A Guide
To Alabama
Civil War Research

 

A Guide to Alabama Civil War Research

 

Rather than focusing on the big picture,
this book helps you look for a very small cog in the wheel,
regular people, with ordinary problems and concerns,
who found themselves swept into the vortex
of war in their own homes.

 

With all the many hundreds of books on the Civil War coming out every year and thousands now available on line, the challenge for the non-professional Civil War researcher is to zero in on the relevant material that will aid in your research.

John Rigdon, a professional Civil War researcher, and author of dozens of Civil War books has finally authored a volume that will aid your research in Alabama. The book is 211 pages in length and it will open up the universe of materials available to you in a way never shown before.

CONTENTS

  • Getting Started
  • Finding a Name - How to find the name of your ancestor who fought in the war.
  • A Word About Troop Organization - What does regiment, company, battalion, squadron, army, corps, and battery mean and why should I care?
  • A Mini Course on How To Do Research
  • Off Line Resources for Research - General reference material for researching both the war in Alabama and Alabama troops who fought in Virginia and in the west.
  • Military Service Records - An introduction to the holdings in the National and State archives and how to access the finding aids on line.
  • Veteran Records - Pension records, the United Confederate Veterans, the 1890 Veterans Census, Confederate Veteran Magazine and other resources.
  • Library Research Tools - Bibliograpies, how to effectively utilize the Library of Congress classifications and numbers to browse a library shelf virtually. How to use Inter Library Loan.
  • On Line Research Tools - An introduction and overview of the on line resources.
  • Alabama Research Volumes - The most comprehensive bibliography ever compiled by regiment of histories, diaries and journals of Alabama troops. This section lists each of the artillery, cavalry, and infantry units formed in Alabama with cross references to the first hand accounts, diaries, journals, and regimental histories written on the unit.
  • Formation of Counties in Alabama
  • County Cross Reference - Showing what units were formed in each county.
    • EXAMPLE:
    JACKSON COUNTY:
      Alabama 4th Cavalry Regiment (Russell's)
      Alabama 12th Cavalry Regiment
      Alabama 18th Cavalry Battalion
      3rd Confederate Cavalry Regiment: DeKalb - Jackson - Wilcox
      Alabama 2nd Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 4th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 6th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 7th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 9th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 12th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 49th Infantry Regiment
      Alabama 55th Infantry Regiment
      1st Confederate Infantry Battalion: some men from old 2nd Alabama Infantry Regiment: Calhoun - Jackson - Mobile
      Waddell's Alabama Battery
  • Local Designations of Alabama Troops - Cross referencing local names to the unit and company in which they served.
    • EXAMPLE:
    Alabama Invincibles (AL 38th Infantry Regiment, Co. D)
    Confederate Bricks (AL 54th Infantry Regiment, Co, B
    Emmett Guards (AL 24th Infantry Regiment, Co, B
  • Battles Fought in Alabama - The major battles identified by campaign with links to on-line resources.

    • Mr. Rigdon has spent over 25 years researching and organizing these materials and this book truly represents a lifetime of achievement in the field of Alabama Civil War research.

       

    Hardback - $45.00
    Paperback - $20.00

    A Guide to Alabama Civil War Research
    John C. Rigdon
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    Orders may also be sent via U.S. Snail to:
    Eastern Digital Resources
    5705 Sullivan Point Drive
    Powder Springs, GA 30127