U.S. Military History Resources

[Airbornelawyer]

The thread on Sherman's March reminded me that I was going to post this list a while back, but forgot.

Google Books has begun digitizing and posting older books which are in the public domain or whose copyrights have expired. Many are readable online or are downloadable as PDFs. All of the books I have identified below are fully available, at least in the U.S., though some might not be available through foreign IPs, presumably because Google is unsure about their copyright status in other countries.

The first series of books below relates to biographical resources on the armed forces of the United States. They are registers of officers of the services of the United States for the periods indicated. The books cover several periods, from the American Revolution through the 19th Century. 20th century registers and the like are generally unavailable as they are still under copyright or otherwise haven't been digitized.


Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution (http://books.google.com/books?id=tZALAAAAIAAJ) - 685 pages, 43.2 mB, originally published in 1914
Historical Register of the United States Army: From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to September 29, 1889 (http://books.google.com/books?id=RnQBAAAAMAAJ) - 928 pages, 58.1 mB, originally published in 1890
Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army: From Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903 (http://books.google.com/books?id=DqLcgTjCR_wC) - 1094 pages, 62.3 mB, originally published in 1903
Powell's Records of Living Officers of the United States Army (http://books.google.com/books?id=sAIKAAAAIAAJ) - 689 pages, 52 mB, published in 1890
General Register of the United States Navy and Marine Corps: Arranged in Alphabetical Order, for One Hundred Years (1782 to 1882) (http://books.google.com/books?id=bP_lGORspesC) - 993 pages, 33.0 mB, originally published in 1882
Register of the Commissioned, Warrant and Volunteer Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Others to January 1, 1863 (http://books.google.com/books?id=fUfiOIZ2RP8C) - 32.9 mB, originally published in 1863
Register of the Commissioned, Warrant and Volunteer Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Others to January 1, 1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=u8lfIMKOYvoC) - 46.3 mB, originally published in 1865
Official Army Register for 1848 (http://books.google.com/books?id=E-MscOnK4OEC)
Official Army Register for 1850 (http://books.google.com/books?id=ekY7r3cNdd8C)
Official Army Register for 1853 (http://books.google.com/books?id=ogakmbnT6JMC)
Official Army Register for 1864 (http://books.google.com/books?id=PZEaAAAAMAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=h5EaAAAAMAAJ)
Official Army Register for January 1880 (http://books.google.com/books?id=UZIaAAAAMAAJ)
Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military and Naval, in the Service of the United States on the Thirtieth of September 1873 (http://books.google.com/books?id=YoIhAAAAMAAJ) - originally published in 1874; covers civilian officials of the U.S. government as well as military
Military Record of Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume I (http://books.google.com/books?id=cBv53AcNnjcC) - 35.3 mB, originally published in 1873; covers the Civil War
Military Record of Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, Volume II (http://books.google.com/books?id=CmBV1WBHAesC) - 24.6 mB, originally published in 1873; covers the Civil War
Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force of the United States Army for the Years 1861, '62, '63, '64, '65: Part IV: West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky (http://books.google.com/books?id=EmsfAAAAMAAJ) (1865) - 282 pages, 10.7 mB, originally published in 1865; covers non-regular volunteer officers in the Civil War. Unfortunately, this is the only volume I could find, but it might be the most interesting since it covers Union officers from Confederate states.
General Officers of the Confederate Army, Officers of the Executive Departments of the Confederate States, Members of the Confederate Congress by State (http://books.google.com/books?id=MEDHOvRy_XIC) - alternate link (http://books.google.com/books?id=HswLAAAAIAAJ) - 188 pages, 1.5 mB, published in 1911

[Airbornelawyer]

Some Civil War resources:

General Orders of the War Department, Embracing the Years 1861, 1862 & 1863: Adapted Specially for the Use of the Army and Navy of the United States, Volume I (http://books.google.com/books?id=vhbQtkmfcf4C) (1864) - 23.8 mB
General Orders of the War Department, Embracing the Years 1861, 1862 & 1863: Adapted Specially for the Use of the Army and Navy of the United States, Volume II (http://books.google.com/books?id=cDIBAAAAQAAJ) (1864) - 42.9 mB
Statistical Record of the Armies of the United States (http://books.google.com/books?id=cVNHr_nnLlYC) (1883) - 343 pages, 11.6 mB

