This bibliography provides an overview for Civil War research in the Burton Historical Collection. The BHC contains a wealth of material from the antebellum and Civil War era. Here one can research the history of slavery in Detroit (Michigan outlawed slavery when it became a state in 1837), the local Underground Railroad, and leading Michigan abolitionists Sojourner Truth, Henry Bibb, William Lambert, and George DeBaptiste.
One will also find such poignant documents as deeds of manumission, bills of sale, and letters and diaries of Civil War soldiers including James Vernor (of Vernor’s Ginger Ale) and Lorenzo Barnes whose wife and children were informed of his death near the end of the war in October 1864 as he was about to start for home.
Students and researchers can peruse a nearly complete run of William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper – The Liberator ; the papers of Austin Blair, Michigan’s war-time governor; anti-slavery and pro-slavery pamphlets and sermons by national and local notables; a facsimile of the Emancipation Proclamation; an early copy of the 13th Amendment; and photographs of some of Michigan’s regimental units.
Atlases
Atlas of the battlefields of Chickamauga, Chattanooga and vicinity. Washington. 1901, 22 maps. call no. 912.737 U589bc 1863.
Military maps illustrating the operations of the armies of the Potomac & James, May 4th 1864 to April 9th 1865…. Washington. 1867, 17 maps. call no. 912.737 U588mp 1864-65.
Books
Anderson, William M. They died to make men free: a history of the 19th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War. Berrien Springs, MI. 1980, 320 p. call no. 977.4 355i19 A522t
Bertera, Martin N. and Crawford, Kim. The 4th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War. Lansing, MI. 2010, 412 p. call no. 973.7474 B461f
Bibb, Henry. Narrative of the Life and Times of Henry Bibb, an American Slave. 1849, 204 p. call no. 326.92 B47n3 reserved section
Breyfogle, William. Make Free: The Story of the Underground Railroad. Philadelphia, PA. 1958, 287 p. call no 973.71158 B75m
Butler, Marvin Benjamin. My Story of the Civil War and the Under-ground Railroad. Huntington, IN. 1914, 390 p. call no. 973.781 B97
Cockrum, William Monroe. History of the Underground Railroad as it was Conducted by the Anti-slavery League. Huntington, IN. 1915, 328 p. call no. 973.71158 C64
Coffin, Levi. Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the Reputed President of the Underground Railroad. Cincinnati, OH. 1876, 712 p. call no. B C6543r
Crawford, Kim. The 16th Michigan Infantry. Dayton, OH. 2002, 645 p. call no. 973.7474 C857s
Danforth, Mildred E. A Quaker Pioneer: Laura Haviland, Superintendent of the Underground. New York, NY. 1961, 259 p. call no. B H2995 D29
Ellis, Helen H. Michigan in the Civil War: A guide to the material in the newspapers 1861-1866. Lansing, MI. 1965, 404 p. call no. 977.407 E47m
Fairbank, Calvin. Rev. Calvin Fairbank during Slavery Times: How He “Fought the Good Fight” to Prepare “the Way”. Chicago, IL. 1890, 207 p. call no. B F1507, Edgar DeWitt Jones Lincoln Collection
Fredericks, Pierce G. The Civil War as they knew it: Abraham Lincoln’s immortal Brady’s famous photographs. New York. 1961, 213 p. call no. 973.7 F8383c
Haviland, Laura Smith. A Woman’s Life-work, Labors, and Experiences. Cincinnati, OH. 1881 (later editions 1884, 1902), 515 (520, 637) p. call no. B H2995w
Herek, Raymond J. These men have seen hard service: the First Michigan Sharpshooters in the Civil War. Detroit, MI. c1998, 561 p. call no. 973.7474 H421t
Hoffman, Mark. My brave mechanics: the First Michigan Engineers and their Civil War. Detroit, MI. c2007, 470 p. call no. 973.7474 H675m
Humphries, Eck. The Underground Railroad. McConnelsville, OH. 1931, 47 p. call no. 973.71158 H889u
Hutchins, Richard G. Howell goes to war 1861-1865 (Livingston County, MI). [Michigan : R.G. Hutchins]. 2006, 416 p. call no. 977.4 H97h
Illinois Military and Naval Department. Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Illinois…. Springfield, IL. 1886. 8 Vols. call no. 977.3 355.07 I2ra
Indiana Adjutant General’s Office. Report of the Adjutant General of the state of Indiana…. Indianapolis, IN. 1865-69, 8 vols. call no. 977.2 355.07 I3r
Johnson, Homer Uri. From Dixie to Canada: Romances and Realities of the Underground Railroad. 1894, 194 p. call no. 973.71158 J63 reserved section
Lanman, Charles. The red book of Michigan: a civil, military, and biographical history. Washington. 1871, 549 p. call no. 977.4 L27r
Magill, Edward Hicks. When Men Were Sold: The Underground Railroad in Bucks County, PA. Boston, MA. 1898, 26 p. call no. 973.71158 M27
May, George S. Michigan Civil War history: an annotated bibliography. Detroit, MI. 1961, 128 p. call no. 016.9774 M45m
Michigan Adjutant General’s Office. Records of service of Michigan volunteers in the Civil War, 1861-65. Kalamazoo, MI. 190-, 46 vols. call no. 977.4 355.07 M5r
Michigan Adjutant General’s Office. Alphabetical general index to public library sets of 85,271 names of Michigan soldiers and sailors individual records. Lansing, MI. 1915, 1097 p. call no. 977.4 355.07 M5ri
Michigan Freedmen’s Progress Commission. Michigan manual of Freedmen’s progress. 1968. Cover title: Negroes in Michigan history. Reprint with index added by John Green, editor. Detroit, MI. 1968, 371p. call no. 977.4 325.26 M5fa
Michigan Gettysburg Battlefield Commission. Dedication of the Michigan monuments on the battlefield at Gettysburg. Pennsylvania. n.d. call no. 973.7349 M58d
Millbrook, Minnie D. A study in valor: Michigan Medal of Honor winners in the Civil War. Lansing, MI. 1966, 155 p. call no. 973.76 M611s
Mitchell, William M. The Under-ground Railroad. Westport, CT. 1970 (reprint), 172 p. call no. 973.71158 M696u
New York (State) Adjutant General’s Office. A record of the commissioned officers, noncommissioned officers, and privates…. Albany, NY. 1864-68, 8 vols. call no. L974.7 355.07 N4r
Ohio Roster Commission. Official roster of the solders of the state of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1866. Akron, OH. 1886-95, 12 vols. call no. 977.1 355.07 O3
Peckham, Howard H. A list of Michigan regiments of the Civil War…and Chronological list of battles of the Civil War, showing the particular Michigan units involved. 1961. call no. L977.4 355.07 P331
Pettit, Eber M. Sketches in the History of the Underground Railroad, Comprising Many Thrilling Incidents of the Escape of Fugitives from Slavery, and the Perils of Those Who Aided Them. Fredonia, NY. 1879, 174 p. call no. 973.7115 P45, microfilm BHC #572
Poremba, David. If I am found dead: Michigan voices from the Civil War. Ann Arbor, MI. c2006, 245 p. call no. 973.7474 I23
Rawick, George P. The American slaves: a composite autobiography. [Series: Contribution in Afro-American and African studies]. Westport, CN. 1972, 19 vols. call no. 973.711 A517
Rawick, George P. The American slaves: a composite autobiography. [ Series: Contribution in Afro-American and African studies]. Westport, CN. 1972, 19 vols. call no. 973.711 A517 Suppl.
Robertson, John. Michigan in the war. Lansing, MI. 1882, 1039 p. call no. 977.4 355.07 M5m2
Siebert, Wilbur Henry. The Mysteries of Ohio’s Underground Railroads. Columbus, OH. 1951, 330 p. call no. 973.71158 S57m
Siebert, Wilbur Henry. The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom. New York, NY. 1968, 478 p. call no. 973.7115 S57a
Siebert, Wilber Henry. The Underground Railroad in Massachusetts. Worchester, MA. 1936, 78 p. call no. 973.71158 S57u
Siebert, Wilbur Henry. Vermont’s Anti-Slavery and Underground Railroad Records. Columbus, OH. 1937, 113 p. call no. 973.71158 S57v
Smedley, Robert C. History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and the Neighboring Counties of Pennsylvania. Lancaster, PA. 1883, 407 p. call no. 973.71158 S63
Smith, George Owen. The Lovejoy Shrine: The Lovejoy Station on the Underground Railroad. Princeton, IL. 1949, 36 p. call no. 973.71158 S648
Still, William. The Underground Rail Road: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters, etc., Narrating the Hardships, Hair-breadth Escapes and Death Struggles of the Slaves in Their Efforts for Freedom. Philadelphia, PA. 1872, 780 p. call no. 973.71158 S85 1872
Stowe, Mark S. Company B, 6th Michigan Cavalry. Grand Rapids, MI. c2002, 119 p. call no. 973.7494 S892c
Thornton, Leland W. When gallantry was commonplace: the history of the Michigan Eleventh Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864. New York. 1991, 257 p. call no. 977.4 355.07 T395w
Trapp, Glenda K. Index to the report of the Adjutant General of the state of Indiana. Evansville, IN. 1987, 2 vols. call no. 977.2 355.07 I3r index
United States Quartermaster’s Department. Roll of honor of names of soldiers who died in defense of the American union, interred in the national <and other> cemeteries. Washington, D.C. 1865-71, 27 vols. call no. 973.767 U5q
Washington, Margaret. Sojourner Truth’s America. IL. 2009, 478 p. call no. B T767 W2
Wayland, John Walter. John Kagi and John Brown. Strasburg, VA. 1961, 137 p. call no. 973.7116 W36j
Wisconsin Adjutant General’s Office. Wisconsin volunteers in the War of the Rebellion. 1861-1865, arranged alphabetically. Madison, WI. 1914, 1137 p. call no. 977.5 355.07 W7v
Williams, Frederick D. Michigan Soldiers in the Civil War. Lansing, MI. 2002, 87 p. call no. 973.7474 W671m 2002
Williams, James. Life and Times of James Williams, a Fugitive Slave with a Full Description of the Underground Railroad. San Francisco, CA. 1873, 129 p. call no. 973.71158 W67l3
Williams, James. Life and Times of James Williams, a Fugitive Slave with a Full Description of the Underground Railroad, 5th Edition. Philadelphia, PA. 1893, 130 p. call no. 973.71158 W67l5 Woodford, Frank B. Abraham’s children: Michigan episodes in the Civil War. Detroit, MI. 1961, 305 p. call no. 977.407 W855f
Broadsides
Hamtramck, MI. List of enrolled men in the township of Hamtramck. August 23, 1864. n.p. 1864, 1 sheet. call no. 099.737 H181
Hamtramck, MI. Lists of persons liable to draft in the 12th sub-district Hamtramck, Wayne County, at this date March 11, 1865. n.p. 1865, 1 sheet. call no. 099.737 H1816
Biography Files and Excerpts and Miscellanea
Bibb, Henry. call no. RRF Bibb, Henry
Civil War Picture Album. Carte de visite portraits dedicated to the 3rd Mich. Cavalry. call no. E&M 977.4 355c3p
Civil War Veterans of the 102 U.S. Colored Troops. The first Michigan Colored regiment. call no. E&M 977.4 355c
DeBaptiste, George. call no. RRF DeBaptiste, George
Finney, Seymour. call no. RRF Finney, Seymour
Lambert, William. call no. E&M B Lambert, William
Michigan – History – Civil War. call no. E&M 977.4 355.07
Sojourner Truth. call no. RRF Sojourner Truth
Underground Railroad. call no. E&M 973.71158
Microfilm
General Index to Pension Files, 1861 – 1934. National Archives T288. 544 reels. call no. BHC #1324
Returns from the United States military posts, 1800 – 1916. 24 reels. call no. BHC #1531
Manuscripts
With over 50 manuscript collections containing at least some Civil War material, these are the larger collections.
MS/Barnes, Lorenzo. 1818-1864. 1 wallet
MS/Blair, Austin. 1838-1921. 64 boxes
MS/Chapin, Marshall W. 186-1864. 1 box, 1 wallet
MS/Civil War Correspondence. 1860-1866. 1 box
MS/Dawes, Martin C. 1862-1865. 1 box
MS/DeBaptiste, George. 1850-1920. 1 wallet
MS/Detroit Civil War Bounty Payments. 1864-1865. 6 boxes
MS/Grand Army of the Republic, Detroit Post #384. 1887-1929. 5 boxes
MS/Lambert, William. 1820-190. 1 wallet
MS/Lansing, Frank E. 1844-1908. 1 box
MS/Soldier’s Aid Society of Michigan, Detroit. 1861-1866. 1 box, 4 wallets, 10 volumes
MS/Stocking, William R. 1869-1923. 4 boxes
MS/U.S. General Hospital, Detroit. 1864-1865. 4 boxes
MS/Vernor, James. 1843-1927. 11 boxes, 1 LMS folder
Photographs
For Civil War photographs, use the following subject headings on call slips.
D/Forts – Wayne
LD/Forts – Wayne
D/History – Civil War
LD/History – Civil War
D/Streets – Griswold & State (Finney’s Barn)
D/Underground Railroad
LD/Underground Railroad
M/History – Civil War
LM/History – Civil War
Newspapers
Detroit Daily Advertiser and Tribune. 30 reels of microfilm. call no. BHC #1557
Detroit Free Press, 1831-1922. online database
Liberator, 1833-1864
Voice of the Fugitive, 1851-1825
For additional information, see the Burton Historical Collection’s card catalogs and start with:
- Military Service Lists Catalog (white cards)
- Local History Catalog (orange cards)
- Picture catalog (white cards)
- Manuscript Catalog (white cards)
- Detroit and Michigan Biography Index (blue cards)
- Burton Book Catalog (white cards)
- Detroit Newspaper Chronology
Try these subject headings:
United States/History – Civil War – Campaigns
United States/History – Civil War – Personal Narratives
United States/History – Civil War – Regimental Histories
United States/History – Civil War – Registers, lists, etc.
Slavery in the United States
Slavery in the United States – Anti-Slavery Movements
Slavery in the United States – Controversial Literature
Michigan/History – Civil War
Michigan/Underground Railroad
Detroit/History – Civil War
Detroit/Underground Railroad
See also:
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Washington, D.C. 1894-1917. 27 vols. call no. 973.75 U5n
United States War Department. The War of the Rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. Washington, D.C. 1880-1901. 70 vols. Location: B39N