In May 1836, Jesse Quinn Thornton helped organize an anti-abolition meeting in Palmyra, Missouri, during which he declared abolition "incompatible with the peace, happiness and security of our citizens"

Henry V. Morris describes his travels and his acquaintances to his sister, particularly focusing on his settling down in Charlottesville to begin his teaching position at the University of Virginia.

In 1839, The Baltimore Sun praised James M. Deems's "rare musical talents" and "laudable ambition."

In this "Memoranda of Official Transactions," William B. Rogers describes two political meetings at UVA in November 1844: a temperance procession and an election-day celebration.

In this public letter from April 1845, William B. Rogers discusses the recent student riots at UVA.

In March 1854, Louis L. Conrad and other Pittsburgh ministers protested against the Kansas-Nebraska Act "in the name of God and Religion, in the name of Humanity and Liberty."

In 1854, Samuel F. Few published this prospectus for a proslavery newspaper, The Leavenworth Messenger.

In this account published in the Chicago Tribune, Samuel F. Few details the story of performing an autopsy for a murder case and also shares his political opinions, calling himself "a pro-slavery man."

In this newspaper ad, Dr. Philip F. Pinnell advertised his expertise in "Surgery, Obstetrics and Medicine."

In 1857, students at Franklin and Marshall College chose Walter S. Ditto to escort James Buchanan to Washington, D.C., for his presidential inauguration. 

James O. Broadhead writes a letter to his younger brother, William, affirming his decision to leave UVA due to its overwhelmingly secessionist attitude. 

In this letter to his brother, William B. Rogers condemns Kansas's pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution, the "weakness" of President James Buchanan, and the "madness of the Southern fire-eaters."

After John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, William M. Fishback denounced sectional extremists in the North and the South. He championed moderation, hoping to realign the country's political parties on "broad, national and constitutional grounds."

As the election of 1860 approached, James O. Broadhead and his allies endorsed Missouri lawyer Edward Bates for president. They also attacked the Democratic Party and called for the "preservation of the Federal Union at all hazards."

In this letter to a Missouri Republican Club, James O. Broadhead endorsed Abraham Lincoln for president, arguing that Lincoln would preserve slavery "just where it is and as it is."

Robert E. Rogers explains to his brother his efforts to preserve order among his students in spite of the tensions escalating between students from different parts of the country in early 1861.

In this diary entry from February 1861, daughter Josie Underwood describes Warner and Lucy Underwood's reactions to the secession crisis.

One of the pieces that James M. Deems composed before the Civil War.

In this 1861 speech, James O. Broadhead argues against secession for the state of Missouri, but does not argue against slavery. 

In this letter from April 1861, William B. Rogers helps raise money to purchase knapsacks for a regiment of Massachusetts soldiers. 

In May 1865, Alexander W. Baldwin helped organize a Unionist meeting in California and drafted resolutions vowing to forget "all past political differences, party names and issues" and rally around the American flag.

In May 1861, Alabama-native Alexander W. Baldwin published a public letter denouncing secession and arguing that “this [Confederate] revolution was not the act of the Southern people.” 

In this letter to Professor Minor, James A. Winslow describes conditions and attitudes in the North immediately after the firing on Fort Sumter. 

In this tribute to a fallen comrade, Robert H. Shannon and other New York officers rhapsodized the Civil War as the "holiest war in which patriots ever engaged or heroes fell."

President Abraham Lincoln signed Charles Ewing's commission as captain in August 1861.

In this letter to his brother, William B. Rogers calls for an "energetic prosecution of the war" and denounces "Democrats of the Breckenridge stripe" as "dangerous persons, easily connected with traitors."

In this letter to his future wife, John Phillips Turner describes conditions in "Kanawha State" (West Virginia) during the war and expresses his commitment to the Union.

In the fall of 1861, Charles H. McElroy organized a company of volunteers, and this local editor urged residents to quarter them in their homes while they trained.

In this letter to Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, James O. Broadhead described conditions in wartime Missouri, emphasizing that "every thing is at stake...not only the triumph of the Union cause in Missouri--but the lives & property of its loyal citizens."

In the fall of 1861, Charles H. McElroy published this ad calling for volunteers to "sustain the Government, put down rebellion and rebuke sympathizers with treason."

In this letter to General William S. Rosecrans, John A. Hunter recommends his friend for a position on the general's staff and thanks Rosecrans for past kindness toward him. 

In December 1861, a South Carolina lawmaker introduced this resolution denouncing John Fox Hammond and other South Carolina Unionists as "false-hearted traitors." The General Assembly did not take a vote on the resolution. 

