The Archives of Appalachia holds records that document different aspects of the Civil War era in Appalachia. Included are narratives, diaries, correspondence, and reminiscences. Most of the documents are contemporary with the war, but some date from the 20th century. The records focus on such issues as battles, homefront activities, slavery and abolition, and economic activities in the antebellum era.

Browse our Suggested Reading List for books of interest.

John Fain Anderson Collection, 1861-1925 An extensive collection of scrapbooks, maintained by Anderson, of Washington County, Tenn., it includes extensive newsclippings on the Civil War. Anderson himself served for a time as a messenger boy for Union troops.

Bowman Family Papers, 1792-1886 This collection of family papers includes letters from Confederate soldiers Alfred and Richard Bowman serving at Vicksburg, Miss. (1863) to family members in Washington County, Tenn. The letters provide a vivid picture of camp life and military activity around Vicksburg. Alfred died there of fever in 1863. Richard was captured at Vicksburg and did not return home until 1865.

Thomas Burton Collection, 1967-91 One audio cassette of writer Lisa Alther discussing impact of the Civil War on Southern fiction.

Burton-Manning Collection, 1960-72 Primarily a folklore collection, it includes recorded discussions of the impact of the Civil War on the southern Appalachian region, as well as renditions of Civil War era songs.

Col. John H. Crawford Papers, 1855-62 Includes correspondence concerning the recruitment and organization of the Sixtieth Tennessee Infantry (Confederate), mustered in at Jonesborough, Tenn., as well as letters and a petition to President Jefferson Davis related to Crawford's commission in Confederate service.

Fannie A. Fain Diaries, 1863-98 Includes a photocopy of a handwritten diary (1863-1865) kept by Fain, of Blountville, Tenn. The diaries offer comment on life on the homefront in East Tennessee, including accounts of General James Longstreet's occupation of the area around Zollicoffer [Bluff City], Tenn., on area bushwhackers, on losing a brother during the war, and on other wartime hardships.

Charles R. Gunter, Jr. Collection, 1974-79 Primarily a folklore collection, it includes a few oral history recordings discussing the impact of the Civil War in southern Appalachia.

Mary L. Pearre Hamilton Collection, 1860-65 Includes photocopies of a diary of Mary L. Pearre (1863-64); of letters from John Hall Hamilton (who served in the Confederate 7th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry) to his fiancé‚ Mary L. Pearre; and of notes and commentary added by their son, Joshua Pearre Hamilton in later life. The diary entries contain comments on life in Middle Tennessee during the war with Pearre's analysis of political and military events. Hamilton's letters describe life in the military camps and in combat. Hamilton was captured during Pickett's charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. He and Mary Pearre were married in 1865 in Williamson County, Tenn.

Frederick S. Heiskell Papers, 1810-82 Includes Civil War era letters from Heiskell, a Knoxville, Tenn. politician and newspaperman, to politicians such as John Bell, as well as newsclippings which relate to the war and papers concerning Civil War claims. Also included are photocopied letters from Heiskell's daughter to her husband, a Confederate soldier.

Theodore A. Honour Collection, 1862-85 Consists primarily of photocopies of Civil War letters (1862-65) Honour, a native of Charleston, S. C., wrote to his wife and other family members reflecting on the war and Confederate military and civilian life. There are also newsclippings on Honour's unit (the Washington Light Infantry), a muster roll of the unit, and other letters written by family members during the war.

William Hopper Papers, 1862-65 Includes a letter and photocopies of discharge papers documenting some of Hopper's service in the federal 24th Iowa Infantry during the war. The letter, sent by Hopper while stationed in Helena, Ark., to his wife in Iowa reflects the feeling of discontent among the troops and examines war issues from a soldier's perspective.

Nat E. Hyder Papers, 1802-1930 Papers include a photo of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry (1911) and claims made by Carter County, Tenn. citizens against the federal government for supplies used by Union troops.

James W. McKee Collection, 1861-65 Consists of typed transcripts of diaries kept by two Confederate soldiers, Finley Patterson Curtis and Rufus A. Spainhour, both of Wilkes County, N. C. The men served with the First and Second North Carolina Regiments in the Virginia theater of war. The Curtis diary is a detailed account of his service from 1861-64. Spainhour's diary covers such notable events as Gettysburg, the siege of Washington, and the surrender at Appomattox, as well as sober reflections on the realities of war.

Miscellaneous Papers, 1770-1980 Includes Confederate memorabilia such as money and a bond (1861- 64) and photographs of Andrew Johnson (undated).

