Before the days of wire services or news bureaus, newspapers frequently
printed letters from local soldiers to provide more in-depth coverage of war news.
Since regiments were recruited by geographical regions, most of the men serving in a
unit were neighbors, and their families often shared letters with each other.
Some soldiers specifically arranged to send reports of company news to their
hometown newspapers. These indexes, prepared by Dan Masters, record soldiers'
correspondence printed in area newspapers during the Civil War. Researchers should
be aware that these indexes do not necessarily represent the holdings of the
Center for Archival Collections. Those wishing to review the news articles or
editorials cited here should consult the
Guide to Newspaper Holdings.
More biographical information about the men who wrote these letters can be found
at
Northwest Ohio in the Civil War.