In this letter to fellow UVA Unionist Bernard G. Farrar, James O. Broadhead makes the case for slaves who were pressed into Confederate service to be released from a Union prison. 

In this public letter from April 1862, Benjamin F. Dowell blamed both the "fanatical abolition party at the North and the secession nullification party at the South" for provoking the Civil War, and he called for "conciliation and compromise."

In this letter to his brother, William B. Rogers celebrates the Union army's prospects as they appeared in April 1862.

In this petition, Henry T. Dixon requested compensation for William Johnson, an enslaved laborer freed by the District of Columbia Emancipation Act of 1862.

In this letter to Tennessee Governor Andrew Johnson, Solomon R. Burford expresses his devotion to the Union and asks Johnson to provide "pecuniary assistence" to his cousin.

As Provost Marshal General, Bernard G. Farrar declared Missouri's Confederate sympathizers "traitors" and ordered their arrest. 

Charles B. Calvert and John W. Menzies, along with other congressmen from Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, and Maryland, address President Lincoln's March 6, 1862 resolution involving a proposal to emancipate slaves in the border states.

In this letter to his father written in the summer of 1862, Charles Ewing expresses his displeasure and shame at not being posted to a regiment serving at the front.

In August 1862, Provost Marshal General Bernard G. Farrar enforced General John Schofield's order to free the slaves of Confederate owners. 

Sixth Congressional District of Maryland U.S. Representative Charles B. Calvert defends his political actions by claiming that he is and always has been one of the "Unconditional Union men." He encourages his constituents to follow suit. He adds that entangled with his reverence for the Union are his fear and anger concerning abolitionists' efforts to circumvent fugitive slave laws and enlist other politicians like Lincoln to work with them toward emancipation. However, he finds these frustrations secondary to the threat of disunion.

In October 1862, Judge James P. Sterrett declared Copperheads "traitors at heart" and argued that the "present is no time for neutrality."

In November 1862, Charles Ewing wrote to his father about joining his brother-in-law, General William T. Sherman, at the front.

Unionist Robert Henry Shannon writes to ex-governor of New York, Edwin D. Morgan, asking for help in getting a position within the Union army. 

This article describes the hospital managed by Samuel F. Few during the Civil War.

As a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, Wilson Cary Swann helped organize an Independence Day celebration in 1863 to reaffirm the power and permanence of the Union.

In July 1863, William A. Curry helped organize a Union and Emancipation League in Jefferson City, Missouri.

In this letter, Robert H. Shannon asks President Abraham Lincoln to appoint him as a federal judge in South Carolina, Texas, or "such place as may be open."

In this letter from October 1863, Isaac P. Caldwell asked local officials for permission to travel from Missouri to Illinois to "get a load of Potatoes Cabbage ++."

In September 1863, William W. Edwards attended a convention of radical Unionists in Jefferson City, Missouri, and he helped draft a platform calling for immediate emancipation.

In November 1863, Arthur Crisfield attempted to vote for his father, a conservative Unionist congressman running for reelection. Union cavalry officer Charles C. Moore stopped Crisfield and interrogated him about his political beliefs. When an election judge protested the interrogation, Moore arrested the judges and shut down the polling place.

In this letter to President Abraham Lincoln, William P. Rucker declared his commitment to the Union and asked for a commission in the Union army. 

In this telegram, William M. Fishback notified President Abraham Lincoln of Arkansas's upcoming election and asking him to "allow Military Commanders to favor the voting fully and freely."

In February 1864, Robert H. Shannon spoke at a "great ratification meeting" in New Orleans, which sought to restore Louisiana to the Union by electing Unionist Michael Hahn as governor and ratifying a new anti-slavery state constitution. 

The Wade-Davis Bill, co-authored by UVA Unionist Henry Winter Davis, calls for stricter terms for re-entry into the Union by former Confederate states than those proposed by President Lincoln. 

During the war, William M. Fishback published a newspaper called "The Unconditional Unionist" in Arkansas. This is but one example of the hardline anti-secessionist articles published in that paper.

In April 1864, William M. Fishback discusses Arkansas's recent Unionist election and notes that the new legislature is "radical to the core and almost to a man." 

In this letter to Kansas Senator James H. Lane, William M. Fishback describes his experiences and justifies his conduct during the Civil War. Arkansas's state legislature had elected Fishback to the Senate in 1864, and senators were debating whether to allow him to take his seat. 

During the Civil War, Caroline McElroy--Charles H. McElroy's wife--joined the local Ladies Relief Society and helped raise money for "the families of Volunteers and the 'worthy poor.'"

