Research Arsenal

11/14/2025

The answer to our What's it Wednesday question asking you to identify the cropped page, is a Morning Report. This particular book is from the 17th Illinois Infantry. Morning reports were used to track status changes in personnel (and horses)--and show the date, companies, number and rank of men on duty, sick, in confinement, horses, total commissioned, total enlisted, number of absentees and reasons, alterations since the last report, remarks, and signatures of the Adjutant and Commander of the Regiment. They are very useful for those researching Civil War regiments, and the Research Arsenal currently has over 17,000 pages (and growing!) available for research!

11/12/2025

Last week, our What's it Wednesday focused on the books a Civil War company clerk was required to keep. This week, our What's it Wednesday question is, what book is this from? Post your answers below and check back Friday for the answer!

11/11/2025

William Clemmons was born in 1843 to Edwin and Patience (Harris) Clemmons of Lebanon, Tennessee. He enlisted on May 20, 1861 in “The Blues,” company K of the 7th Tennessee Infantry. The 7th Tennessee Infantry was part of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

The nine letters in our Research Arsenal collection were all written to Sarah Jane Bettes, William Clemmons’ sweetheart back home. She was the daughter of Ausburn Bettes and Martha Ann (Wilkerson) Bettes.

William Clemmons was born in 1843 to Edwin and Patience (Harris) Clemmons of Lebanon, Tennessee. He enlisted on May 20, 1861 in “The Blues,” company K of the

11/07/2025

For our What's it Wednesday this week, we asked you what ledgers the company clerk was required to keep. The answer is:
Morning Report Book, Sick Book, Rosters, Descriptive Book, Clothing Book, Order Book, Account Book of Company Fund, Register of Articles issued to Soldiers, Record Book of Target Practice.

These are the books the Research Arsenal is actively looking for to add to our database. They are full of incredible research information. Please let us know if you have any of these books and we'd be glad to work with you to digitize them.

Photo of Camp of Chief Ambulance Officer, 9th Army Corps. in front of Petersburg, Virginia. August, 1864. https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/69510

11/06/2025

We discovered some bookmarks from 1974 in some Civil War clothing ledgers this week...please don't use newspapers for bookmarks. Thank you. 🙃

The angry archivist was scanning new material to add to our Research Arsenal database and we found a new archival faux pas--acidic newspaper bookmarks.

11/05/2025

For our What's it Wednesday this week, what different types of ledgers did the company clerk keep?

Photo of Camp of Chief Ambulance Officer, 9th Army Corps. in front of Petersburg, Virginia. August, 1864. https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/69510

11/03/2025

On April 6, 1862, Henry Markham wrote to his cousin, Sarah, about their recent fighting at Union City, Tennessee. At the present time he was camped at Hickman, Kentucky, and described his current duties by saying, “We have but a small force here merely to keep down the bands of rebels who have hitherto been allowed to roam through the country unmolested.”

He then backtracked in time to talk about the successful battle against Confederate forces in Tennessee.

“Perhaps you have read it in the papers but for fear you have not, I will try and give you some of the particulars. On Sunday last about noon, Colonel [Napoleon] Buford landed here from Island No. 10 with a part of two regiments of infantry and was joined by three companies of cavalry and one battery of artillery consisting of four pieces and then we all started for Union City, Tennessee—a place about 14 miles from here where there was a rebel camp about 2,000 strong. We camped that night within four miles of them and attacked them the next morning [31 March 1862] just as they were at breakfast, taking [them] altogether by surprise. The cavalry was drawn up in front and fired a few shots at them but hardly one man out of ten had a chance to fire...."

Read the rest on the blog!

Henry Markham was born in 1840 to Lane Markham and Margaret (Griffin) Markham of Laporte County, Indiana. Both of Henry Markham’s parents died when he was

10/31/2025

This week for our What's it Wednesday we asked how tall the standard issue cavalry boot was during the Civil War. The answer: 12 inches. Private purchase boots could vary and were often much taller, ranging from 15 up to 17 inches.

10/29/2025

For our What's it Wednesday this week, how tall was the standard issue cavalry boot in the Civil War? Post your guesses below and check back Friday for the answer!

Photo: Officers of the 5th US Cavalry: https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/67065

10/27/2025

In his collection of 34 letters home on the Research Arsenal, Charles Miller recounts his participation in many battles as well as daily camp life. The letters span nearly his entire length of service, from September, 1862 to April, 1865. After several months guarding Washington, D.C., the 140th New York Infantry saw heavy fighting at the Battle of Fredericksburg, in December, 1862. Charles Miller wrote about his experiences in letter to his parents written on December 22, 1862.

Check out the blog for more information!

Charles Miller was born in 1843 to Ransom Randolph Miller and Francis “Fanny” Maria (Warner) Miller of Gates, New York. In August, 1862, he enlisted in

10/24/2025

This week our What's it Wednesday question was, what was one medically accepted way of treating severe burns during the Civil War? The answer was to cover the burn with a mixture of white lead paint and oil.

How did medical staff treat severe burns during the Civil War? to support the channel, please become a member of the fastest growing civil war research commu...

10/23/2025

We have the service record of the 1st Minnesota Infantry from the National Archives digitized and available for research. This includes their Regimental Descriptive and Casualty Book, Consolidated Morning Report and Order Book, as well as company specific Descriptive Books and Morning Reports.

The following is a short summary of the regimental history of the 1st Minnesota Infantry as published as History of the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer