Official records of the Union and Confederate navies in the war of the Rebellion, publ. by R. Rush and R.H. Woods [and others].

The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion was authorized by an act of Congress in 1894 to document the naval history of the American Civil War. The project was initiated to provide a definitive, accessible compilation of primary source materials, including reports, correspondence, and orders from both the Union and Confederate navies. This massive documentary undertaking served as a companion to the earlier Army records series, ensuring that the maritime experience of the conflict was preserved for historical study.

The publication was managed by the Office of Naval Records and Library, with editors such as Richard Rush and Robert H. Woods overseeing the meticulous collection and transcription of documents. The design of the volumes emphasizes bureaucratic clarity and utility, intended primarily for researchers, veterans, and military historians rather than general readers. Upon its release, the series was received as a monumental achievement in archival scholarship, establishing a bedrock foundation for subsequent naval historiography and remaining a standard reference for the period.