The rocky outcropping that overlooks Chattanooga, Tenn., became the scene of one the most dramatic moments of the Civil War after Union soldiers raised the Stars and Stripes in victory over Confederates on Nov. 25, 1863. Soon after, enterprising photographer Robert M. Linn set up a gallery and captured uncounted numbers of soldiers who visited the iconic spot. In this gallery, we showcase representative images from private collections. This is the second in a three-part series. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

The state of New Jersey’s contribution to Northern arms is evident in the faces and stories of volunteers who served in the Union armies during the Civil War. Original images are included here, many published here for the first time, along with their personal narratives. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Though the standard by which the Medal of Honor is substantially the same as it was during the Civil War, the process by which the awards are made is far more rigorous. Two stories here examine how the lack of validation impacted the decoration, and highlight the actions of two forgotten soldiers. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

David Wardlaw Ramsey numbered among the first Alabama men to join the army in 1861. Those early, heady days of excitement soon gave way to pain, suffering and loss at Island No. 10, Port Hudson and elsewhere. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

In this first installment of a three-part series, we meet two brothers who documented the scene of one of the great moments in Civil War history—the Nov. 24, 1863, Battle of Lookout Mountain during the Chattanooga Campaign. Images include various views of the area around Lookout Mountain, the gallery and several of the best known individual and group portraits. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Kevin Canberg’s journey as a collector began with an unusual Father’s Day gift for his dad—a vintage fireman’s badge from Brooklyn, N.Y. Since then, Canberg has amassed an impressive collection of ambrotypes and tintypes of Union and Confederate soldiers. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

Tobacco was hailed as the soldier’s constant companion—when he could find it—by some and also as a wicked habit by others. In this gallery, we celebrate those who enjoyed a good smoke in front of the camera. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

By the start of the war, the daguerreotype’s reign was at an end as cheaper formats chipped away at its once-dominant market position. Two surviving examples of Civil War soldiers remind us of the end of one era and the beginning of another. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

In this adaptation from his new book, Maine Roads to Gettysburg (Stackpole Books, 2018), the author provides an overview of the Pine State’s contribution to the Civil War through the varied experiences of its military volunteers. Profiles include Freeman McGilvery, Edwin B. Dow, Moses B. Lakeman, Abner Small, George Bisbee, Charles Mattocks, Holman Melcher, Ellis Spear and Samuel Keene. Each is illustrated with a portrait courtesy of the Maine Historical Society. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.

A total of 13 images, 5 Confederate and 8 Union, of soldiers who participated parts of the three-day battle and/or related engagements following the rebel retreat. They include John Lewis Ells of the 3^rd Georgia Infantry, Kirkbride Taylor of the 8^th Virginia Infantry, Augustine Leftwich Jr. of Shoemaker’s Battery, Virginia Horse Artillery, Ludwig Kohn of the 26^th Wisconsin Infantry and more. Learn more about this story and others with our finding aid.