Voices of the Collection

While generals, politicians, industrialists, and reformers shaped the course of the Civil War, victory ultimately depended on the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who left their homes, families, farms, and workplaces to serve. Pennsylvania contributed more than 360,000 soldiers to the Union cause — the second-largest contribution of any state.  The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia preserves the personal stories of many of these Pennsylvanians through the letters, diaries, photographs, and personal artifacts they left behind. These firsthand accounts provide a window into the daily experiences of soldiers — from enlistment and training, to battlefield combat, hospital care, imprisonment, and finally returning home.  Through preserved diaries and correspondence, these soldiers reveal the human side of the Civil War — their fears, hopes, hardships, patriotism, and reflections on the conflict transforming the nation.  These personal accounts remind us that history is not only made by presidents and generals. It is also made by the individuals whose courage, sacrifice, and perseverance shaped the outcome of the Civil War.