingham/guides/cwdocs.html
Civil War Women: Primary Sources on the Internethttp://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/remember/rtl6.htm
All is Fair: Women and the American Civil War by Janelle Colletthttp://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=45683
Civil War Spies: Good Intell Knows No GenderUntold Stories: Women in the Civil War
http://americancivilwar.com/women/women.html
Women of the Civil War
Podcast on Albert D. J. Cashier, born Jennie Hodgers and Civil War soldier in the Illinois 95th Infantry Regiment. Jennie’s Secret: A Soldier’s Storyhttp://dig.lib.niu.edu/civilwar/women.html
Essay on Women and Gender Roles in Civil War Illinois and the North by Drew E. VandeCreek, Ph.D.[TOP}
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/civilwar/cwar.htm
The Civil War for Kids site has a great deal of content created by kids for kidshttp://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/civilwar.htm
Site presents the Civil War including timelines, glossaries, maps and more.http://www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_tours/lincoln_whitehouse/index.html
Online game for kids of Lincoln’s White House during the Civil War.http://www.civilwarhome.com/boysinwar.htm
Boys in the Civil Warhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/resources/whoami/whoami_flash.html
Solve mysteries with images and quotes in this online game of Civil War characters