
Jacob J. Janeway (Rutgers Class of 1859)
Revolutionary War
If you want to consult original Revolutionary War materials contact our reference services in advance so that we may supply you with duplicate copies.
Simeon De Witt (1756-1834)
Simeon De Witt was one of the first graduates of Rutgers University (named "Queen's College" at the time). The chief surveyor in George Washington’s army, he drew maps that would guide Washington to battle. SC/UA has letters that De Witt wrote to others, including former classmates, about his experience during the Revolutionary War.
Manuscript collections
- Simeon De Witt Collection: View description in QuickSearch
- Transcriptions of these and other letters from students, alumni, and faculty to John Bogart, 1776-1782: published and available online in The John Bogart letters; forty-two letters written to John Bogart of Queen's college, now Rutgers college, and five letters written by him, 1776-1782
Additional information online
- Online article on Rutgers University website about Simeon De Witt
- Portrait of Simeon De Witt: present in the Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University
Miscellaneous documents relating to the Revolutionary War
- Detailed list of Revolutionary War documents at SC/UA: available online . Individual items are described in the card catalog in the Reading Room (to be consulted in order to fill in call slips).
- Diaries and journals: see a list of diaries and journals, 1740s to the 1950s, which includes general diaries, as well as religious, travel, wartime and institutional journals, organized in chronological order.
Civil War
If you want to consult original Civil War materials contact our reference services in advance so that we may supply you with duplicate copies.
Manuscript materials, including letters and journals
We have may a great number of manuscript materials at SC/UA relating to the Civil War, including letters written by soldiers and wartime civilians, records of military organizations, soldiers' journals, and materials from military and veterans' organizations. A detailed guide (indicated below) is available in the reading room. Part 1 includes a description and transcriptions from journals and letters, Part 2 is a guide to additional materials in the collection, without transcripts.
- Detailed guide in the reading room: A guide to New Jersey and other Civil War manuscripts in the Special Collections and University Archives of Rutgers University
- Digital exhibit, including primary sources: Struggle Without End
Rutgers College alumni participating in the Civil War
N.B. Rutgers University was named Rutgers College until 1924.
Primary sources
- Biographical files and class photos: contact reference services (see also article listing Rutgers alumni in the Civil War (PDF)
- Digitized Rutgers College Yearbook, 1860: The yearbook's owner was a Texan student at Rutgers College (presently Rutgers University)--a southerner and slave owner who would die for the Confederacy. The messages from his northern classmates reveal much about the complexities of fighting on opposing sides.
Additional information about Rutgers alumni during the Civil War
- Article about Rutgers in the Civil War: Rutgers and the Civil War (PDF)
- Article about the 169 Rutgers alumni who participated in the Civil War: Rutgers in the Civil War (PDF)
World War I ("The Great War")
N.B. New Jersey in the first World War was the subject of an archival exhibit at SC/UA in 2017
Records of Rutgers College's War Service Bureau
The records of Rutgers War Service Bureau include, among others, letters from members of the Rutgers community regarding their activities during the war on the home front and abroad. Correspondents are listed alphabetically in the finding aid.
- Finding aid: Inventory of the Records of the Rutgers College War Service Bureau
- For digitized letters from alumni serving: click on "view folder" underneath the name of the correspondent in the finding aid (read blog posts about these records)
J.F.C. Fueller Collection
John Frederick Charles "Boney" Fueller (1878-1966) was a writer of military history, who served for thirty-five years as a career officer in the British Army, retiring as a major general in 1933. His papers include correspondence, photographs, publications, printed miscellany, maps and scrapbooks that in part relate to World War I and World War II.
- Finding aid: contact reference services
Additional collections and documents
- Liberty Bond Poster Collection: finding aid including a few digitized posters available online
- Detailed list of collections and documents relating to WWI: available as PDF online
World War II
Rutgers University alumni
- Oral histories with Rutgers alumni who served in WWII: finding aid with transcripts available
- Additional papers from WWII vets: available in the Rutgers University Archives
E.H. Tepper Collection of World War II posters
The posters serve to document the United States government's attempt to encourage widespread public support for the war effort. The posters champion the purchase of war bonds and stamps, as well as advocate increased industrial production and conservation of foodstuffs and other goods.
- General description of the collection: view in QuickSearch
- Finding aid to the collection and selection of digitized images: available online
J.F.C. Fueller Collection
John Frederick Charles "Boney" Fueller (1878-1966) was a writer of military history, who served for thirty-five years as a career officer in the British Army, retiring as a major general in 1933. His papers include correspondence, photographs, publications, printed miscellany, maps and scrapbooks that in part relate to World War I and World War II.
- Finding aid: contact reference services