Civil War Collections

Welcome to the Civil War Collections web site created by University Archives & Historical Collections at Michigan State University. We have been featured on ABC TV (Flint) and Michigan Radio. In 2015, our site was listed in the College & Research Libraries News. We also contributed content to Ford's Theatre's Remembering Lincoln project.

Between 2011 and 2015, the nation commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Although no actual battles were fought in Michigan, men—and women—from the state served throughout the war in more than 50 Michigan regiments of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and engineers, as well as in regiments of other states. These Michigan citizens were vital to the Union cause, and President Abraham Lincoln is quoted as exclaiming, "Thank God for Michigan!" when the state's first troops arrived to serve. As part of this sesquicentennial commemoration, University Archives & Historical Collections staff began transcribing and digitizing its collections relating to the Civil War in 2010. These materials—including hundreds of pages of correspondence, diaries, musters, reminiscences, and photographs—are being made available online here for public use.

The MSU Archives research guide (PDF) for The Civil War is available to the public. Check back as this document does get updated.

We hope you find these stories to be educational, interesting, and informative. Keep checking back as we are frequently updating the site with new collections. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please send them to us using our Contact link above. And, if you like what you see, do send us an email! If you are interested in a tour of the archives or to learn more about our collections, please call our main phone line at (517) 355-2330.

Content warning: language and content in resource descriptions and collections may be biased, harmful, and oppressive due to the historical nature of the content.

Alanson Royce Papers (c.00104)
Alanson Royce Papers (c.00104)
Alvah Marsh Papers (c.00110)
Alvah Marsh Papers (c.00110)
Clyde and Mary Henson Collection (c.00606)
Clyde and Mary Henson Collection (c.00606)
Hamilton Davis Collection (c.00633)
Hamilton Davis Collection (c.00633)
J. P. Hoffman Collection (c.00613)
J. P. Hoffman Collection (c.00613)
James Bradish Papers (c.00147)
James Bradish Papers (c.00147)
Ralph M. Lickley Papers (UA 10.3.434)
Ralph M. Lickley Papers (UA 10.3.434)