A comprehensive, primary-source collection of Civil War records
The Official Records of the War of the Rebellion gathers official reports, correspondence, orders, and returns from both Union and Confederate authorities. This edition traces how the records were compiled, published, and organized to provide a complete documentary history of the conflict.
The material in this volume centers on the handling of prisoners of war, civilian cases, and key administrative decisions across the war years. It includes correspondence about exchanges, confinement, and the treatment of specific individuals, offering insight into how information was sourced and verified for publication.
- Learn how official wartime documents were selected, arranged, and indexed for researchers.
- See examples of the kinds of records kept by the War Department and related offices.
- Explore the interplay between military action, prisoner exchanges, and policy decisions.
- Gain context for how published records were prepared to support future study of the war.
Ideal for readers of Civil War history, archival research, and anyone who wants a window into the government’s documentary record of the conflict.