Collection Development Policy, Maryland History and Culture: Maryland in the Civil War [Draft]

Historical Background

The Civil War divided the nation between north and south. Maryland , physically south of the Mason-Dixon line, was officially politically positioned on the side of the Union . The citizens of Maryland were equally as divided. President Lincoln had received less than five percent of the vote in Baltimore , where, on April 19, 1861, fighting broke out as the Union soldiers marched between Camden and President Street railroad stations. Many Civil War battles occurred in Maryland (Antietam, Monacacy); Maryland was home to prisoner of war camps (Point Lookout); and both Union and Confederate troops passed through Maryland on their way to other battles, such as the Battle of Gettysburg.

Scope of the Collection

The collection endeavors to document not only the military activities related to the American Civil War (1861-1865), but also the lives of the citizens of the state during this time period, as well as examining the impression left by the war in the post-war period.

Primary Collecting Areas:

• African Americans
• Battles
• Civilian Life
• Day-to-day military operations

Manuscript Types:

• Business Records
• Correspondence between soldiers and their families
• Diaries kept by soldiers and civilians
• Discharge Papers
• Pension Records
• Photographs
• Rosters
• Sermons

Published Sources:

Highlights of the Collection

Highlights of the collection include The John Jacob Omenhausser Sketchbook . While a Confederate prisoner at Point Lookout Prison Camp, Omenhausser sketched scenes of prison life. The color drawings are done in the style of cartoons, with each person in the scene speaking a line of dialogue.

Exceptions

We do not collect items documenting the Civil War exclusively in other states, for example, a diary of a Civil War soldier in Georgia . In addition, we do not actively seek object-oriented items or memorabilia, such as Civil War uniforms, bullets, or weapons, although such items may be accessioned as parts of larger collections.

Other Resources

University of Maryland Libraries: