The O'Connell/Chapman Historical Library

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent,
literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."
--Henry David Thoreau, author

The O'Connell/Chapman Historical Library opened its doors in the fall of 1999 and offers both lending and reference material to its patrons. The library contains the original 127 volumes of The War of the Rebellion, published in 1889. Recently, the museum made a new acquisition, thanks to Walter Gassett and his family. We are now in possession of the 1864 Journal of Oscar Gassett of the 56th Massachusetts Volunteers, including details of his stay in Andersonville Prison. The library staff has also recently completed a transcription of the diary for researchers to peruse. Please follow this link for a sample of the diary transcript.

Also prized among the library's holdings are the Adjutant Generals' reports of the Civil War for all New England states (incomplete for some states). These reports list by regiment all of the men who served during the Civil War in the respective states. They list state veterans by name, residence, date enlisted, regiment, company, rank, and if wounded and if promoted. The Adjutant Generals' reports are an outstanding resource for those tracing an ancestor's military record and can help to verify an ancestor's service record.

In addition, the library holds a variety of pictures from many U. S. conflicts, plus many rare books on American history, including a two volume set of the Army Corps of Engineers 1867 Civil War Maps. The library also has the Adjutant Generals' reports of those Connecticut soldiers who fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Mexican Revolution as well as a listing of all the Connecticut men who served in World War I.

Also in the library's possession is the Daughters of the American Revolution Patriotic Index, useful in tracing an ancestor who may have served in the American Revolution regardless of state.

Currently, the O'Connell/Chapman Historical Library is in the process of building a video collection comprised of a variety of films and documentaries on the history of the United States up to 1900.