gBattle-level data of the battles in the original reports of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commision compiled during 1990-1993.
Each observation in the data is a battle.
The battles are those identified by the CWSAC as the prinicipal battles of the American Civil War, and later used in the official CWSAC Report and its updates, and the CWSS database.
The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission created this database to
support its congressional mandate to identify Civil War
battlefields, determine their historic significance, assess short-
and long-term threats to their integrity, and propose new ideas
about their preservation and interpretation. The Commission
intended the recommendations to be used as the basis for
legislative proposals in the area of battlefield preservation.
The Civil War Sites Advisory Commission data files contain
information relating to battlefields of the American Civil War,
1861-1865. Four data files compose this series: Events, Counties,
Campaign, and Theater files. The Events file is the primary data
file. Of 10,500 armed conflicts in the military history of the
Civil War, the file contains information on 384 conflicts that the
Commission identified as the principal battles. Each record
identifies the following information: state and county or counties
of the historic site, the type of battle or event that occurred
there, the theater of operations and the campaign to which the
engagement relates, the dates of the battle or event, the current
ownership of the site, and the assessment of three subject area
experts of the military significance, physical integrity, historic
preservation status, and interpretive potential of the site or
event, and whether it should be a priority for protection of
cultural property. The records of the Counties file identify the
county location(s) of each battlefield and are linked to the
Events file by a common battlefield reference number. The records
of the Campaign file include a code for each of 116 campaigns and
provide its name, dates, and a ranking of the military importance
of the campaign’s battle events. The records of the Campaign file
are linked by the campaign code to the records in the Events
file. The Theater file records identify five designated Civil War
theaters of operation and are linked to the Events file by a
theater code.
The records in this file potentially identify the following information: state and county or counties of the historic site, the type of battle or event that occurred there, the theater of operations and the campaign to which the engagement relates, the dates of the battle or event, the current ownership of the site, and the assessment of three subject area experts of the military significance, physical integrity, historic preservation status, and interpretive potential of the site or event, and whether it should be a priority for protection of cultural property.
Schema
reference_number |
string |
Reference Number |
event |
string |
event |
type |
string |
Type |
start_date |
date |
Start date |
end_date |
date |
End date |
theater |
string |
Theater |
campaign |
string |
campaign |
threats |
number |
threats |
ownership_federal |
boolean |
Ownership (Federal) |
ownership_local |
boolean |
Ownership (local government) |
ownership_private |
boolean |
Ownership (private) |
ownership_state |
boolean |
Ownership (state government) |
ownership_unknown |
boolean |
Ownership (unknown) |
park |
boolean |
park |
integrity |
string |
integrity |
military |
string |
military |
interpretive_political |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: effect upon international diplomacy |
interpretive_commander_loss |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Loss of significant commander (Wounding, Death, Relieved of Command) |
interpretive_casualties |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Unusually High Casualties |
interpretive_tactics_strategy |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Important Lessons in Military Tactics and Strategy |
interpretive_public_mind |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Unusual Importanve in the Public Mind and Imagination |
interpretive_combat_arm |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Significant Participation of Cavalry, Artillery, or Other Single Combat Arm |
interpretive_military_firsts |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Military Firsts |
interpretive_minority_troops |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Participation of Significant Numbers of Minority Troops |
interpretive_economic |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Significant Economic Consequences |
interpretive_archaelolgical |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: High Archaelogical Potential |
interpretive_logistics |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Unusually Significant Logistics or Supply Feat |
interpretive_individual_bravery |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Exception Individual Initiative in Bravery or Command |
interpretive_group_behavior |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Exceptional Group Behavior |
interpretive_joint_ops |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Joint Operations (Army, Navy) |
interpretive_coop_armies |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Cooperation of Separate Military Departments or Armies |
interpretive_naval |
boolean |
Interpretive Potential: Naval Operations |
military_jim |
string |
Military Importance (James McPherson) |
military_ed |
string |
Military Importance (Edwin Bearss) |
military_bill |
string |
Military Importance (william_cooper) |
protected_acres |
number |
Protected land area (acres) |
protected_percent |
number |
Protected (percent of land area) |
county |
string |
County |
land_value |
string |
Land value |
priority1 |
boolean |
priority1 |
url |
string |
url |
reference_number
title: | Reference Number |
type: | string |
format: | default |
The reference number assigned to the battle site/event. The first two letters are the abbreviation of the state in which the battle site/event is located. The number reflects the order in which the battle site/events in the state were assigned a reference number.
event
title: | event |
type: | string |
format: | default |
type
title: | Type |
type: | string |
format: | default |
The kind of conflict as designated in The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Washington, DC: GPO, 1880-1901).
start_date
title: | Start date |
type: | date |
format: | default |
Beginning day of the event.
end_date
title: | End date |
type: | date |
format: | default |
End day of the event.
theater
title: | Theater |
type: | string |
format: | default |
The name of the theater. 1 Main Eastern Theater of operation. 2 Lower Seaboard Theater of Operation. 3 Main Western Theater of Operations & the Gulf Approach (1861-1863). 4 Trans-Mississippi Theater of Operations 5 Pacific Coast Theater Robert N. Scott, the overall editor of The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1880-1901), arranged Series I, of that publication, according to the campaigns and several theaters of operations …. The Official Records editors recognized five theaters of operations, Main Eastern, Lower Seaboard, Main Western, Trans-Mississippi, and Pacific Coast. Dr. Dallas D. Irvine, the creator and major compiler-editor of Military Operations of the Civil War: A Guide-Index to Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1861-1865 (Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1968-80), modified this arrangement by removing the Gulf Approach operations from the Main Western Theater and combining them with the Lower Seaboard Theater. The Commission study used Irvine’s classification system.
campaign
title: | campaign |
type: | string |
format: | default |
threats
title: | threats |
type: | number |
format: | default |
The degree of anticipated threats to the battle sites’ integrity over the next 10 years. The Commission assigned the degree of threat based on short- and long-term threats identified by the field investigator on the battle site survey form.
ownership_federal
title: | Ownership (Federal) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
The kind(s) of known ownership of the battle site. The Commission relied on the ownership information provided on the survey forms and additional data collected by staff members. The field surveyors and the Commission staff did not consult official ownership records, such as County tax records or maps. Many of the battle sites probably have more kinds of ownership than indicated in the Commission’s database.
ownership_local
title: | Ownership (local government) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
ownership_private
title: | Ownership (private) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
ownership_state
title: | Ownership (state government) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
ownership_unknown
title: | Ownership (unknown) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
park
title: | park |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
Park means any size or kind (historical, recreations, natural, etc.) of federal, state, local, or private park. A park presence does not mean that the battle is interpreted or even that the battle site is protected.
integrity
title: | integrity |
type: | string |
format: | default |
Integrity is the measure of the battle site’s condition.
A battle site with fair integrity is largely intact with some changes in primary geographical and topographical configuration and mass and scale of the buildings.
A battle site with good integrity is essentially unchanged from the historic period with respect to terrain, land use, road network, and mass and scale of buildings.
A battle site with poor integrity is significantly altered in terms of its primary geographical and topographical configuration and mass and scale of the buildings. Road construction and changes in land use are usually evident at sites with poor integrity. Sites with poor integrity sometimes retain core parcels (50-200 acres) intact within the generally fragmented landscape.
A local site has changed beyond recognition, meaning that a local resident of the time returning to the site today presumably would not recognize his surroundings. Lost battlefields may retain small (1-50 acres) parcels suitable for commemoration, however, the ability to interpret the battle on the landscape has been lost.
military
title: | military
|
type: | string
|
format: | default
|
constraints: |
enum: | [‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’] |
|
The Military Importance or Military Class; Military Importance = Military Class. The Commission ranked each battle (and its associated battle site) within the framework of its campaign and the war.
Decisive: A general engagement involving field armies in which a commander achieved a vital strategic objective. Such a result might include an indisputable victory on the field or be limited to the success or termination of a campaign offensive. Decisive battles had a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the war.
Formative: An engagement involving divisions or detachments of the field armies in which a commader accomplished a limited campaign objective of reconnaissance, disruption, defense, or occupation. Formative battles had an observable influence on the direction, duration, or conduct of the campaign.
Limited: An engagement, typically involving detachments of the field armies, in which a commander achived a limited tactical objective of reconnaissance, defense, or occupation. Limited battles maintained contact between the combatants without observable influence on the direction of the campaign.
