A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln : Condensed from Nicolay & Hay's Abraham Lincoln : a History
Abraham Lincoln : an Essay (1892) Carl Schurz
Lincoln : passages from his speeches and letters
Speeches & letters of Abraham Lincoln
Personal Traits of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Nicolay
A Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Nicolay
DrumTaps (Includes "Sequel to Drum Taps" following page 72)
The Wound Dresser
Specimen Days & Collect
Excerpt from Walt Whitman and Leaves of Grass: an Introduction (1905), by W. H. Trimble:
First published in 1848 in the immediate aftermath of the war with Mexico. A positively glowing account of the operations of American troops at war, with an emphasis on the heroic deeds of their generals, whose biographies include brief accounts of their participation in the War of 1812 and various Indian wars. Profusely illustrated, the book also includes the text of the treaty ending the war and ceding what's now the southwestern United States to the victors. (And if a book can be judged by its cover, one of the finest military literary works of American history.)
Watch Custer's Last Stand on PBS. See more from American Experience.
My Life on the Plains. Or, Personal Experiences with Indians (1874) General George Armstrong Custer
Librivox audio book (free) here.
Elizabeth Bacon Custer (April 8, 1842 - April 4, 1933) was the wife of General George Armstrong Custer. After his death, she became an outspoken advocate for her husband's legacy through her books and lectures. After her husband’s column was wiped out at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in June 1876, many in the press, Army, and government criticized Custer for blundering into a massacre. President Ulysses S. Grant publicly blamed Custer for the disaster. Fearing that her husband was to be made a scapegoat by history, Libbie launched a one woman campaign to rehabilitate her husband's image. She began writing articles and making speaking engagements praising the glory of her martyred husband. Her three books, Boots and Saddles (1885), Tenting on the Plains (1887), and Following the Guidon (1890) were brilliant pieces of propaganda aimed at glorifying her dead husband’s memory. Her efforts were successful. The image of a steely Custer leading his men against overwhelming odds only to be wiped out while defending their position to the last man became as much a part of American lore as the Alamo. (Wikipedia)
Boots and Saddles; or, Life in Dakota with General Custer (1885)
On line via Ohio State University here.
About the Official Records [click here]
No serious study of the American Civil War is complete without consulting the Official Records. Affectionately known as the "OR", the 128 volumes of the Official Records provide the most comprehensive, authoritative, and voluminous reference on Civil War operations.
Index of the Official Records by Series or Volume [click here]
Browse the Official Records with our fast and easy-to-use index. Jump to the exact Volume, Part or Campaign.
Search the Official Records [click here]
Companion Atlas to the Official Records [click here]
From the about link:
Officially titled, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, the Official Records are compiled in 127 volumes, plus a General Index and accompanying Atlas. Editor Robert N. Scott divided the OR into four major topical areas:
Series I contains 53 volumes (Books 1-111) and focuses on military operations. These include the battle reports for both Union and Confederate armies, arranged chronologically by campaign and theater of operations. Union reports are followed by Confederate accounts. The intent is to provide a complete history of the event in the same volume.
Series II contains 8 volumes and 8 books, and includes Union and Confederate correspondence, orders, reports, and returns relating to Prisoners of War, as well as political prisoners.
Series III contains 5 volumes and 5 books, and includes "miscellaneous" Union correspondence, orders, and reports pertaining to the organization and logistics of the Union war effort. Series III also includes calls for troops, correspondence between National and State authorities, and correspondence between Union and Confederate authorities.
Series IV contains 3 volumes and 3 books, and includes "miscellaneous" correspondence, orders, and reports of the Confederacy. Also found in Series IV are the General and Special Orders of the Confederate States Army, as well as correspondence relating to conscription and blockage running.
A word of caution must be made here about the value and limitations of the Official Records. As primary source material, the Official Records are, without question, the most complete and impartial documentation on the American Civil War. They provide a foundation for serious research into virtually any aspect of the war. On the other hand, no study of the American Civil War should rely exclusively on the Official Records. The accounts contained in the OR were not edited for accuracy, and due to space considerations, only excerpts of reports were often included. Researchers should thus verify the information found in these reports with other source material to gain as complete a picture of events as possible.
Following the Civil War The Century Magazine commissioned veteran Union and Confederate commanders to write their accounts of the battles they led, leading to an enormously popular series. Often including contrary accounts (even generals on the same side frequently disagreed with their fellow - or superior - commander's interpretation of events, and were rarely shy about saying so...) the series was later compiled in four volumes, frequently reprinted through the years. (A much more recent edition is pictured at left.) The reception of General U.S. Grant's (then also former President) four contributions to the series led to his decision to write and publish his memoirs.
Near complete archives of The Century Magazine can be found and read here.
An online version of the books with hyperlinked tables of contents from Ohio State University here.
All four volumes, complete with maps and numerous illustrations, are also below.
Volume 1:
Volume 2:
"His military and personal history, embracing a large amount of information hitherto unpublished" (1886) by A.L. Long
Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1875), Rev. John William Jones, DD. (Formerly Chaplain, Army of Northern Virginia, and of Washington College, Virginia. Published by authority of the Lee family, and of the Faculty of Washington and Lee University)
Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee by his son Captain Robert E Lee (1905)
Lee's Dispatches; unpublished letters of General Robert E. Lee, C.S.A., to Jefferson Davis and the War Department of the Confederate States of America, 1862-65
The Campaigns of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1872) an Address by Lieutenant General Jubal A Early
Volume I:
Volume II:
Author biography here.
Project Gutenberg version (text, html, other) here.
Free Librivox audiobook version here.
