Civil War Diaries Online - The North
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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)
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)
Contents at a Glance
- Illinois Civil War Journals Online
- Indiana Civil War Journals Online
- Iowa Civil War Diaries Online
- Kansas Civil War Diaries Online
- Article on Preserving Civil War Journals
- Massachusetts Diaries of the Civil War O...
- Michigan Civil War Journals Online
- Minnesota Civil War Journals Online
- New York Civil War Journals
Illinois Civil War Journals Online
Henry Ketzle
- Civil War Diary of Henry Carl Ketzle
- Military History of the 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but more particularly
of Company A.
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, DeWitt C. Markle, James Louis Matthews, William Bluffton Miller, James Comfort Patten, Melville Cox Robertson, Harvey W. Wiley
- 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 covers events in a Northern camp so it is listed here. - 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 went to a different POW camp. - 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
Iowa Civil War Diaries Online
Mifflin Jennings
- The Civil War Diaries Of Mifflin Jennings
- 11th Iowa Veteran Volunteer Infantry
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.
Article on Preserving Civil War Journals
Available from Amazon
Massachusetts Diaries of the Civil War Online
Source: civilwardiary.inspiringteachers.com via Virginia on Pinterest
- 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 regiments who were nearby.
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.
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.
West Virginia Civil War Memories
Preview 15 pages online
HEART OF A PATRIOT - Transcribed by Robert Nord and Linda Baisden |
Make Your Own Book
Memories of an 18 year old who ran away to join the 5th West Virginia Infantry.
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 - 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.
Civil War Journals Published in Books
Available from Amazon
Have You Read Any Civil War Journals?
Give me your thoughts on this topic
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Zut_Moon
Feb 19, 2012 @ 7:07 am | delete
- Amazing work ...
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cffutah
Oct 17, 2011 @ 7:52 pm | delete
- our history is important indeed, gave your lens a 'thumbs up' for what you wrote.
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gottaloveit
Oct 14, 2011 @ 8:02 am | delete
- I've always loved reading diaries of any type - I'm a voyeur...
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lestroischenes Oct 14, 2011 @ 2:15 am | delete
- I knew nothing about this. Would love to have time to find out more!
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AlleyCatLane
Oct 13, 2011 @ 10:25 pm | delete
- Interesting. I'll watch for your lenses on the South. I discovered a number of my ancestors who were in the Civil War when I was doing genealogy. It would be interesting to see if they are included in your list.
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