Building a personal reference and resource library

[61Cadillac]

In 4 years I am retiring from a 47 year career as a firefighter in a large metropolitan fire department. It's been a long ride and needless to say my body is pretty beat up. I have always been interested in the Civil War since my family took a vacation to Gettysburg for the 110th anniversary of the battle in 1973. Over the last 10 years I have started to collect a lot of reference materials, my corner stone being a complete set of the Official Records of the War of Rebelion, including the atlas. I have too many numerous books to list here now, and to be honest, until I get the bookshelves built this winter and get them in some order I'm not even sure what all I have. My question for the members who are truly entrenched in the research aspect is what other reference materials would you recommend? What good websites should I be scouring? I'd like to focus my research on individual soldiers and the lesser known events of the war. I'd like to bring aspects and people of the war back from being lost to time. The people and events who's stories are there but hidden in the records. Ultimately, my goal is to start writing essays on these people, events and topics. The stories withing the stories if you will.

 

[Stryker65]

It was compiled by a group of recognized Civil War historians for Broadfoot Publishing in the 1990's. The problem is that it seems to have gone OOP. It was sold only as a set and I've never seen one in the secondary/"used"market I suspect that it was 95% or so bought up by institutions. Even those holdings are scattered. It's arranged differently as well. Based on using it at a library, only the first few volumes are organized along the lines of the OR (chronological coverage of campaigns). Not sure why it hasn't been digitalized if there are no physical books being sold anymore. (Hathi Trust lists it but it's "limited" to "search" only - useless)

Anybody who has different information should weigh in.

It is only available at university libraries.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

I wish! I'm just a shelver. I made a questionable career choice back in 1972 when I started college.

Well then, you are a very intelligent "shelver." Glad you participate on this site.

 

[lupaglupa]

I will check it out when I have some time tomorrow

 

[milhistbuff1]

Ken Noe's The Howling Storm might be of interest. Gives an idea of how weather impacted operations.

 

[lupaglupa]

One of the screens says they cannot be viewed online because of copyright restriction.

I got this same message. For now I think people will have to seek out physical copies.

 

[gary]

Recently I'm adding:

48th Massachusetts - History of the 48th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in the Civil War
50th Massachusetts - History of the Fiftieth Regiment of Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, in the late war of the rebellion
52nd Massachusetts - History of the 52nd Massachusetts Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers
56th New York - A Condensed History of the 56th Regiment New York Veteran Volunteer Infantry
Engineer and artillery operations against the defences of Charleston Harbor in 1863 by Quincy Gillmore

Some I've read online (archives.org) but I prefer physical paper. Two of the recent ones are related to my research.

 

[James Brenner]

A library table or similar workspace is a very needful thing. I have a fair number of books and I wish my desk had a larger surface. Computers, lamps, notepads, and a writing surface all compete for space with the reference book(s) I am using.

 

[JohnG0609]

A library table or similar workspace is a very needful thing. I have a fair number of books and I wish my desk had a larger surface. Computers, lamps, notepads, and a writing surface all compete for space with the reference book(s) I am using.

So true. Many times instead of being surrounded by multiple books open I will take the time and trouble to scan the pages im interested, create pdfs, and have the files open on my screen.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

So true. Many times instead of being surrounded by multiple books open I will take the time and trouble to scan the pages im interested, create pdfs, and have the files open on my screen.

Same here - I never seem to have enough flat space on my desk, and often bring a folding table into the study.