Birds-eye painting of a Wisconsin Civil War regiment in a parade.

HISTORICAL ESSAY

Wisconsin's Involvement in the Civil War

Read an overview of Wisconsin's involvement in U.S. Civil War, 1861-1865. Learn about the state's contributions including the Iron Brigade and Old Abe, the war eagle.

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Search Inside This Collection

Roughly 25,000 pages of original documents about Wisconsin in the Civil War are available online including soldiers' letters, diaries, and memoirs; regimental histories and rosters; photographs, maps, biographies and battle summaries.

Wisconsin Civil War Stories

Read dozens of stories taken from original documents about camp life, combat, death and destruction, politics, enemy encounters and personal reflections.

A Wisconsin Civil War Story

A Wisconsin Civil War Story

Civil War Battle Summaries

Learn basic facts about each battle and the role played by Wisconsin troops. Summaries include links to battle maps, related images and original documents.

Historical Essay

Brentwood, Battle of

Civil War Battle Summary

Read about the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry's role in this Civil War battle. This article includes links to original documents and other accounts of the battle.

Historical Essay

Perryville, Battle of

Civil War Battle Summary

Read about one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War where more than 7,500 soldliers were killed.
Wisconsin Civil War Regimental Histories

Learn basic regiment facts and the important engagements. Histories include links to original documents.

Wisconsin Civil War Regiment

The 47th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Randall in Madison and mustered into service on February 27, 1865

Wisconsin Civil War Regiment

The 34th Wisconsin Infantry was organized at Camp Randall in Madison and mustered into service on December, 1862
Biographies of Wisconsin Leaders in the Civil War

Read short biographies of prominent Wisconsin figures from the Civil War era.

Wisconsin Civil War Officer, 9th Wisconsin Secretary of State, Newspaper Publisher

Thomas S. Allen is best remembered for his leadership of the 5th Wisconsin Infantry during the Civil War.

Wisconsin Civil War Officer, Wisconsin Governor

Brief biography of Gov. Louis P. Harvey, helped organize the Republican Party in 1854, state senator from 1854-1857 and in 1862 became governor.

RESOURCE DESCRIPTION

Historic civil war photo.
  • About Our American Civil War Collections
    After more than 150 years of collecting Civil War materials, the Library and Archives own nearly 10,000 books and pamphlets, 1,300 manuscript collections, and more than 2,000 historical photographs, broadsides, and maps. You'll find rosters, casualty lists, memoirs, regimental histories and more.
Historic civil war photo.
More Essays on Wisconsin in the Civil War

Basic statistics pertaining to Wisconsin's involvement in the Civil War.

Sources for learning about Wisconsin women during the war.

Read about the most famous escapes of fugitive slaves along Wisconsin's Underground Railroad. Includes links to primary sources.
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