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The article examines African American slaves' involvement in the military forces of the Confederate States of America during the U.S. Civil War through an analysis of military records kept at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Efforts to actually enlist African Americans did not begin until March 1865, only a month before the war's end. The 1st Regiment Native Guard, Louisiana Militia was made up of free blacks but was not part of the Confederate Army.

The article discusses popular topics of study at the U.S. National Archives related to the U.S. Civil War such as general George Armstrong Custer, freedmen, and the wreck of the steamer Central America.

The article presents a profile of U.S. Army Major General Frederick Crayton Ainsworth and his efforts to preserve, collect, and organize documents related the American Civil War during his time working with the U.S. Record and Pension Office following the war.

The article discusses various written orders from the U.S. Civil War stored at the U.S. National Archives, including general orders, special orders, and unnumbered orders.

The article discusses the author's opinion on the handling of original historic documents and manuscripts pertaining to the history of the U.S. Civil War by archivists and historians.

A news brief is presented on the theft and illegal sale of U.S. Civil War documents, with information on whom to contact about documents stolen from the U.S. National Archives.

The article discusses the archival records regarding claims for compensation for losses suffered by civilians during the U.S. Civil War found in Record Group 92 in the National Archives Records Administration (NARA). The NARA has similar records of claims made in the Confederate States of America which are found in Record Group 109 titled "Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms."

The article discusses archival resources available at the U.S. National Archives Records Administration to researchers interested in the U.S. Colored Troops, the African American Union army regiments who fought during the U.S. Civil War. Some of the records discussed include those gathered by the Bureau of Colored Troops, the Compiled Military Service Records, and the U.S. Army pension files.

The article focuses on the Compiled Military Service Records (CSRs), created by the U.S. War Department. The basis of the CSRs are Southern service records that were surrendered to U.S. Federal control by Confederate adjutant and inspector general Samuel Cooper. Information is also provided for the "Unfiled Papers and Slips Belonging in Confederate Compiled Service Records."

The article focuses on the occupation of quartermaster, particularly in the United States Civil War. The article discusses records on U.S. quartermaster activities in the National Archives referred to as Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, which includes letters, drawings, maps and photographs.

The article reports that documents on Southern civilians collected by the United States War Department in 1891-1892 are digitized and available online at footnote.com. The "Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms" include documents such as contracts, telegrams and correspondence, and employee lists.

The article discusses research on correspondence during the Civil War. The U.S. National Archives has communications from a range of Southern citizens including well educated citizens to farmers with many asking to be exempt from military service. There has been a name index created as well as a small subject index.

The article describes the collection of soldier pension files held within the U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C. Details are given outlining how and why soldier pension files are useful for historical research, highlighting the level of detail recorded for each soldier's application regardless of acceptance. Comments are also given noting what kinds of documentation are frequently found within the personnel files.

The article presents information on descriptive lists which were used for documentation purposes during the U.S. Civil War to record the physical details of war volunteers. The list consisted of the recruit's name, age, height, complexion, color of eyes and hair, birth place, and occupation, as well as when, where, by whom and for what period he enlisted. The list also included a 'remarks' column which documented a man's character, and his achievements and failures .