Footnote says it has worked with the U.S. National Archives over the past three years to create the largest collection of Civil War documents on the Internet, featuring over 30 million documents, photos and maps.

"Our strong partnership with the National Archives has allowed us to build an extremely valuable resource for researchers, historians and genealogists," said Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com.

"Now more people than ever have access to records relating to one of the most prolific events in our history."

Highlights of Footnote’s Civil War Collection include:

*Union and Confederate Soldier Service Records

*Widow’s Pension Files

*Emancipation Documents and Slave Records

*Confederate Amnesty Papers and Citizens Files

*Lincoln Assassination Investigation and Trial Papers

*Civil War Photos and Maps

Footnote members can also create their own pages to highlight their findings and research. "When documents and member contributions come together, a more powerful side of history is revealed," says Justin Schroepfer, Director of Marketing at Footnote.com.

"Our members have added comments, insights and information that significantly increase our understanding of these events and the people involved."
 

"The Wall is more than just 58,000 plus names. Many of these people were my friends," Vietnam veteran Richard Schroepfer says in a video on the site.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial
(Photo Credit: Footnote)

The site offers a link to the service records and casualty reports of those who died in the war. Visitors can pay tribute by adding photos, comments and stories about those who lost their lives.

"We know that there are many untold experiences represented on that Wall, and we hope that this interactive version of the memorial helps those affected by the war by sharing their stories," said Russell Wilding, CEO of Footnote.com.

Peter Krogh, a National Geographic photographer, photographed the entire Wall. To create the online version of the Wall nearly 1,500 individual photos were put together to create a single image. The process took over five months and resulted in an image that is close to five gigapixels in size.

Visitors to the site can search by name, enlistment type, service, hometown, home state, rank and years of birth and death.

"The records of the Vietnam War in the National Archives are essential resources for veterans to revisit their history and establish their rights," explains Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein.