For the convenience of historians and other students of the civil war records, certain special compilations (in addition to the "General Index" and the "Additions and Corrections") have been made and are published in this volume. Those compilations are as follows: Synopsis of the contents of volumes.-This statement describes the scope of each of the four series into which the work is divided, and the general operations and principal events covered by each volume. To this is added a table which shows the volumes (called "Companion Volumes") that refer to particular groups of operations from the beginning to the close of the war. Special index for the principal armies, army corps, military divisions and departments.-This is an abstract, from the general index, of refer- ences to the volumes in which are to be found documents pertaining to the operations of the principal commands or organizations. It con- tains certain other references, chiefly with regard to army corps, which are explained on page XLIII, post. This abstract enables the searcher to readily trace the operations of any or all of the larger commands without recourse to the widely separated entries in the Table showing volumes pertaining to contemporaneous operations.- This table shows the volumes containing documents relating to opera- tions in each month from December, 1860, to the end of the war. By the aid of the table the reader can find the records of all contempora- neous operations throughout the country during any month of any The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies consist these papers under appropriate headings, and, in addition, contains the names of each individual and of each military organization (from an independent company to a regiment) mentioned in the text. The General Index, which is an abridged consolidation of the indexes to the several volumes, points to the volumes alone and not to parts thereof. The searcher should, therefore, consult the indexes to the several parts of the volumes indicated in the general index for definite reference to matter pertaining to any particular event, subject or person. The letters U and C are used in place of the words "Union" and "Confederate." Other abbreviations are so easily understood that a detailed explanation of them is unnecessary. A plus sign (+) following a volume reference shows that the "Additions and Corrections" (pages 1091-1242, post) for the volume indicated should be consulted. The series are indicated by roman numerals I, II, III, IV, meaning, respectively, first, second, third and fourth series. Arabic figures, following the roman numerals, are used to indicate the volumes of the several series. Organizations, from an independent company to a regiment, which were designated or known by the names of their commanding officers, changing names with successive commanders, are indexed as follows: [Extracts from general index.] Arkansas Troops (C.). Artillery, Light-Batteries: Provence's-Humphreys'-Rivers'. Pennsylvania Troops. The arrangement of names in the preceding extracts denotes the several commanders in regular order of succession. As a rule (to which there are a few exceptions, especially in the case of army corps) brigades, divisions, army corps, armies and geographical military divisions and departments have not been indexed, either in the volumes or in the general index, under their numerical or other designating titles, but are referred to under the names of their commanding officers. A full explanation of this subject will be found in the note which precedes the Special Index, page XLIII, post. In many volume indexes initials only have been used for Christian names, but in the general index the full names have been supplied as far as possible. Errors and omissions that have been discovered in the various volume indexes are not shown in the general index, which contains the corrected or completed entries only. All such errors and omissions, however, are fully set forth in the additions and corrections for the several volume indexes, to which attention is directed in the general The following extracts from a volume index, together with corresponding extracts from the general index, illustrate the plan of both indexes and the relation between them: [Extracts from index, Series I, Volume XII, Part II.] Adjutant-General's Office, U. S. A. Orders, General, series 1862: No. 18, 507. 505, 506 Orders, Special, series 1862: No. 256, 766. Congratulatory order. Battle of Cedar Mountain, Va., Aug. 9 Adjutant and Inspector General's Office, C. S. A Cedar Mountain, Va. Battle of, Aug. 9 Northern Virginia. Campaign in, Aug. 13-Sept. 2 Northern Virginia. Campaign in, Aug. 16-Sept. 2. Confederate troops. Organization, strength, etc. Itineraries of Banks' corps, Aug. 1-31 Memorandum of J. E. B. Stuart, Aug. 26-30 Virginia. Operations in. 185 176, 551 6-8, 12, 13 176 531, 551, 559 560-562 249-262 56 546-551 324 739 531, 551, 559 Aug. 16-17. Louisa Court-House. Reconnaissance toward. Union Troops. Casualties. Returns of Cedar Mountain, Va. Battle of, Aug. 9 Northern Virginia. Campaign in, Aug. 16-Sept. 2.. Halleck, H. W., assumes command of Armies of the United States.. 136-139, 153 249-262 3 Mar. 17-Sept. 2. Peninsular Campaign, Va. Virginia, Army of. (Union.) Banks, Nathaniel P., assumes command of Second Corps. 3 3 |