William Henley Nelson Family Papers, 1861-1973 A native of Washington County, Tenn., Nelson served in the 10th Tennessee Infantry and the 5th Tennessee Cavalry, both federal units. The papers document Nelson's military service and include military certificates and commissions, photocopies of his military service records, correspondence related to his military pension, and a muster roll for Company L, 5th Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry (1865).

Frank P. Smith Papers, 1919-47 East Tennessee educator Smith's papers include a research paper written by Smith on the Civil War.

William Sullivan Collection, 1864-1911 Sullivan, a native of North Carolina and later resident of Bristol, Tenn., served in the 57th North Carolina Regiment. This Confederate unit saw action in Maryland and Virginia. The collection includes an 1864 letter written by Sullivan from a camp near Fredricksburg, Va., which describes his attitude towards the war.

Tennessee Civil War Centennial Commission Records, 1959-65 The records of the commission established to commemorate the Civil War centennial include information on the activities of the centennial commission and on Civil War veterans and activities. It includes newsclippings on the deaths of war veterans in East Tennessee, a list of Confederate units from Washington County, Tenn., a chronology of battles and war events, informational bulletins and publications, as well as correspondence related to the commission's work.

Andrew Jackson Williams Papers, 1908-10 Born on a farm in Polk County, Tenn. in 1846, Williams served with the Confederate 62nd Tennessee Infantry and participated in "scouts and raids" against federal troops in the Chattanooga area during 1863-64. He later saw action in Georgia with the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry. The papers include a photocopy of Williams' 60 page reminiscence (written in 1908-09) of his Civil War service for the Confederacy.

Nathaniel Taylor Winston Collection, 1781-1967 A Bristol, Tenn. native, Winston was a prominent East Tennessee businessman and collector of historical materials. The collection includes a copy of General Robert E. Lee's last order to the Army of Northern Virginia, 1865.

Suggested Reading from Special Collections

The following is a list of selected titles relating to the Civil War in Tennessee and southern Appalachia. The list includes both historical and fictional accounts. For a complete listing, please consult Sherrod Library Online Catalog.

Allen, V. C. Rhea and Meigs Counties (Tennessee) in the Confederate War. 1908.

Bryan, Charles Faulkner. The Civil War in East Tennessee: A Social, Political, and Economic Study. 1978.

Bokum, Hermann. The Testimony of a Refugee from East Tennessee. 1863.

Carter, William Randolph. History of the First Regiment of Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry. 1902.

Confederate Southern Miorial Association. History of the Confederated Miorial Associations of the South. 1904.

Coulter, E. Merton. William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands. 1971.

Ellis, Daniel. Thrilling Adventures of Daniel Ellis. 1867.

Fluker, Anne. Confer'ric Gal. 1926.

Ford, Jesse Hill. The Raider. 1975.

Fox, John. The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come. 1903.

Glasgow, Ellen Anderson. The Battle-Ground. 1902.

Hay, Thomas Robson. Hood's Tennessee Campaign. 1929.

Hickerson, Thomas Felix. Echoes of Happy Valley: Letters and Diaries, Family Life in the South. 1962.

Hood, John Bell. Advance and Retreat. Personal Experiences in the United States and Confederate States Armies. 1880.

Humes, Thomas William. The Loyal Mountaineers of Tennessee. 1888.

Humphrey, Steve. That 'D d Brownlow: Being a Saucy and Malicious Description of William Gannaway Brownlow. 1978.

Kimmel, Stanley Preston. Mr. Davis's Richmond. 1958.

McMurray, William Johnson. History of the Twentieth Tennessee Regiment Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. 1904.

Paludan, Phillip S. Victim: A True Story of the Civil War. 1981.

Scott, Samuel W. History of the Thirteenth Regiment, Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry, U.S.A. 1903.

Sensing, Thurman. Champ Ferguson, Confederate Guerilla. 1942.

Smith, Edward Conrad. The Borderland in the Civil War. 1970.

Smith, Margaret Lyons. Miss Nan, Beloved Rebel. 1986.

Tennessee Civil War Centennial Commission. Chronology of Battles, Skirmishes, and Events in the State of Tennessee. 196_.

Tennessee Civil War Centennial Commission. Tennesseans in the Civil War: A Military History of Confederate and Union Units. 1964. [2 vols.]

Walker, Edward R., III. Tales From the Civil War. 1983.

Walker, Gary C. The War in Southwest Virginia,1861-65. 1985.

Williams, Samuel Cole. General John T. Wilder, Commander of the Lightning Brigade. 1936.

Wolfe, Thomas. Mannerhouse, A Play in a Prologue and Four Acts. 1985.

Worsham, William Johnson. The Old Nineteenth Tennessee Regiment, C.S.A., June 1861-April 1865. 1972.

Wright, Marcus Joseph. Tennessee in the War, 1861-1865. 1908.