Abolitionists petition Congress
Starting in the 1830s a small but growing movement advocated the abolition of slavery in the United States. After 1850 abolition’s appeal spread to those who feared...
Abraham Lincoln
Shortly after being elected the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln faced a divided nation. The Civil War lasted almost his entire Presidency. Just...
Accepting a long-overdue honor
William H. Carney acknowledges receipt of the Medal of Honor in this letter to the chief of the Records and Pensions Office. He finally received the medal in May...
Aerial view of Gettysburg
This aerial photograph shows the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 1949. In early July 1863, one of the Civil War’s most important battles was...
An appeal to Southern women
This circular asks Confederate women to provide an “essential service” by growing garden poppies that could then be processed into opiates such as morphine....
An experienced general retires
In this letter sent to Secretary of War Simon Cameron on October 31, 1861, Winfield Scott<&ndash> general-in-chief of the Union Army<&ndash> requested retirement...
Appeal to the President
In this letter, Cpl. James H. Gooding complained to President Abraham Lincoln about the unequal pay situation. He argued that the men of the 54th Massachusetts did...