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Valley of the Shadow
  • Eve of War
  • War Years
  • Aftermath
  • Search
Illustration of magnifying glass with the icons for the various searchable databases.

About the Search

Valley of the Shadow contains 20 searchable databases of primary sources during the American Civil War. The thousands of original documents (letters and diaries, census and government records, newspapers and speeches) all record different aspects of daily life, allowing you to discover how the men and women of Augusta and Franklin counties experienced the Civil War.

Locations

  • Augusta County, VA
  • Franklin County, PA

Timeframes:

  • 1850
  • 1861
  • 1865
  • 1880

Chapters:

  1. I. Eve of War
  2. II. The War Years
  3. III. The Aftermath

Searches

  • Newspapers (1857–1870)
  • Letters (1850–1880)
  • Diaries (1840–1887)
  • Census (1860 & 1870)
    Options
    • Population (1860 & 1870)
    • Agriculture (1860 & 1870)
    • Manufacturing (1860 & 1870)
    • Slaveowner (1860)
  • Tax Records (1860)
    Options
    • Augusta County Tax Records (1860)
    • Franklin County Tax Records (1860)
  • Church Records (1804–1908)
  • Free Black Registry (1803–1865)
  • Fire Insurance Policies (1850–1860)
  • Battlefield Correspondence (1861–1865)
  • Regimental Movements (1861–1865)
  • Soldiers’ Dossiers (1861–1865)
  • Images of War (1862–1912)
  • Freedmen’s Bureau (1864–1880)
    Options
    • Cohabitation Records (1865–1880)
    • Bureau Letters (1864–1870)
  • Insurance Claims (1865–1868)
    Options
    • Southern Claims Commission (1871–1879)
    • Chambersburg Claims (1865–1868)
  • Memory of War (1871–1879)
  • Veterans Census (1890)
  • Original Edition at UVA Library
  • Timelines
  • The Two Counties
  • Sources
  • About
  • Site Map