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In my spare time, I like to dabble in history. One of the time periods which I have a particular interest in is the American Civil War.
I thought it might be appropriate for me to make a page for those who have a similar interest, and who were looking for help getting started in historical research. Believe me, I am no expert, but perhaps I might help someone to get started, and prevent them from copying my mistakes!
First of all, if you are looking for a specific unit, Check out Yahoo, or other Search Engine, and type in the Unit or battle which you are researching. If you are lucky, someone may have already done some work on the unit, and you can get started that way. Don't overlook the reenacting segment, as several pages have not only have reenacting information, but Historical information as well.
For myself, being from Indiana, I wanted to start out by finding information on Indiana regiments and where they fought. In this, I have found that an excellent page to start with isÝ Indiana in the Civil War, which offers a unit history from every Indiana Regiment. There are several state-specific sites on the net,and I highly encourage you to check them out as your research progresses. Other Online places to look can be found at Union Army Regimental Histories or Civil War Units -- Unit1 -- version 4.4
Another place is to look at your local library, or the largest library in your area. While there, search for historical records published about the specific information you are looking for. In my case, I located a copy of the "Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana" -1861-1865, a listing of every soldier that fought with an Indiana Unit, listed in companies, by regiment.
Other places to visit include your state library, state historical society, and state archives. In the case of Indiana, all of these are availible online: the Indiana State library and Indiana State Archives.
If you are interested in the soldiers of a particular unit , you might check out the Genealogical pages for your area. Much data can be gleaned from this underutilized resource (I also dabble in Genealogy). Many public libraries have Genealogy record rooms, and if they do not, they can put you in touch with the proper contacts.
I cannot stress the importance of the local library...Don't forget them! Some have excellent research material availible, and you may even be able to find a history, written by a soldier of the time. They may also be able to suggest other area's to look, and other resource's. Happy Hunting.
© 2000 Matthew
B. Byerly Questions or comments?
Contact Matthew at byerlymb@uindy.edu.
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