Collecting Documents

Historians today recount the American Civil War in a number of different lights. Some historians are more sympathetic to the Confederate point of view regarding secession from the Union, while others clearly tell the story of the war from a Northern perspective. The best historians will base their work on fact and solid historical evidence. For the Civil War buff that does not want to rely only on historians to recount the events of the Civil War, it is a worthwhile task to become something of a historian himself or herself. This is done by taking up the collection of Civil War documents.

There are a plethora of war documents left from the Civil War, including bonds, public announcements and diaries and journals. Numerous newspaper articles also exist that tell the story of the Civil War from the perspective of journalists who were living through it (and sometimes actually fighting in the battles themselves). For anyone who is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the Civil War and expanding beyond the traditional knowledge of the war that is taught in history books, it is essential to begin collecting Civil War documents. Owning and studying these documents will allow the collector to become intimately familiar with the everyday realities of the war and will bring to life the historical stories that have been passed down through generations.

Some of the most captivating Civil War collectibles are Civil War soldiers’ letters. These letters are fascinating and sad items that recount the everyday realities of the war. Many, written by men to their wives, often recount of lonely times in campsites with inadequate food and little shelter. The letters are often heart wrenching, conveying the wish of the soldiers to end the war and go home to their families and loved ones.

While the majority of available letters are from infantry soldiers, there are also letters available to collectors that were written by important Army generals. For instance, one seller of Civil War collectibles has an impeccable copy of a letter written by Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The letter portrays the president in a non-political light, showing his softer side and his longing to be with his family. It also provides the collector with the president’s autograph, which is in itself a fantastic collector’s item.

Yet another type of Civil War document collectors will find appealing are newspaper articles. The articles that are available are incredible windows into Civil War era society. Newspaper articles available for collecting range from society articles to statistical reports of battles. The society articles are interesting and demonstrate the way in which American society reacted to the war and rallied around the troops, throwing benefits and parties in order to raise money.

Additionally, reports of battles are also useful to collectors, and provide insight into the way in which battles were viewed at the time. The New York Times, for example, printed a number of articles at the time that discuss battles. There is one article in particular that discusses the Battle of Gettysburg (which took place on the 4th of July, 1863) and that is prized by Civil War collectors. The article is broken down into sections: Incidents of the Battle and List of Killed and Wounded. In flowery language, the journalist describes the bravery of the soldiers and the critical turning points of the battle. The letter is a priceless Civil War collectible!

Civil war documents are an excellent way to begin collecting items from the Civil War. The documents can offer fascinating information about 19th century America, and there are various documents that can be bought by collectors. Letters and newspaper articles are some of the most popular; however, there are other documents that may be bought as well: diaries, old photographs, and memoirs are all available for purchase. Collectors should do their own research and decide what genre of documents interests them most – then, there is nothing left to do but begin collecting!