Civil War Diaries Online - The North
Read Journals from the Civil War on the Internet
One of the family treasures is the pocket diary that belonged to my great-great grandfather who survived the Civil War. It's amazing that something so small can be so valuable in terms of the information contained in the pages. Fortunately for researchers and students seeking primary information about the Civil War, many of these journals have been posted online.
I've compiled a list of online Civil War journals and organized it state-by-state. If your ancestor served in the Civil War, you can picture him and his daily activities by reading one of these diaries. This listing will focus on Yankee or Northern Civil War journals, but I will compile a separate list for the South. There's another list on women's diaries of the Civil War.
(photo of Abraham Bates Tower's pocket diary, my great-great grandfather)
A Journal by an Illinois Soldier
- Civil War Diary of Henry Carl Ketzle (read it online)
Military History of the 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but more particularly of Company A.
Illinois Civil War Journals Online - Henry Ketzle
Indiana Civil War Journals Online - Stephen C. Bowers, Abraham Bates Tower, Curtis R. Burke, Jabez T. Cox, Stephen Keyes Fletcher, Frank Hughes, William M. Macy
- Civil War Diary of Chaplain Stephen C. Bowers
Published in the Indiana Magazine of History and shown online. Company K of the 67th Indiana Infantry Volunteers - Excerpt from Abraham Bates Tower's Pocket Diary
My great-great grandfather listed the men in Company G, 93rd Indiana Infantry in his pocket diary. - Curtis R. Burke's Civil War Journal
Posted online by the Indiana Magazine of History Burke writes about being a prisoner of war in Camp Morton. He was captured with John Hunt Morgan's men at Buffington Island, Ohio, on July 19, 1863. Although he is a Confederate soldier, the journal co - Civil War Diary of Jabez T. Cox
Posted online by the Indiana Magazine of History. 133rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry - The Civil War Journal of Stephen Keyes Fletcher
Posted online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Cox enlisted in the Thirty-third Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry - Diary of Lieutenant Frank Hughes
Posted online by the Indiana Magazine of History 1862 Decatur County (Adams) 37th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Co. E - The Civil War Diary of William M. Macy
Put online by the Indiana Magazine of History a soldier in Company I of the Ninety-fourth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers - The Civil War Diary of DeWitt C. Markle
Placed online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Home: Madison County (Markleville) Year: 1863 Regiment: 57th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Engagement: Battle of Stones River - Civil War Diary of Sergeant James Louis Matthews
Placed online by the Indiana Magazine of History. He was from Warrick County (Newburgh) Years: 1864-1865 Regiment: 59th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Co. E Diary includes the burning of Columbia and Battle of Bentonville. - Diary of William Bluffton Miller
Available online, courtesy of the Indiana Magazine of History. Miller was from Wells County Year: 1861-1862 Regiment: 75th Indiana Volunteer Infantry - The Diary of James Comfort Patten, Doctor
Provided online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Patten came from Gibson County (Princeton) Year: 1864 Regiment :58th Indiana Volunteer Infantry - Journal Of Melville Cox Robertson
Put online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Robertson was from Jefferson County (Deputy) Year: 1864-1865 Regiment: 93rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Co. E He was captured at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads, like my great-great grandfather, but wen - Corporal Harvey W. Wiley's Civil War Diary
Placed online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Wiley lived in Jefferson County Year: 1864 Regiment:137th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Co. I
Civil War Journals Published in Books - Available from Amazon
Iowa Civil War Diaries Online - Mifflin Jennings, Charles W. Chapman, Cyrus Bussey,
- The Civil War Diaries Of Mifflin Jennings
11th Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry - Civil War Diary of Charles W. Chapman, 1862-69 (read it online)
Charles Chapman was in the 19th Iowa Infantry, Company F - Civil War Diary of Cyrus Bussey, 1864 (read it online)
Bussey was a cavalry officer with the 3rd Iowa Calvary Regiment and saw action at Pea Ridge and Vicksburg. - Civil War Diary of James Robertson, 1861 account book & diary (read it online)
James Robertson was a private with the 8th Iowa Infantry, Company C. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh.
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Kansas Civil War Diaries Online - Fletcher Pomeroy,
- Fletcher Pomeroy Diary
The 7th Kansas Cavalry in the Civil War - the Fletcher Pomeroy Diary Fletcher Pomeroy was a member of Company D, Seventh Kansas Cavalry, (also known as Jennison's Jayhawkers) and later quartermaster sergeant of the regiment. Source: pair.com via Virg
Massachusetts Diaries of the Civil War Online
- Civil War Diary of Sergeant Henry W. Tisdale
Company I Thirty-Fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers 1862-1865
Michigan Civil War Journals Online - Israel Cogshall,
- Journal of Israel Cogshall, 1862-1863
Posted online by the Indiana Magazine of History. Cogshall was a chaplain in the Nineteenth Regiment, Michigan Infantry Volunteer. The movement of his regiment will interest those looking for information on Thirty-third and Eighty-fifth Indiana regim
Minnesota Civil War Journals Online - James Boardman
- James Boardman Diary, 1863
The James Boardman diary covers his time as a corporal in Company B of the 3rd Minnesota Infantry.
New York Civil War Journals - Theodore J. Southworth, Charles Theron Van Dusen
- The Civil War Diary of Theodore J. Southworth
The Diary of Theodore J. Southworth 184th NYV Infantry Regiment January 1, 1865 to April 18, 1865 - Van Dusen Civil War Diary - Document - NYTimes.com
A transcription of the diary kept by Charles Theron Van Dusen, during the Civil War. The Van Dusens are among the earliest families to have settled in New York City.
Journal of Lt. Russell Tuttle - New York Volunteer Infantry
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Ohio Civil War Journals Online - Cyrus Hussey
- Cyrus Hussey Diary
History of the Forty-eighth Ohio Vet. Vol. Inf. Capt. Cyrus Hussey Source: 48ovvi.org via Virginia on Pinterest
Pennsylvania Civil War Journals Online - James Wren, Charles P. Potts
- Diary of Captain James Wren
PA Civil War Captain James Wren Diary. Wren was from Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Source: pacivilwar.com via Virginia on Pinterest - Charles P. Potts Diary
PA Civil War Soldier Charles P. Potts Diary of the 151st Regiment of Schuylkill County.
Wisconsin Soldier's Civil War Journals Online - James B. Lockney, David B. Arthur
- Civil War Journal of James B. Lockney
CIVIL WAR JOURNAL OF JAMES B. LOCKNEY 28th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry 1862 - 1865 website James R. Shirey. There's an index to names in case you're looking for an ancestor. - David B. Arthur Diary, 1862-63
David B. Arthur was born on 31 January 1837 in Richmond, Virginia, the eldest son of the Welsh immigrant Evan Arthur and Martha Bivan Arthur. He was in the 20th Wisconsin regiment.
It isn't easy to read a Civil War diary
due to changes in the language, handwriting and other factors.
Learn more at Interpreting Civil War Diaries.
My Page about Interpreting Journals of the 1860s
- Interpreting Civil War Diaries
There's a wealth of letters, diaries and other hand-written documents from the American Civil War, but it isn't always easy to understand what you are reading. Unfamiliar handwriting, archaic abbreviations, no-longer-used words, faded ink and...
© 2011 Virginia Allain