The wealth of information available online makes in-depth Civil War research, both personal and regional, a much easier task than would have been possible just a few years ago. The online researcher can find enlistment records for Union volunteers and trace family members who were guerrillas or Southern sympathizers.
With large numbers of recruits joining in one location, finding a soldier from one area can lead to dozens more from the same town or region. At other websites, original reports and records of battles, actions against bushwhackers and violations of martial law are available.
For a look at news as it was presented during the Civil War, the State Historical Society of Missouri has the Daily Missouri Republican, a pro-Union, Democratic St. Louis newspaper from 1861 through 1865. The type is small, and it doesn’t look anything like a modern newspaper, but writing gems occasionally grace the pages alongside city, Missouri, national and even international news.
Family Research
A number of websites provide information where you can learn more about a family member who lived or fought during the Civil War. The Missouri State Archives has two that can be searched by names:
The Provost Marshal Database: Searchable by name or county, the database gives information about people accused of Southern sympathies, reports of guerrilla activities and other violations of military law. For entries with two or more names, images of the original documents are also available. www.sos.mo.gov/archives/provost/
Soldier records: View images of service cards detailing when and where a soldier enlisted and was placed on active duty. The records can be searched by last name or military unit. www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/
David Long’s Battle of Wilson's Creek website: This website has in-depth information about the battle near Springfield where Gen. Nathaniel Lyon died when Union forces were defeated by a combined army of Confederates and Missouri State Guard units. The site has lists of the soldiers involved, arranged in alphabetical order, with units and hometown details. www.chrisanddavid.com/wilsonscreek/
Regional History
Missouri Sesquicentennial Commission: A good place to keep up with events statewide, many in Central Missouri, showcasing re-enactments or educational programs on a particular aspect of the war. mocivilwar150.com/
Official Records of the War of the Rebellion: A 24-year effort to compile every available military report and communication of the war. The 130-volume report is available through several sites, but Cornell University has a searchable set of original page images. Among Central Missouri stories in the records are military interference with prosecutions and intervention by President Abraham Lincoln on behalf of exiled Boone Countians. digital.library.cornell.edu/m/moawar/waro.html
The State Historical Society of Missouri Civil War collection: These materials can be searched by date or by words and phrase and includes the Daily Missouri Republican. The best way to view the newspaper in chronological order is to use the advanced search and enter a range of dates. statehistoricalsocietyofmissouri.org/collections/civilwar.php
University of Missouri Law Professor Frank Bowman’s War and Reconciliation website. Begun, Bowman grudgingly admits, as a community service project for a red-light ticket, it has become a passion for him. He presents maps, an annotated transcription of the diary of Henry M. Cheavens, family tutor-turned-soldier, and other detailed material about Central Missouri in the Civil War. warandreconciliation.com
National History websites
Although there is no national sesquicentennial commission, there are two interesting places to follow events as they developed 150 years ago.
The New York Times interactive Civil War timeline: The Times has thumbnail descriptions of significant events with links to articles published during in the Times during the war. www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/10/29/opinion/20101029-civil-war.html
The American Civil War: This blog that only publishes on the anniversary of events, quotes at length from documents and diaries. www.civilwaronline.com/
This article was published on page A12 of the Sunday, March 20, 2011 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune with the headline "WHERE TO GO: CIVIL WAR WEBSITES TO START YOUR SEARCH."