Civil War Research at the Minnesota Historical Society

Introduction

The Minnesota Historical Society houses a diverse and surprisingly rich collection of information on the American Civil War. The Society was already an active collecting institution when the war began in 1861, so it was a logical repository for both personal and government documents.

Many letters, diaries and reminiscences found their way into the collections over the years. More recently, official state records, particularly those of the governor and the adjutant general, have been added. In addition to these unpublished resources, the Society has an extensive collection of published primary and secondary sources—including regimental histories, published diaries, and official sources—many dating from the years just after the war.

The diversity of the materials and the many ways in which they came to the Society over the past century create challenges for researchers. This guide is meant to give you a start and to point out some of the strengths and weaknesses of our collections.