This series contains internal Commission correspondence, and correspondence between the Commission and educational institutions, private institutions, historical societies, Federal and state agencies, and individuals. The correspondence concerns Commission activities associated with sponsoring, planning, and carrying out commemorative events. This correspondence is sometimes accompanied by memorandums, telegrams, newsletters, and publications.
There are also records regarding the organization and functions of the Commission among the files relating to the annual meetings of the National Assembly. The files contain correspondence, minutes of meetings, copies of speeches, programs for meetings of the National Assemblies, reports on the status and workings of the Commission, resolutions (Congressional, state, and Commission), and fiscal data. There is related information found in files concerning meetings of the full Commission and the Executive Committee and among the records concerning activities of committees and advisory groups.
There are two sets of state records. Those concerning the state Civil War Centennial Commissions chiefly contain correspondence between the national and state commissions and letters from the state commissions to individuals inviting them to present speeches. Other records in these files include minutes of meetings, reports and publications, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, and maps. Other files organized by state contain many letters to the commission from individuals who had ancestors who fought in the war, both for the North and the South.
Records concerning the Civil War Round Tables include correspondence, newsletters, publications, and minutes of meetings. The documents often include information regarding planned events of the groups, as well as documents to, from, and about various guest speakers.
Among the major forms of commemorative tributes undertaken by the Commission were reenactments. Files dedicated to specific individual reenactments include the raid on Harper's Ferry, the firing on Fort Sumter, the battles of (First) Manassas and Antietam, and Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. There are also records concerning reenactments in the state commission and Round Table files.
Of particular significance are a special Interim Report entitled "Civil War Areas, National Park System, Mission 66 Requirements, 1958" (file Sites - Civil War, 1957-1961); Mission 66 pamphlets (file National Park Service, 1955-1955); a Commission bulletin on carrying out the Mission 66 program (file Tape Recordings, 1958-1959); and a publication of the National Trust for Historic Preservation entitled, "Preserving America's Heritage: A Challenge" (file Mobile Museum - General Correspondence, 1958-1959).
Other items of special interest include a photostat copy of a report entitled, "Early Construction of Frigates and U.S.S. Constellation (Yankee Racehorse)," by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1919 (file Constellation - Maryland, 1960-1961); a script for a film, "Scabbard and Blade," by H. N. Clauss, which involves the Battle of Gettysburg (file Films, 1960-1964); reproductions of photographs taken by Matthew Brady, including a photograph of President-Elect Abraham Lincoln, produced from the original 1861 negative, number 164 in limited edition series of 250 (file State Publications - New Jersey, 1961-1964); a reproduced photo of a Rodman (cannon) gun (file Du Pont Company, 1959); and the Commission Seal Stamp Press (file Artifacts, ca. 1957-1966).
