As we learned from today’s guest lecturer, Illinois, Chicago, and its citizens were heavily involved in the Civil War. Illinois sent over 285,000 soldiers to the Union army during the war. The Illinois State Archives has digitized and made freely available information about those soldiers from Illinois who served in the Union Army and the histories of Illinois Civil War regiments and units.
As part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency has created a detailed timeline of the Civil War with information about Illinois involvement in the war, resources for further reading, upcoming local civil war related events, and more.
The Chicago Tribune provided coverage throughout the war, including publishing official reports of major battles from Union leaders, lists of wounded and killed in battle, accounts from those tending wounded soldiers, and more. The Chicago Tribune Historical database provides access to these articles and more. This database is available through the Moraine Valley Library. You will need to log in with your last name and colleague ID number to access it off campus.