The War of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies, prepared by R.N. Scott [and others]. 4 ser. 69 vols. [in 127 pt. 'Additions and corrections', dated 1902, have been inserted in the vols. With] Ser.1. Index to battles, campaigns, etc

Commissioned by the United States Congress in 1864, this monumental undertaking was designed to preserve the primary documents of the American Civil War for posterity. The project was spearheaded by the War Department under the direction of Robert N. Scott, who served as the first editor. The compilation aims to provide a neutral and comprehensive record by gathering reports, correspondence, and orders from both Union and Confederate leadership, creating an essential, albeit dense, archive of the conflict.

The editorial process spanned several decades, involving a rotating staff of officers and civilian researchers tasked with organizing thousands of pages of military records. The final set, organized into four series and divided into 127 parts, reflects the immense logistical complexity of 19th-century archival work. While praised by historians as an indispensable research tool, the work has been critiqued over the years for its editorial omissions and the occasional inclusion of secondary narratives over strictly primary documentation.