These excerpts from Joseph C. Breckinridge's diary, beginning on July 22, 1864, detail his time as a prisoner of war, his personal reflections on New Years' Eve of 1864, his thoughts on Lee's surrender, and his reaction to Lincoln's assassination.

Benjamin Wade and UVA Unionist Henry Winter Davis published this manifesto outlining the problems with Lincoln's plan for readmitting Confederate states into the Union. 

In a letter to General Lorenzo Thomas, Charles Irving Wilson details his service as a surgeon with the U. S. Army. 

In this letter to President Abraham Lincoln, Margaret A. Rucker describes her husband William P. Rucker's service as "secret agent and guide" for the Union army.

In November 1864, James E. Montandon helped defend Johnsonville, Tennessee, from Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Robert E. Rogers writes to his brother about his brother's health and their shared love for their country.

In November 1864, Thomas Swann congratulated Abraham Lincoln on being reelected as president.

In this letter, Philip F. Pinnell describes his mother's struggle with typhoid pneumonia and urges his father to return home from the army to see her. 

In this letter to his father, Charles Ewing describes General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea. 

In this letter to his father, Charles Ewing describes the "perfect faith which the army had" in General William T. Sherman.

William M. Fishback writes to President Lincoln asking that he readmit Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee into the Union with "their former priviledges."

In this letter, William M. Fishback asks President Abraham Lincoln for an appointment as a treasury agent in Little Rock, Arkansas.

In March 1865, Solomon R. Burford registered his Mississippi plantations with the Freedmen's Bureau, ensuring that the government did not consider them "abandoned and confiscable lands."

In this letter to President Abraham Lincoln, William P. Rucker briefly declares his "devotion to the Union" and describes his long imprisonment. 

In April 1865, Louis L. Conrad attended a meeting in Manchester, Pennsylvania, to mourn the death of President Abraham Lincoln. Conrad presented a series of resolutions and delivered an address filled with "patriotic ferver."

In April 1865, Louis C. Perret attended a meeting in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, to mourn the death of President Abraham Lincoln.

In this letter from May 1865, former Congressman Henry Winter Davis supported "universal suffrage and equality before the law." He hoped that Black voters would form the backbone of a southern Republican Party, which would ensure "national peace and safety."

In July 1865, James M. Rutland wrote to President Andrew Johnson, urging him not to remove federal soldiers from South Carolina.

In August 1865, William E. Bond petitioned President Andrew Johnson to remove federal soldiers from North Carolina.

In September 1865, after serving in the Confederate army, Wilson Queen swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and accept emancipation. 

William E. Bond ran for Congress in the fall of 1865 as a "quiet, conscientious, Constitutional Union man." He opposed "negro suffrage on any terms" and hoped to restore North Carolina to the Union "in the shortest possible time." 

In this letter, Henry J. Churchman asked Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton to make him a brevet lieutenant colonel "as a reward of faithful service." The War Department granted his request later that month.

This article from the Alexandria Gazette gives detail on the gunfight between Henry T. Dixon and Thomas C. Maddux that ultimately resulted in Dixon's death. 

Dr. Henry J. Churchman published his business card in the Nebraska Advertiser in early 1866, describing himself as a former army surgeon and a graduate of the University of Virginia medical department.

In this letter, General Ulysses S. Grant asks Postmaster General Alexander W. Randall to find "suitable employment" for Annie Dixon, whose husband Henry T. Dixon had been "murdered by a Virginia ex-rebel officer."

In 1866, James O. Broadhead and other Missouri conservatives met with President Andrew Johnson to protest against Radical Reconstruction.

In 1866, James O. Broadhead signed this appeal "to the soldiers and sailors" who served in the Union military, denouncing Radical Reconstruction and calling for reconciliation with former Confederates.

In this letter to the National Union Club, William M. Fishback accused Radical Republicans of stoking sectional conflict and seeking "revenge" against the South. He supported President Andrew Johnson's lenient plan for Reconstruction and urged Unionists to work toward a "lasting and an universal peace." 

In 1866, James M. Deems attended a Baltimore soldiers' meeting, which denounced President Andrew Johnson and conservative Governor Thomas Swann. The soldiers denounced Confederates as "traitors" and expressed support for the 14th Amendment.

In 1866, Joseph Rundle, Jr., and dozens of other Maryland Unionists protested President Andrew Johnson's lenient plans for Reconstruction. 

In this letter from November 1866, Rebecca Shunk discusses her conservative Unionism and her southern sympathies. 