Some unit histories of Union and Confederate units:

Union: History of the 13th Infantry Regiment of Connecticut Volunteers, During the Great Rebellion (http://books.google.com/books?id=2ugLAAAAIAAJ) (1867) - 353 pages, 15.6 mB
History of the Fourteenth Regiment, Connecticut Vol. Infantry (http://books.google.com/books?id=rwY0RR_tT0sC) (1906) - 509 pages, 12.5 mB
The History of the Fifteenth Connecticut Volunteers in the War for the Defense of the Union (http://books.google.com/books?id=4Q6D1iE6hH4C) (1893) - 362 pages, 8.1 mB
The "Twentieth Connecticut": A Regimental History (http://books.google.com/books?id=tRT0tCJfN_YC) (1888) - 288 pages, 4.4 mB
The "Twenty-seventh.": A Regimental History [27th Connecticut] (http://books.google.com/books?id=IF5HBNvVHesC) (1866) - 144 pages, 4.5 mB
A History of the Ninth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry (http://books.google.com/books?id=ATg8USJ-o34C) (1864) - 95 pages
The History of the Ninth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (http://books.google.com/books?id=xs9P9a8TADoC) (1899) - 543 pages, 15.0 mB
Three Years in the Army: The Story of the Thirteenth Massachusetts Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=I0CUq7ylT7oC) (1893) - 476 pages, 12.4 mB
History of the Thirty-seventh Regiment, Mass. Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=uUeca5r8q4MC) (1884) - 431 pages, 17.3 mB
The Story of the Thirty Eighth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=xH5DvZ6NM-AC) (1866) - 308 pages, 4.3 mB
The Story of the Twentieth Michigan Infantry, July 15th, 1862, to May 30th, 1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=e7VhHsblfD8C) (1904) - 271 pages
The History of a Volunteer Regiment: Being a Succinct Account of the Organization, Services and Adventures of the Sixth Regiment New York Volunteers Infantry Known as Wilson Zouaves (http://books.google.com/books?id=J_9LzKuEwzsC) (1891) - 160 pages, 2.0 mB
A History of the Forty-fourth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War (http://books.google.com/books?id=L1eQYSRFhIQC) (1910) - 484 pages, 13.7 mB
The History of the Forty-eighth Regiment New York State Volunteers, in the War for the Union (http://books.google.com/books?id=s_9fmW-ZFlkC) (1885) - 314 pages, 8.8 mB
History of the Third Regiment, Excelsior Brigade, 72d New York Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=3VYZDpRV7BUC) (1902) - 151 pages
History of the 114th Regiment, New York State Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=6e1wuipn73oC) (1868) - 406 pages, 7.6 mB
History of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, Sixtieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=_FohAAAAMAAJ) (1905) - 614 pages, 14.3 mB
History of the One Hundred and Sixth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=BP6eWXYZqogC) (1883) - 351 pages, 10.6 mB
History of the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers, Corn Exchange Regiment (http://books.google.com/books?id=_7TOUHSzu2gC) (1905) - 746 pages, 32.8 mB
History of the 121st Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=YnHWdldwOMYC) (1906) - 299 pages, 4.8 mB
History of the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=OlDD1DBz-y8C) (1912) - 504 pages, 12.2 mB
History of the One Hundred and Fifty-third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers Infantry (http://books.google.com/books?id=GhMHQOIhGTYC) (1909) - 352 pages, 5.1 mB
History of the Third Regiment of Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry 1861-1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=JXPG272dT7MC) (1891) - 445 pages, 11.9 mB
History of the Second Army Corps in the Army of the Potomac (http://books.google.com/books?id=59BaLZv7JUQC) (1886) - 737 pages, 28.4 mB
The Fifth Army Corps (Army of the Potomac) (http://books.google.com/books?id=WcIOgUOmU6QC) (1896) - 900 pages, 13.9 mB
History of the Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac (http://books.google.com/books?id=kMsLAAAAIAAJ) (1900) - 200 pages, 3.7 mB
Confederate:
History of the First Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. (http://books.google.com/books?id=KJ7m-fbzc2MC) (1904) - 142 pages, 3.5 mB
The Maryland Line in the Confederate Army, 1861-1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=I89eYqTFJ6kC) (1900) - 371 pages, 9.8 mB
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-65, Vol. III (http://books.google.com/books?id=6l4hAAAAMAAJ) (1901) - 23.4 mB
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-65, Vol. IV (http://books.google.com/books?id=amEhAAAAMAAJ) (1901) - ?
Histories of the Several Regiments and Battalions from North Carolina in the Great War 1861-65, Vol. V (http://books.google.com/books?id=NVkhAAAAMAAJ) (1901) - 20.8 mB
History of the Fourth Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers (http://books.google.com/books?id=zLFBQ01B_9oC) (1892) - 143 pages, 3.8 mB
Tennessee in the War, 1861-1865 (http://books.google.com/books?id=GzbNP9r7O1EC) (1908) - 228 pages, 4.1 mB
20 of 21 volumes of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, which are all I could locate. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 1 (http://books.google.com/books?id=JNe9ILvOWEUC) (1894) - 54.7 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 2 (http://books.google.com/books?id=bqRra345_B8C) (1895) - 48.8 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 3 (http://books.google.com/books?id=xTXw8uLuAbkC) (1896) - 54.7 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 4 (http://books.google.com/books?id=cZHnBJiXBQ8C) (1896) - 65.0 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 5 (http://books.google.com/books?id=aJNlkd-LAoMC) (1897) - 51.3 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 6 (http://books.google.com/books?id=zofRIWDHLL0C) (1897) - 31.3 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 7 (http://books.google.com/books?id=XCsx16spngEC) (1898) - 41.7 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 8 (http://books.google.com/books?id=z_vazSor5nUC) (1899) - 58.7 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 9 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Qppzt4OYsdcC) (1899) - 50.6 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 10 - volume appears not to be available
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 11 (http://books.google.com/books?id=uRfqm7Zz8UMC) (1900) - 53.4 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 12 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Ie-05OiOeCkC) (1901) - 34.9 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 13 (http://books.google.com/books?id=YkPjqMIiVy0C) (1901) - 70.0 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 14 (http://books.google.com/books?id=cCvaDNaqnSkC) (1902) - 33.6 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 15 (http://books.google.com/books?id=PXmMOpm0k4IC) (1902) - 62.6 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 16 (http://books.google.com/books?id=IYdYou7rd-0C) (1903) - 67.8 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 17 (http://books.google.com/books?id=nUBr_oDkrL8C) (1903) - 76.2 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 18 (http://books.google.com/books?id=YCLSd6LT2MIC) (1904) - 39.6 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 19 (http://books.google.com/books?id=mto3klgHV20C) (1905) - 73.0 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 20 (http://books.google.com/books?id=c1ZrcryiN9UC) (1905) - 51.9 mB
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 21 (http://books.google.com/books?id=7wxxgNMjZPkC) (1906) - 77.5 mB

[Airbornelawyer]

World War I unit histories.


The American Army in the World War: A Divisional Record of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe (http://books.google.com/books?id=xQ0gAAAAMAAJ) (1921) - 307 pages, 4.9 mB
4th Division: The Fourth Division, Its Services and Achievements in the World War (http://books.google.com/books?id=49QBAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 368 pages, 7.5 mB
26th Division: New England in France, 1917-1919: A History of the Twenty-sixth Division, U.S.A. (http://books.google.com/books?id=O8cgAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 325 pages
26th Division: History of the Yankee Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=AdUBAAAAMAAJ) (1919) - 283 pages, 6.2 mB
42nd Division: The Story of the Rainbow Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=2Y1n6i_GcUEC) (1919) - 264 pages, 3.58 mB
82nd Division: Official History of 82nd Division, American Expeditionary Forces, "All American" Division, 1917-1919 (http://books.google.com/books?id=1akBAAAAMAAJ) (1919) - 310 pages, 8.7 mB
86th Division: The Official History of the Eighty-Sixth Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=a1YDAAAAMAAJ) (1921) - 319 pages, 15.9 mB
89th Division: History of the 89th Division, U.S.A. (http://books.google.com/books?id=_VYDAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 511 pages, 23.4 mB
90th Division: A History of the 90th Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=l1oDAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 259 pages, 3.86 mB
91st Division: The Story of the 91st Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=9qkBAAAAMAAJ) (1919) - 177 pages, 2.5 mB

