Civil Wars Documents

When Americans disagreed on the power of individual states to control their respective governments and institutions, they fought a war, between themselves, during 1861 to 1865. Other countries have also fought "civil wars." These stories focus on those people, places and events.

Image of a facsimilie copy of the Abdication Letter that Tsar Nicholas II was forced to sign.

A facsimile of the articles of agreement detailing the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virgina on April 10, 1865.

The Signature page fascimile of the Surrender Agreement of Northern Virginia. Click on the image to enlarge it.

A fascimile of the first page of the surrender agreement for the Army of Northern Virgina.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Bookcover image of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James M. McPherson. Amazon provides details about this acclaimed book: Filled with...

Bookcover image of Guide to the Battles of Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg, edited by Jay Luvaas and Harold W. Nelson.

Bookcover image of Chancellorsville, by Stephen W. Sears. Amazon provides an overview of this acclaimed book: Sears describes the series of cont...

Bookcover image of Chancellorsville, Second Edition, by Edward J. Stackpole.

This poem (noted in the document as "Lines") celebrates the life of the much-loved Confederate Lt. General Thomas J. ("Stonewall") Jackson.  His ...

Bookcover image of Gods and Generals: A Novel of the Civil War, by Jeff Shaara.

This graphic, from the National Park Service, depicts the headquarter-locations of General U.S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee at the time of the Con...

In this May 3rd, 1863, decoded telegram to President Lincoln, from Maj. Gen. Butterfield, the commander-in-chief is told that "the battle has been mos...

Show tooltips