Civil War Quick Facts
Time Period: 1861-1865
Union President: Abraham Lincoln
Confederate President: Jefferson Davis
Union States: Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Oregon
Confederate States: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia
Border States: Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri
Populations:
Union: 18.5 million people
Confederacy: 5.5 million free and 3.5 million enslaved
Border States: 2.5 million free and 500,000 enslaved
Enlistment Strength:
Union: 2,489,836 white soldiers, 178,975 African American soldiers, and 3,530 Native American soldiers
Confederacy: Ranges from 750,000 to 1,227,890 soldiers
Casualties:
Union: 642, 427
Confederacy: 483,026
Bloodiest Battles:
Gettysburg: 51,116 casualties
Seven Days: 36,463 casualties
Chickamauga: 34, 624 casualties
Chancellorsville: 29,609 casualties
Antietam: 22,726 casualties
Note: Antietam had the greatest number of casualties of any single-day battle.
Image: Civil War Letters, 1861-1862, Coll. 3, Mark A. Chapman Collection, AHC.
Facts from the National Park Service.
Civil War Collections
Acc. #1932
Brisbin enlisted in the 7th Pennsylvania Volunteers early in the Civil War and fought in the First Battle of Bull Run. After his extensive service in the Civil War, he was promoted to Major and assigned to the 2nd U.S. Calvary during the Indian Wars.
The collection includes letters from Brisbin to his wife during his military service, his obituary, and a copy of his military record.
Thaddeus H. Capron Papers, 1864-1966
Acc. #1694
Thaddeus Capron served in the Fifty-fifth Illinois Volunteers during the Civil War and rose through the ranks from private to major. In 1867, he commissioned as a lieutenant in the Army and served until he retired in 1887.
The collection contains letters between Capron and his officers and family as well as newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and a diary from 1868.
Mendal C. Churchill Papers, 1860-1893
Acc. #7490
Mendal C. Churchill served as a Union Officer in the 27th Ohio Infantry. During the Civil War, his unit took part in the Atlantic Campaign of 1964.
The collection contains 163 Civil War era letters between Churchill and his wife Mary, as well as a diary and photographs of his travels after the war.
Acc. #11456
Nelson Cole volunteered for the Civil War and served in the Missouri Artillery. After the Civil War, he became part of the Powder River Expedition sent to deal with Native American aggressions on the Great Plains.
The collection includes military correspondence from the Powder River Expedition. The correspondence includes official orders, supply reports, telegraphs, and other materials from the expedition.
Finfrock Family Papers, 1862-1940
Acc. #7
John H. Finfrock served as a doctor in the Union Army in 1862 and eventually became the First Assistant Surgeon for the 11th Ohio Volunteers which were stationed at Fort Halleck, Wyoming.
The collections contains diaries documenting Dr. Finfrock's life during his service during the Civil War as well as his time at Fort Halleck.
Henry Blanchard Freeman Papers, 1863-1915
Acc. #153
During the Civil War, Henry Blanchard Freeman served in the Union Army and was captured and held at Libby prison near Richmond, Virginia, in 1863. During his tenure at Libby prison, Freeman, along with other prisoners, escaped twice and rejoined the Union Army in early 1865. He was later stationed at Forts Phil Kearny and Fetterman in Wyoming and served during the Sioux War of 1876 and the Spanish-American War.
The collection contains correspondence from Freeman's time in Libby prison, a letter during the Sioux War, and letters from the Spanish-American War as well as military orders and Freeman's service record.
Gerhard Luke Luhn Papers, 1863-1918
Acc. #3954
Gerhard Luke Luhn was a German immigrant who served in the Army's 6th Infantry in 1853. Before the Civil War, he saw service on the northern plains and in 1863, he commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Infantry. Luhn was present at the Battle of Gettysburg and served in numerous campaigns during the Indian Wars.
The collection contains letters and diaries discussing his daily life during the Civil War and his service after the war. It also includes four autobiographical accounts spanning from 1831-1918, written by Luhn.