Research Arsenal

02/19/2026

The Research Arsenal is proud to be digitizing and adding historical records of Civil War regiments held at the National Archives to our online database so that researchers and historians can access material that previously required a trip to Washington D.C. The 5th Minnesota Infantry is one of the many regiments that has been added to our database.

The 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was organized at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, in spring 1862 in response to President Lincoln’s call for more troops during the American Civil War. It was the last of Minnesota’s early volunteer regiments to be assembled, and its men served with distinction in both frontier conflicts and major campaigns of the Western Theater.

The Research Arsenal is proud to have digitized and added 5th Minnesota Infantry National Archives files to our database for online access.

02/18/2026

For our What's it Wednesday this week, can you identify this item from the 1865 Quartermaster Manual? Post your guesses below and check back Friday for the answer!

"to be made of cocoa or box wood, and consist of 2 sizes, “C”and "B." The "C’s" to be about 14 1/2 inches long, and to weigh from 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 ounces each. The "B’s" about 16 1/2 inches long, and to weigh from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 ounces each."

Photo: Aquia Creek, Virginia. Captain J.W. Forsyth, the Provost Marshall https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/5101

02/16/2026

Frederick William Charles Heldman, (who was carried on rosters as Charles Heldman but signed his letters William Heldman) was an immigrant from Germany who served in Company A of the 17th Missouri Infantry. William Heldman was born in 1840 to Anton Karl Heldmann and Bertha (Falkmann) Heldmann. The family came to the United States in the 1840s. In 1851 William Heldman’s father died and his mother later remarried Eberhard Fuhr.

The 17th Missouri Infantry was also called the “Western Turner Rifles” and was made up of Union supporting German immigrants. William Heldman enlisted in the 17th Missouri Infantry in August, 1861. Previous to that he had served in the 3rd Missouri Infantry, a 90 day regiment formed in April, 1861.

In a letter written on August 13, 1861, William Heldman talked about his experience at the Battle of Carthage fought on July 5, 1861, and most of his company being taken prisoner.

“Sigel found Jackson on a large prairie where he found him with about 5,000 men but they were not very good armed. Sigel attacked one or two o’clock in the evening. We heard the cannons at Neosho and at three o’clock there came a man from Sigel and brought the orders for us to go back and we were all ready to go [when] there came about 1,500 secessionists from Arkansas and Texas commanded by General McCulloch.

We were all in the Court House where we had our place to stay. As soon as we seen them come, we knocked [out] all the windows and shut the doors, [and] got ready to shoot through the windows. The secessionists stopped and two men came up to the fence with a white handkerchief and asked our Captain to surrender and our Captain came in to us and told us. We told him we would sooner die. Our Captain told us we could not fight against so many and our Captain asked them if they would treat us just [if] we would surrender to them and they promised by their honor and so we give up. They kept us three days and then we had 85 miles to go without anything to eat. We got back to St. Louis and we have been here a good while waiting for our money and our discharge but I think we will soon get it.”

Soon after his return to St. Louis, William Heldman, along with many men of his regiment, joined the 17th Missouri Infantry.

Frederick William Charles Heldman, (who was carried on rosters as Charles Heldman but signed his letters William Heldman) was an immigrant from Germany who

02/13/2026

This week for our What's it Wednesday, we asked you:
"Which battle’s outcome helped Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant earn his famous nickname “Unconditional Surrender” Grant?"

The answer is: the Battle of Fort Donelson.

The Battle of Fort Donelson occurred in February 1862 during the American Civil War, bringing fierce fighting along the Cumberland River as Union forces under Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant closed in on the Confederate fort. On February 14, Union naval forces including ironclad gunboats traded “iron valentines” with Confederate river batteries in a deadly hour-and-a-half duel that damaged the ships and forced them to withdraw. Meanwhile, on land both sides grappled for advantage, with Confederates attempting a breakout on February 15 that briefly pushed Union troops back before confusion and miscommunication sent them retreating into their defenses. By February 16, surrounded and outnumbered, Confederate General Simon Buckner asked Grant for surrender terms. Grant replied that “no terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted,” and Buckner capitulated, marking one of the earliest major Union victories of the war.

