Learning Resource Center: American Civil War Materials: Subject Guide

About the American Civil War Materials in the USU Archives

The USU Archives has a number of items relating to the American Civil War across various collections. These materials include publications and reports by the U.S. Sanitary Commission, memoirs by doctors and nurses, correspondence, and numerous books about various subjects relating to medicine during and after the war.

Civil War Materials in the LRC Catalog

Rare Book Collection

The links below are a selection of the books about the American Civil War that have been scanned by the Archives. Other volumes can be viewed and downloaded by searching the Archives' digital collection under the heading Military Medical History Documents, and the rare book collection can be searched via the LRC Catalog.

Women of the war: their heroism and self-sacrifice

Three hundred days in a Yankee prison: reminiscenses of war life, captivity, imprisonment at Camp Chase, Ohio

Leaves from the battlefield of Gettysburg: a series of letters from a field hospital; and national poems

LRC History Collection

The LRC History Collection also contains material related to the American Civil War. The catalog records of selected materials are linked below. Additional material on this topic can be located by searching the LRC Catalog.

Reminiscences of my life in camp.

Cyclone in calico : the story of Mary Ann Bickerdyke

Confederate commando and fleet surgeon : Dr. Daniel Burr Conrad

Sanitary Commission Materials

The USU Archives has a number of materials relating to the U.S. Sanitary Commission. The Sanitary Commission was founded in 1861, a private relief agency created to support ill and wounded soldiers of the Union Army during the Civil War.

The Subject Guide to the USU Archives Sanitary Commission Materials is linked below.

USU Archives Sanitary Commission Materials

Dr. Robert J.T. Joy Collection

Dr. Robert J.T. Joy (JL, MD, COL, MC, ret), is a Professor Emeritus in the USU Department of Medical History. He became the first professor and Chair of the Department of Military Medicine at USU in 1976, positions he held until 1981. In 1981 Dr. Joy retired from the Army and founded the USU Department of Medical History, where he served as Chair until 1996. Dr. Joy also served as first USU Commandant from 1976-1981.

Throughout his career, Dr. Joy gave lectures on a variety of medical and historical topics, including the Civil War. Notes, slides, and other material from these lectures can be found in the Dr. Robert J.T. Joy Papers in the USU Archives. The finding aid for this collection is linked below.

Dr. Robert J.T. Joy Papers

J.H. Britton Letter

This letter is written by J.H. Britton, superintendent and director of the General Hospital of Nashville, Tennessee to Brigadier General J.F. Miller to ask that the court house and churches of Nashville be turned over to the Medical Department to be converted into hospitals for use during the Civil War. The letter is dated December 15, 1864. The back of the letter contains J.F. Miller’s response which granted J.H. Britton permission to seize any buildings that he may require to be used for hospitals. The response is dated December 16, 1864. The finding aid for this collection is linked below.

J.H. Britton Letter

USU Archives Subject Guides

USU Historical Materials The University Collections in the USU Archives contain a multitude of material relating to the founding, growth, and operations of the Uniformed Services University. This subject guide provides a brief overview of the University's history with a sample of corresponding documents.
American Civil War Materials The USU Archives has a number of items relating to the American Civil War across various collections. These materials include publications and reports by the U.S. Sanitary Commission, memoirs by doctors and nurses, correspondence, and numerous books about various subjects relating to medicine during and after the war.
World War I Materials The USU Archives has a number of items relating to World War I across various collections. These materials include U.S. Government publications about hospitals, books about shell shock, contemporary newspapers, and numerous books about various subjects relating to medicine and World War I.
World War II Materials The USU Archives has a number of items relating to World War II across various collections. These materials include U.S. Government publications dealing with field medicine, reports from the German Medical Consultants Conferences, contemporary reports and publications, and historical accounts.
U.S. Sanitary Commission Materials The U.S. Sanitary Commission was founded in 1861, a private relief agency created to support ill and wounded soldiers of the Union Army during the Civil War. Primarily staffed by volunteers, often women, the Sanitary Commission raised money, made uniforms, collected food and other supplies, and ran hospital ships and soldiers’ homes for the U.S. Army.
Combat Disorders and Field Medicine Materials The USU Archives has a number of items relating to combat disorders and field medicine in both the manuscript and Rare Book collections. Combat disorders are defined by the National Library of Medicine as "Neurotic reactions to unusual, severe, or overwhelming military stress". Field medicine (also called combat casualty care) is the treatment of wounded individuals in areas of combat.
Tropical Medicine Materials Tropical Medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with health issues that are more common or are harder to control in tropical and subtropical regions. Tropical Medicine is a topic of particular importance at USU due to the international nature of military medicine. The USU Archives has a number of items relating to Tropical Medicine across various collections. These materials include U.S. government publications, rare books, papers by USU faculty and students, and historical publications.
Medicine in Extreme Cold Weather The USU Archives has a number of items relating to medicine in extreme cold weather in both the manuscript and rare book collections. Exploration and scientific research have taken people to the coldest places on Earth, requiring the study and development of the effects of extreme cold on the human body, and what prevention and treatment can be used in these circumstances.
Manuals and Instructions in the USU Archives The USU Archives has a number of U.S. Government and military bulletins, guidebooks, and manuals in its collections, ranging from medical officer reference books to aids for using pack animals. A number of these items have been scanned and can be viewed and downloaded via the Archives online collections, while others can be searched via their collection's finding aid and viewed in person.
Women During Wartime The USU Archives has several items relating to women's contributions during wartime. These materials span various collections and include U.S. Government publications, contemporary newspapers, biographies, and memoirs.
Pandemics The USU Archives and the LRC collection have a number of items that relate to both historical and contemporary pandemics. These materials include books, military medical publications, and other items.
Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) Materials The USU Archives has a number of items relating to Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) in the manuscript and rare book collections. The LRC general and history collections also have a number of related materials.