Illustration from Harper’s Weekly of the Battle of Carthage.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 46: William Heldman 17th Missouri Infantry

Frederick William Charles Heldman, (who was carried on rosters as Charles Heldman but signed his letters William Heldman) was an immigrant from Germany who served in Company…

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Robert H. King’s valentine for Louiza. Courtesy of the Library of Virginia.

Valentine’s Day During the Civil War

Hearts in the Midst of Battle: Valentine’s Day During the Civil War There’s a powerful image that lingers in many American minds each February: couples holding hands, whi…

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Illustration by Frank Vizetelly of the assault on Fort Wagner.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 46: Halsey Bartlett 6th Connecticut Infantry

Halsey Bartlett was born in 1831 to Richard Bartlett and Christina S. (Fisher) Bartlett of Killingly, Connecticut. He enlisted in Company A, 6th Connecticut Infantry on…

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William Wirt Groves (1843-1941) of Belmont county, Ohio, who served in Co. B, 126th Ohio Infantry. (sparedandshared23.com)

Voices from the 126th Ohio Infantry

“In Answer to the Call”: Voices from the 126th Ohio Infantry The Concise History of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry is more than a reg…

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Photo of Herbert Daniels of the 7th Rhode Island Infantry.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 45: Herbert Daniels 7th Rhode Island Infantry

Herbert Daniels was born in 1836 to David Daniels and Nancy (Ballou) Daniels. The letters in this collection begin in 1862 while Herbert Daniels was helping his brother,…

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Photo of Kimball Pearsons of the 10th New York Cavalry taken in January 1864.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 44: Kimball Pearsons 10th New York Cavalry

Kimball Pearsons was born in Collins, New York, on October 11, 1831, to Amos and Mary (Bartlett) Pearsons. Amos died in 1850 and Mary died in 1859. Kimball Pearsons married…

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Here is a screenshot of a catalog record using CatalogIt software. Can you see the vast difference between this and Excel? Which one is better suited for supporting a well-documented collection?

The Importance of a Well-Documented Private Collection: Part 3, Software

The Importance of a Well-Documented Private Collection: Part 3 The last two weeks we’ve discussed the importance of a well-documented private collection, and this week we’re g…

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Levee at Memphis, Tennessee in 1864.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 43: Joseph Maitland 95th Ohio Infantry

Joseph Maitland was born in 1838 to James Madison Maitland and Anna (Mast) Maitland of Salem, Ohio. Joseph Maitland enlisted in Company G, 95th Ohio Infantry on August 8,…

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This 1808 illustration of Christie's auction rooms makes you wonder what sort of documentation they provided with their sales. Buying items at auction has been going on for a very long time, and this picture from over 200 years ago really reinforces how we are just one small part of an object's total history. Image Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Importance of a Well-Documented Collection: Part 2, Purchased Items

The Importance of a Well-Documented Collection: Part 2, Purchased Items Last week’s post left you with some instructions to take a cursory look at your collection. Where and w…

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Photo of “White House” once belonging to the Custis family taken on May 17, 1862. It burned down in June, 1862, prior to Henry Cole Smith’s arrival.

Research Arsenal Spotlight 42: Henry Cole Smith 8th Connecticut Infantry

Henry Cole Smith was born in 1845 to Marcus DeForest Smith and Harriet (Cole) Smith of Kent, Connecticut. He was just fifteen years old when he enlisted in Company E of the…

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