The aftermath of the battle brought immediate relief efforts from civilians and organizations such as the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which provided medical supplies, food, and hospital transport for the wounded, and local women offered care and comfort to sick soldiers. The Union triumph at Fort Donelson not only earned Grant the enduring nickname “Unconditional Surrender” but also opened the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers as vital Federal supply routes, forced the Confederacy to abandon much of Kentucky and Tennessee, and set the stage for further Union advances deeper into the Southern heartland.

To learn more about the battle, visit: https://www.nps.gov/fodo/planyourvisit/thebattleforfortdonelson.htm

02/12/2026

Many soldiers lacked access to commercial cards, so they turned to their own pens—or knives—to craft valentines. In one of the most haunting surviving examples of Civil War romance, Confederate soldier Robert H. King created a delicate paper heart for his wife, Louiza, using only a penknife and scraps of paper. The heart appears perforated with random holes, but when opened and studied more closely, the design reveals two figures seated opposite each other, weeping. This wasn’t mere symbolism; it was a heartfelt expression of separation. In a letter dated November 8, 1861, King wrote to Louiza, “it panes my hart to think of leaven you all,” signing the letter, as many soldiers did, “yours til death.” Tragically, that vow proved bitterly accurate: Robert H. King died of typhoid fever near Petersburg, Virginia, in April 1863. Louiza treasured the paper heart for the rest of her life.

The Civil War did not erase Valentine’s Day; it transformed it. In fact, newspapers in both the North and South reminded readers that February 14 was near,

02/11/2026

For our What's it Wednesday question this week: Which battle’s outcome helped Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant earn his famous nickname “Unconditional Surrender” Grant? Post your answers below and check back Friday!

Hint: It took place in February.

02/09/2026

On January 6, 1862, Halsey Bartlett wrote to his mother from Hilton Head, South Carolina. In it he described the recent Battle of Port Royal.

“There was a smart battle on the opposite shore on the other side of this island. Our troops gained the victory by taking the fort at the head of Hilton Head Bay and 10 field pieces of artillery (brass) and 3 Columbiads with a loss of 17 men on our side and (80) eighty on the other side. Our regiment was not in the battle. After which our troops followed them up to Bluffton and they had another fight which was in our favor. Our troops followed them to a creek where they could not get away and they had to surrender. They raised the flag of truce and we took seven hundred prisoners with a great loss of lives on both sides. Our loss was small compared to the other side. We expected to go to the fight with them. Our regiment was called into line of battle on New Years Day. The orders were to be in readiness to march at any moment, but we did not go for the order was countermanded and we returned to our quarters. Our boys are anxious to go into battle.”

Halsey Bartlett was born in 1831 to Richard Bartlett and Christina S. (Fisher) Bartlett of Killingly, Connecticut. He enlisted in Company A, 6th Connecticut

02/06/2026

For our What's it Wednesday this week, we asked you to identify which description belonged to a cavalry horse and which belonged to an artillery horse. Here are the full descriptions identified:

1. Horses for Artillery-must have all the above qualities [see horses for cavalry], and measure not less than 15 1/2 hands high, to weigh not less than (1050) ten hundred and fifty pounds, and to be from 6 to 10 years old. Must be strongly built, with broad chest and loin; shoulders large enough to give support to the collar, but not too heavy; body full, but not too long; sides well rounded; limbs solid, with strong shanks and short posterns; should be active and trot, and gallop easily.

2. Horses for cavalry-must be sound in all respects, and free from vice or blemish; not less than 15 hands high, and not less than 5, or more than 9 years old, and of dark colors; (horses between 9 and 10 years of age, if still vigorous, sprightly, and healthy may be accepted;) surefooted; free in their movements; good sight; full firm chest; good disposition, with boldness and courage, and with more bottom than spirit.

