1861 | Photograph
A Matthew Brady image of the roundhouse at Alexandria, Virginia during the Civil War.
1862 | Photograph
Numerous railroad hubs in the Confederacy became sites of repeated fighting, both large- and small-scale. Here, the ruins were the work of the Confederate Army as it abandoned its forward position in northern Virginia to protect Richmond.
1862 | Photograph
McClellan used the Richmond & York River Railroad to position his massive Army of the Potomac just a few miles from Richmond.
May 11, 1861 | Illustration
This image from the May 11, 1861 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts members of the Seventh Regiment aboard the steamship "Boston," en route to Annapolis, Maryland.
1861 | Photograph
A Matthew Brady image of the slave pen of Price, Birch & Co., Alexandria, Virginia.
November 5, 1864 | Illustration
This image from the November 5, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a train in the distance as Union soldiers under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant build a road near Petersburg, Virginia during the American Civil War.
June 24, 1862 | Letter
In this June 24, 1862 telegram between a Mr. Young and E. H. Stokes, Young informs Stokes that he has "sent you by train three (3) negroes," which cost $1,800.
October 12, 1861 | Illustration
This image from the October 12, 1861 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a railway accident on the Ohio and Mississippi railroad.
May 1, 1863 | Government report
Major Erasmus L. Wentz, supervising work on the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, testifies as to the quality of contraband labor over that of Irish workers. Wentz notes that the contrabands work for less pay.
December 5, 1863 | Illustration
This image from the December 5, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the Union steamer "Chattanooga," a steam ship built by Union Soldiers.
May 18, 1861 | Illustration
This image from the May 18, 1861 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the "Lady Davis" steamship, a warship of the Confederate States of America.
December 12, 1863 | Illustration
Northern audiences were hungry for information and images related to the war effort. Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia were focal points and thus often photographed and presented as illustrations.
December 12, 1863 | Illustration
This image from the December 12, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a Union railway supply depot for the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.
May 6, 1862 | Map
Also known as the Battle of South Mills, the Battle of Camden depicted here took place April 19 and the seige of Fort Macon lasted from March 23 to April 26; both were part of General Ambrose Burnside's North Carolina Expedition. On May 6, 1862, these New York Daily Tribune maps provided readers with detailed images of fields of battle and transportation resources hundreds of miles of away - bringing images of warfare and the geography of an enemy region into their homes.
March 17, 1864 | Book
In these excerpts from a Senate debate over regulations for a District of Columbia street railroad, many typical arguments for and against public segregation are aired in language that also reveals attitudes towards race and equality as the Civil War continued.
May 9, 1862 | Map
In the wake of the Seige of Yorktown (April 5 - May 4, 1862), readers of the New York Daily Tribune are provided with a map and description of the city's defenses, even as they read about the retreat of rebel forces from Yorktown.
July 23, 1864 | Illustration
This image from the July 23, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts a major railway disaster near Montreal, Canada. The conductor failed to heed a signal that the Belacil Bridge was open for barge traffic and the ensuing accident killed ninety people and wounded one hundred more.
February 27, 1864 | Illustration
This image from the February 27, 1864 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the interior of a Union hospital car during the American Civil War. See Woman's Work in the Civil War on this site for the recollections of a hospital train nurse.
May 11, 1861 | Illustration
This image from the May 11, 1861 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts members of the Eigth Massachusetts Regiment repairing bridges on the railroad from Annapolis, Maryland to Washington, D.C.
December 12, 1863 | Illustration
This image from the December 12, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly depicts the condition of the railroad bridge over Bull Run during the American Civil War and features soldiers from the Union Army of the Potomac.