In Menzies's resolutions on Reconstruction, John W. Menzies and other citizens of Kentucky demand that Kentucky's powers and rights as a state be honored as intended by the balance of powers between the state and the federal government in the U.S. Constitution. He expresses Kentucky citizens' faith in the U.S. Constitution while also declaring their disdain for the events that took place at the Thirty-ninth Congress.

In the Arkansas State Union Convention in April 1867, Charles P. Redmond called for the "cooperation of all citizens of the State" and assured former Confederates that Unionists "desire no proscription, no confiscation, [and] no laws that interfere with any of their rights."

In 1867, James M. Deems attended a Union League meeting in Baltimore, where he declared racial discrimination "anti-republican" and called for African-American civil rights and suffrage.

In this letter, published in September 1867, James M. Rutland declared himself a "Union Republican" and accepted African American education and "legal and political rights."

Charles A. Briggs studied theology at the University of Berlin from 1866 to 1869. He described his course of study in this letter to his friend Henry B. Smith.

In this meeting in March 1868, Robert H. Shannon declared the Radical Republican Party essential for the "success of republican principles." 

In this public letter from 1868, Benjamin F. Dowell defended Reconstruction and endorsed Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant for president. 

In October 1869, Jacob S. Boreman, running as a Republican, won a seat in the Missouri state legislature.

In 1870, The Holt County Sentinel supported Isaac P. Caldwell's candidacy to become a circuit court judge. The editor praised him as an "able lawyer and an upright citizen of irreproachable character."

In this letter, John L. Hodge confessed to embezzling nearly $450,000 from the army.

In 1871, John L. Hodge was arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison for embezzling army money.

In July 1872, Louis C. Perret organized a Liberal Republican Party meeting in Carrollton, Louisiana, hoping to bring an end to Reconstruction and "reform" the state and federal governments.

In 1873, a rival editor recounted the history of the Kansas City Bulletin, which Jacob S. Boreman had edited several years earlier. 

In 1873, Annie E. Dixon sought compensation from the Southern Claims Commission for crops and fence rails used by the Union army. In her claim, she testified to her devotion to the Union army and described the persecution she experienced from Confederate officials. 

The Fairfield Herald published this obituary for James M. Rutland in 1874, praising his "honesty and sturdy independence of character."

In this interview with The New York Times, Bernard Gaines Farrar recounts a scandal caused by General Tuttle while the two were stationed in Natchez. 

In his memoirs, General William T. Sherman described the turmoil in St. Louis, Missouri, at the start of the war. Sherman, Charles Ewing, and John Hunter witnessed the rioting that broke out in St. Louis after Union forces captured a unit of secessionists at nearby Camp Jackson.

John Fox Hammond gives testimony of his health issues in order to secure a pension. 

In this Decoration Day poem from 1875, James A. Winslow calls for reconciliation with former Confederates.

Jacob S. Boreman served on the Utah Territory's Supreme Court from 1873 to 1880 and 1885 to 1889. This letter from 1875 described his as a "prompt, energetic man, who has no fears of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints."

In 1876, Samuel Hepburn delivered a "short and forcible speech" in favor of Democratic presidential candidate Samuel Tilden.

In this letter to President Ulysses S. Grant, music teacher James M. Deems offers to raise a cavalry regiment in Maryland to help defend the federal government.

This preface offers a brief overview and explanation of Samuel E. W. Becker's review article concerning Chinese immigration to the U.S., "Humors of a Congressional Investigating Committee."

At a Democratic Party meeting in January 1877, Patrick H. Darby accused Republicans of fraud and urged Congress to name Democrat Samuel J. Tilden the next president of the United States.

Henry J. Churchman gives testimony as to his war-related injuries and illnesses in order to obtain a pension. 

The Utah Territory granted women the right to vote in 1870, and the territory's Supreme Court upheld the act ten years later. In this dissent, however, Jacob S. Boreman, argued that the act was "unconstitutional, unjust and unfair."

In this obituary, the Staunton Spectator described Henry J. Churchman as a "man of kind heart, and highly regarded by all who knew him."

The Kentucky Courier Journal published this obituary of William V. Loving in September 1883, praising him as a "fearless, able and upright Judge" and a "high-toned Christian gentleman."

An obituary for Samuel E. W. Becker.

On July 1, 1885, Philip F. Pinnell, Cecelia Pinnell, and their children fell gravely ill after drinking coffee laced with arsenic.

In 1887, Robert H. Shannon spoke out in defense of Lucy Barber, who had been indicted by a grand jury for "maliciously, willfully and unlawfully" voting in the state's 1886 election.

General William T. Sherman, retired lieutenant general, wrote a letter of endorsement for his friend Joseph C. Breckinridge to the army's paymaster general.

