A Guide to Georgia 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 Georgia. The book is 250 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 Georgia and Georgia 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.
Georgia Research Volumes - The most comprehensive bibliography ever compiled by regiment of histories, diaries and journals of Georgia troops. This section lists each of the artillery, cavalry, and infantry units formed in Georgia with cross references to the first hand accounts, diaries, journals, and regimental histories written on the unit.
Formation of Counties in Georgia
County Cross Reference - Showing what units were formed in each county.
EXAMPLE:
GLASCOCK COUNTY:
6th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company A, Sydney Brown Infantry
15th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company E, Hancock Volunteers
15th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company K, Hancock Confederate Guards
49th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Pierce Guards
59th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company D, Bullard Guards
59th Regiment, Georgia Infantry, Company I, Turner Guards
Local Designations of Georgia Troops - Cross referencing local names to the unit and company in which they served.
EXAMPLE:
Anderson Guards (Six month Local Defense Troops, GA)
Anthony Greys (GA 60th Infantry Regiment, Company A)
Altamaha South (GA 25th Infantry Regiment, Company F)
Battles Fought in Georgia - 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 Georgia Civil War research.