Photo: Captain Beckwith's horse-Photograph shows an African American man holding rein of horse at Headquarters, Army of the Potomac. Feb 1863. https://app.researcharsenal.com/imageSingleView/68054

02/05/2026

The "Concise History of the One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry" is more than a regimental outline. Written by veterans of the unit, it preserves the voices, memories, and emotional texture of men who lived the war day by day. What follows are selected quotations and personal passages that illuminate the lived experience of the 126th Ohio Infantry — from early enthusiasm, to sickness and hardship, to battle and reflection.

Here are quotations that illuminate the experience of the 126th Ohio Infantry — from early enthusiasm, to sickness and hardship, to battle and reflection.

02/04/2026

For our What's it Wednesday this week, looking at the horse descriptions below, can you identify which is for a cavalry horse and which is for an artillery horse?

1. Measure not less than 15 1/2 hands high, to weigh not less than (1050) ten hundred and fifty pounds, and to be from 6 to 10 years old. Must be strongly built, with broad chest and loin; body full, but not too long; sides well rounded; limbs solid, with strong shanks and short posterns; should be active and trot, and gallop easily.

2. Must be sound in all respects, and free from vice or blemish; not less than 15 hands high, and not less than 5, or more than 9 years old, and of dark colors; (horses between 9 and 10 years of age, if still vigorous, sprightly, and healthy may be accepted;) surefooted; free in their movements; good sight; full firm chest; good disposition, with boldness and courage, and with more bottom than spirit.

Post your guesses below and check back Friday for the answer!

02/02/2026

Herbert Daniels was born in 1836 to David Daniels and Nancy (Ballou) Daniels. The letters in this collection begin in 1862 while Herbert Daniels was helping his brother, Percy Daniels, recruit for the 7th Rhode Island Infantry. Herbert enlisted as a private in Company C of the 7th Rhode Island Infantry while Percy was commissioned as captain of Company E. Sometime during the war, Herbert Daniels transferred to Company B.

The letters in this collection were written to Mrs. Salina (Brewster) Waterson, with whom Herbert enjoyed an ongoing romantic relationship. Herbert Daniels wrote to Salina on July 1, 1862 and detailed how he helped approximately eight young recruits get register and come to Camp Bliss, near Providence, Rhode Island.

“Percy came from Woonsocket about the time I got to the office & the first thing we had to do was to find those young soldiers. I found them at last on the wharf at Fox Point about a mile from the office. Then we had to get them examined & sworn & we couldn’t find an officer. For a long time, we tramped around — well, I tell you, Percy & I with 8 soldier boys at our heels for he brought another with him. At last we got it all done just in time for Percy to take the cars but not until after they had started. After he left the office I thought of something I wanted to ask him so I ran after him & saw him get into the last car while it was going. I followed & got into the rear end of the last car just as he went into the next car. I followed him so through the whole train before I caught him. By that time we had got more than a quarter of a mile from the depot but they were not going so fast but that I could jump off & run back..."

Herbert Daniels was born in 1836 to David Daniels and Nancy (Ballou) Daniels. The letters in this collection begin in 1862 while Herbert Daniels was helping

01/30/2026

The answer to this week's What's it Wednesday was a picket pin! Here is the complete description from the Quartermaster Manual of 1865.

"Picket pins-(to be of good quality american wrought iron, painted black.) The parts are, the body, the neck, the head, the swell, the point, 1 lariat-ring around the neck, 8- shaped 1/4 inch wire, welded, the larger opening for the lariat.

Dimensions,-length, 14 inches; diameter at swell, 4 inches from point, 3/4 of an inch; at neck 1/2 of an inch; at head 1 inch; weight of pin 1 1/4 pounds. See drawing Chap: 15 Plate No. [sic]"

Image: "Excavated Artifacts from Battlefields and Campsites of The Civil War" by Stanley S. Phillips.

Link to Quartermaster Manual: https://app.researcharsenal.com/quartermaster-manuals/99