Major: An engagement of magnitude involving field armies or divisions of the armies in which a commander achived an important strategic objective within the context of an ongoing campaign offensive. Major battles had a direct, observable impact on the direction, duration, conduct, or outcome of the campaign.
interpretive_political
title: | Interpretive Potential: effect upon international diplomacy |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_commander_loss
title: | Interpretive Potential: Loss of significant commander (Wounding, Death, Relieved of Command) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_casualties
title: | Interpretive Potential: Unusually High Casualties |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_tactics_strategy
title: | Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Important Lessons in Military Tactics and Strategy |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_public_mind
title: | Interpretive Potential: Unusual Importanve in the Public Mind and Imagination |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_combat_arm
title: | Interpretive Potential: Significant Participation of Cavalry, Artillery, or Other Single Combat Arm |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_military_firsts
title: | Interpretive Potential: Military Firsts |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_minority_troops
title: | Interpretive Potential: Participation of Significant Numbers of Minority Troops |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_economic
title: | Interpretive Potential: Significant Economic Consequences |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_archaelolgical
title: | Interpretive Potential: High Archaelogical Potential |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_logistics
title: | Interpretive Potential: Unusually Significant Logistics or Supply Feat |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_individual_bravery
title: | Interpretive Potential: Exception Individual Initiative in Bravery or Command |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_group_behavior
title: | Interpretive Potential: Exceptional Group Behavior |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_joint_ops
title: | Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Joint Operations (Army, Navy) |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_coop_armies
title: | Interpretive Potential: Illustrates Cooperation of Separate Military Departments or Armies |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
interpretive_naval
title: | Interpretive Potential: Naval Operations |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
military_jim
title: | Military Importance (James McPherson)
|
type: | string
|
format: | default
|
constraints: |
enum: | [‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’] |
|
Dr. James M. McPherson. The letter in this field is Dr. McPherson’s initial opinion regarding the military importance of the event. (Refer to MILITARY above.) An entry was made in this field only when Dr. McPherson disagreed with the first military importance value assigned to the event. Differences of opinion about the military importance of specific battle events were resolved at an October 23, 1992 meeting.
military_ed
title: | Military Importance (Edwin Bearss)
|
type: | string
|
format: | default
|
constraints: |
enum: | [‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’] |
|
Dr. Edwin C. Bearss. The letter in this field is Mr. Bearss ‘initial opinion regarding the military importance of the event. (Refer to MILITARY above.) An entry was made in this field only when Mr. Bearss disagreed with the first military importance value assigned to the event. Differences of opinion about the military importance of specific battle events were resolved at an October 23, 1992 meeting.
military_bill
title: | Military Importance (william_cooper)
|
type: | string
|
format: | default
|
constraints: |
enum: | [‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’] |
|
Dr. William J. Cooper, Jr.. The letter in this field is Dr. Cooper’s initial opinion regarding the military importance of the event. (Refer to MILITARY above.) An entry was made in this field only when Dr. Cooper disagreed with the first military importance value assigned to the event. Differences of opinion about the military importance of specific battle events were resolved at an October 23, 1992 meeting.
protected_acres
title: | Protected land area (acres) |
type: | number |
format: | default |
The number of acres of the battle site that are protected; for example, by easement or park status. This field is ill-defined and incomplete. The data may be inaccurate. The Commission did not use the data in this field.
protected_percent
title: | Protected (percent of land area) |
type: | number |
format: | default |
Percentage of the land area of the battlefield that is protected. This field is ill-defined and incomplete. The data may be inaccurate. The Commission did not use the data in this field.
county
title: | County |
type: | string |
format: | default |
The county, or counties, in which the battle site is located. In Virginia, incorporated cities are not part of their surrounding jurisdiction. Note: The Commission used its Counties database (counties.dbf) for county information rather than this entry in the events database.
land_value
title: | Land value |
type: | string |
format: | default |
The assessed land value of the battle site. This field is incomplete and the data may be inaccurate. The Commission did not use the data in this field.
priority1
title: | priority1 |
type: | boolean |
format: | default |
“1” = The battle site/event is one of the Commission’s Priority One battlefields. “0” = The battle site/event is not one of the Commission’s Priority One battlefields. This field was never completed.
url
title: | url |
type: | string |
format: | url |
URL to the record on aad.archives.gov.