The Story of the First Gas Regiment (http://books.google.com/books?id=6xUgAAAAMAAJ) (1919) - 326 pages, 6.5 mB
Seventy-First New York in the World War (http://books.google.com/books?id=zsABAAAAMAAJ) (1922) - 522 pages, 13.9 mB
History of the 126th Infantry in the War with Germany (http://books.google.com/books?id=XE8DAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 348 pages, 9.81 mB
With the 364th Infantry in America, France, and Belgium (http://books.google.com/books?id=61cFAAAAIAAJ) (1919) - 264 pages, 6.9 mB
The Three Hundred and First Engineers: A History, 1917-1919 (http://books.google.com/books?id=_6sBAAAAMAAJ) (1920) - 310 pages, 9.9 mB

[The Reaper]

The ORs are a treasure trove, and due to the sheer number of volumes, are hard to find.

Thanks!

TR

[Pete]

Try this link

http://home.att.net/%7ECap1MD/Drill.htm

It is a reenactor site but has links to a number of manuals of the times.

Scott's Infantry Tactics, Hardee's 1855 (Rifle), Hardee's 1862 (Rifle/Musket) AKA the NC Drill Manual, Digest of the U.S. Tactics and US Regulations are all worth a peek.

Pete

[Airbornelawyer]

Some additional U.S. Army registers:

A Compilation of Registers of the Army of the United States, from 1815 to 1837 (http://books.google.com/books?id=XIcFAAAAMAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1850 (http://books.google.com/books?id=ekY7r3cNdd8C)
Official Army Register for 1851 (http://books.google.com/books?id=KfIBAAAAYAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1861 (http://books.google.com/books?id=TuMsAAAAIAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1862 (http://books.google.com/books?id=khMtAAAAIAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1868 (http://books.google.com/books?id=t-UsAAAAIAAJ)
Official Army Register for 1894 (http://books.google.com/books?id=_O4sAAAAIAAJ)

[Airbornelawyer]

A few more WW1 divisional histories:

1st Division: History of the First Division During the World War, 1917-1919 (http://books.google.com/books?id=hckLAAAAYAAJ)
5th Division: The Official History of the Fifth Division, U. S. A. (http://books.google.com/books?id=yc8MAAAAYAAJ)
28th Division: The Iron Division, National Guard of Pennsylvania, in the World War (http://books.google.com/books?id=Y9ULAAAAYAAJ)
29th Division: History of the Twenty-ninth Division, "Blue and Gray," 1917-1919 (http://books.google.com/books?id=t8wMAAAAYAAJ)
32nd Division: The 32nd Division in the World War, 1917-1919 (http://books.google.com/books?id=Hs0MAAAAYAAJ)
33rd Division: The History of the 33rd Division, A.E.F. (http://books.google.com/books?id=rNwLAAAAYAAJ)
35th Division: Heroes of the Argonne: An Authentic History of the Thirty-fifth Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=oc0MAAAAYAAJ)
36th Division: Story of the 36th: The Experiences of the 36th Division in the World War (http://books.google.com/books?id=uNIMAAAAYAAJ)
40th Division: History of the Fortieth (Sunshine) Division (http://books.google.com/books?id=zUs8AAAAMAAJ)
78th Division: History of the Seventy-eighth Division in the World War, 1917-18-19 (http://books.google.com/books?id=t80MAAAAYAAJ)

Together with those a few posts above, that is most of the divisions that fought in the war.