Historical Society of Pennsylvania

HSP is one of the nation's largest nongovernmental repositories of documentary materials, housing more than 600,000 books, 300,000 graphics, and 20 million manuscript items. The collection contains Union muster rolls, consolidated reports, returns, enlistment certificates, some correspondence, and reminiscences. Among the major groups of regimental papers are enlistment certificates. There is a wealth of diaries written by soldiers during their service. The James Buchanan and Salmon P. Chase collections comprise papers, correspondence, and other documents on political trends, economic conditions, and social history before, during, and after the Civil War. The Civil War collections are described more in depth on the society's Web site.