This obituary was published in the Carslile Weekly Herald and gives details about Major McConkey's life as well as his suicide. 

The Salem Statesman Journal published this obituary of Jesse Q. Thornton in February 1888, praising him as a "venerable and well-known lawyer-pioneer" who played a crucial role in "shaping [the] destinies" of the "great northwest." 

R. D. Bohannon writes to Charles Scott Venable recommending Albert H. Tuttle for the position of Biology professor at UVA. 

Albert H. Tuttle writes to Charles Scott Venable expressing his desire to become the new Chair of Biology at UVA and lists his qualifications as well as gives some educational and family history. 

General William T. Sherman writes a letter to the Commissioner of Pensions on behalf of Charles Ewing's widow, Virginia M. Ewing. 

A local Pennsylvania newspaper published this obituary for Samuel Hepburn in 1890.

This report to Congress helped Henry T. Dixon's widow, Annie, to secure a higher rate on her pension and details events of Dixon's life and death.

The New Haven Morning Courier-Journal published this obituary of George L. Febiger in January 1891, praising him as a "noble spirit, a brave hearted gentleman, and a loyal, generous friend." 

This obituary for Samuel F. Few was published in The Leavenworth Standard and described the events of Dr. Few's life both before and after the war. 

This service record gives a complete list of all changes throughout William E. Hopkins's naval career as well as dates for each event. 

As a part of his pension record, Wilson Queen describes his service for both the Union and Confederate armies. 

In this obituary, The Courier-Journal celebrated Gabriel Lewis Buckner as one of Louisville's "leading and best citizens."

Douglas W. Tice gives testimony as to his discharge from the army during the war. 

William P. Rucker described his wartime service and subsequent injuries as part of his pension claim. 

This brief biography details Henry V. Morris's engineering career and his roles in the Union Army.

The Kansas City Star published this obituary for James O. Broadhead in August 1898, describing him as "one of the leaders of the Democratic party of this country."

This document gives details on Magnus Stribling being accepted to the Central Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Dayton, Ohio.

An obituary for UVA Unionist and music teacher James M. Deems.

The Philadelphia Inquirer published this obituary of William S. Forbes in 1905, celebrating his "brilliant career."

The Austin American-Statesman published this obituary for James W. Hancock in 1905.

The Commissioner of Pensions requests to see the service record of Isaac P. Caldwell, which details his various military support jobs and the amount he was paid for each.

In December 1907, the members of the Hopkinsville bar paid tribute to Joseph I. Landes, praising his "fearlessness, honesty of purpose, and clearness of judgment" and calling him one of "Kentucky's ablest attorneys."

This obituary for William O. Eversfield noted his military service and his long career with the Maryland Agricultural College.

William H. Gillum gives testimony in the pension of Marion Goss about Goss's medical history in order to help him secure a pension. 

This obituary for Marion Goss was published in the Rockville Tribune and details Goss's life as well as mentions his friendship with fellow UVA Unionist Joseph Noble. 

This obituary for Patrick Henry Darby describes much of his life after the war and gives details about his family. 

Charles B. McConkey describes his father Elbridge McConkey's injuries from his horse falling on him during a mission in order to help his mother, Frances W. McConkey, obtain a widow's pension. 

This letter informs Grace Woodson, widow of UVA Unionist Richard Goodridge Woodson, that she is not eligible for a widow's pension due to her husband's dishonorable discharge from the service. 

This obituary for Charles Irving Wilson was published in the UVA Alumni News and gives detail of Wilson's military service. 

William Forest contributed this obituary for UVA Unionist and famous theologian Charles A. Briggs to the UVA Alumni Bulletin.

In this obituary, the Salt Lake Tribune praised Jacob Smith Boreman as an "upright, just, conscientious judge" who stood "firm in his allegiance to the Government."

This article was originally published in The Staunton Daily News and has an obituary for Charles Irving Wilson as well as challenges the UVA Alumni News to give equal weight to Confederate and Union service by former students. 

Wray Wirt Davis's medical records give some background of his life and detail the various injuries and illnesses he acquired while serving in the U. S. Army. 

The Evening Star published this biography of Wray Wirt Davis in 1914, praising him as a "superb cavalryman."

The Sacramento Bee published this obituary for Edwin R. Bush in October 1914.

This article was originally published in The News Leader (Staunton, VA) and notes that several UVA professors, including Unionist Albert H. Tuttle, presented research at the annual meeting for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

Helen S. Doan, widow of UVA Unionist Francis M. Doan, writes a letter to Commissioner E. W. Morgan thanking him for help with her pension claim. 

In March 1941, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat published this obituary of Elizabeth S. Edwards.