Incoming correspondence of the Civil War era (was Series 58, 1/1/5-11) was probably segregated at the Historical Society as part of a publication project of the Historical Records Commission. At this time part of the 1861 correspondence was transcribed and edited (was Series 26, 1/1/1-4) and some correspondence indexed by name. (The name index includes correspondence dating from 1861 to 1865, but, unfortunately, it is not known what correspondence is indexed; it is likely that the material referred to was the section entitled “Organization and Administration of the Army.”) The card index includes name, date, and address of the letterwriter. This section of the correspondence includes letters from governors, adjutant generals, manufacturers, military officers, enlisted men and civilians and it deals with topics such as appointment of officers, recruitment and formation of local military units, ordnance purchases, a proposed Chippewa Indian regiment, a powder mill at Platteville, desertion, troop movements out of Wisconsin, destruction of property during the Ozaukee draft riot, army hospitals, and veterans pensions. Topics of a similar nature are present in a separate file of telegrams, the majority of which date from 1861-1863. Two volumes of copied telegrams consist mainly of exchanges with the War Department and officials in Washington, D.C.; the loose telegrams are exchanges with others (was Series 54, 1/1/5-6; and Series 62, 1/1/5-16)
