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Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives includes the unit histories and personal narratives listed in Charles Dornbush's Regimental Publications and Personal Narratives of the Civil War as well as items from other sources. Types of materials included in this collection are:

  • histories of specific units,
  • actions by these units and/or an individual's exploits with his unit during the war years,
  • personal narratives if they pertain primarily to an individual's life during the Civil War,
  • general reference works,
  • official state histories,
  • state and U.S. Adjutant Generals' offices reports,
  • selected reunion and monument dedication publications,
  • state histories of the war and compilations of unit histories.

Titles in the collection are arranged by an alphanumeric microfiche identification number. (For example, NY: 140 or WT: 168)  The microfiche identification number can be found in one of the five guides that list and describe the titles that are included in each part. 

This microfiche collection and accompanying guides are located in the Genealogy/Local History area on the 7th floor of the New York State Library.  Titles in this collection are available for use on-site and can be borrowed via Interlibrary Loan.

The collection is arranged in five parts:

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 1.  The Confederate States of America and Border States. University Publications of America: 1992.  NYSL call number:  MA/FF 973.741, C582, 93-13647

A Guide to the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives, Part 1. The Confederate States of America and Border States. Edited by Robert E. Lester.  Guide compiled by Blair D. Hydrick.  University Publications of America:  1992. NYSL call number:  MA 973.741, C582, 93-13647, Guide P.1

The guide to Part 1external link is also available online as a PDF document on the Proquest website.

The majority of organized units, both Confederate and Union, within the eleven states of the Confederacy and the border states of Missouri, Kentucky and Maryland are represented in this collection.  Part 1 is subdivided into the following:

Confederate States of America – This section includes the general narratives of the higher and independent commands of the Confederate States Army and Confederate States Navy. Items for the Confederate States Army are arranged by the named unit organizations, Army of Northern Virginia, Army of Tennessee and Army of the West. These are subdivided into special type services, corps and divisional commands and independent unit commands. (Independent units comprised almost entirely of troops from a particular state have been included in that State's section.)

States that contributed entire units to the South – This section is arranged in alphabetical order by state.  The histories for individual units have been arranged into two sections if both Union and Confederate units were raised in a particular state.  (Union units are listed first, followed by Confederate units.)  The states that are included in this part are:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia

With the exception of items in the Confederate States section, items for each state are arranged with the Union material first, followed by Confederate material.  Within each of these two divisions, items are arranged in the following way: general reference items are listed in alphabetical order by author's name, followed (when available or pertinent) by artillery, cavalry, infantry and other military divisions arranged alphabetically by type of unit.

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 2. The Union – New England. University Publications of America: 1993. NYSL call number: MA/FF 973.741, C582, 93-13647.

A Guide to the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 2.  The Union – New England.  University Publications of America:  1993.  NYSL call number:  MA 973.741, C582, 93-13647, Guide P.2

The guide to Part 2external link is also available online as a PDF document on the Proquest website.

The majority of the units raised in the New England states are represented in this collection.  Part 2 is subdivided into the following:

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Items for each state are arranged in the following manner: general reference items are listed in alphabetical order by the author's name, followed (when available or pertinent) by artillery, cavalry, infantry and other military divisions arranged alphabetically by type of unit.

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 3: The Union - Mid-Atlantic.  University Publications of America: 1993.  NYSL call number:  MA/FF 973.741, C582, 93-13647.

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 3: The Union – Mid-Atlantic. University Publications of America: 1993. NYSL call number:  MA 973.741, C582, 93-13647, Guide P.3

The guide to Part 3external link is also available online as a PDF document on the Proquest website.

The majority of the units raised in the Mid-Atlantic States are represented in this collection.  Part 3 is subdivided into the following: 

  • Delaware
  • District of Columbia
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia

Items for each state are arranged in the following way: general reference items are listed in alphabetical order by author's name, followed (when available or pertinent) by artillery, cavalry, infantry and other military divisions arranged alphabetically by type of unit.

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 4, The Union – Midwest and West. University Publications of America: 1994. NYSL call number:  MA/FF 973.741, C582, 93-13647

A Guide To the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives, Part 4. The Union – Midwest and West.  Edited by Robert E. Lester.  Guide compiled by Blair D. Hydrick.  University Publications of America:  1994.  NYSL call number:  MA 973.741, C582, 93-13647, Guide P.4

The guide to Part 4external link is also available online as a PDF document on the Proquest website.

The majority of organized units within the eight states comprising the Midwest and the eight states and territories comprising the far west are represented in this collection.
Part 4 is subdivided into the following:

Midwestern States – There are separate sections for the following states: 

  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Ohio
  • Wisconsin

The West – The following states are arranged together in one section: 

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Dakota Territory
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oregon
  • Washington

Items for each state are arranged in the following way: general reference items are listed in alphabetical order by author's name, followed (when available or pertinent) by artillery, cavalry, infantry and other military divisions arranged alphabetically by type of unit.

Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives.  Part 5, The Union – Higher and Independent Commands and Naval Forces. University Publications of America: 1994.  NYSL call number:  MA/FF 973.741, C582, 93-13647

A Guide To the Microfiche Edition of Civil War Unit Histories: Regimental Histories and Personal Narratives, Part 5. The Union – Higher and Independent Commands and Naval Forces.  Compiled by Robert E. Lester and Blair D. Hydrick.  University Publications of America:  1996.  NYSL call number:  MA 973.741, C582, 93-13647, Guide P.5

The guide to Part 5external link is also available online as a PDF document on the Proquest website.

Part 5 is arranged in the following way: 

  • Armed Forces (AF) - general histories and personal narratives of the artillery, cavalry, communications (Signal Corps and U.S. Military Telegraphy Service), espionage, medical service, quartermaster, commissary of subsistence and transportation (U.S. Military Railroad)
  • Federal Troops (FT) - tales of the regular army, the U.S. Volunteers and the U.S. Colored Troops
  • Named Units (NU) - histories and personal narratives generally compiled by officers of various Union armies and corps
  • Naval Forces (NV) - general histories, personal narratives and naval registers enumerating the officers and sailors serving in the Union Navy
Last Updated: March 1, 2024