The Center for American War Letters (CAWL) is a unique and extensive manuscript collection of war letters from every American conflict, beginning with handwritten missives composed during the Revolutionary War and continuing up to emails sent from Iraq and Afghanistan. These personal war-related correspondences are a vital record of the collective memory of the American people, as witnessed and articulated by service members, veterans, and their loved ones, who experienced these wars firsthand.


These digitized collections are accessible for purposes of education and research. Please let the Center for American War Letters know if there is any inaccurate information regarding copyright. Upon request, material will be removed from public view while a rights issue is addressed.

If you are interested in contributing correspondence or other materials to the Center for American War Letters Archive, please see the guidelines here.

Search more collections in our finding aid database.

Follow

Browse the Center for American War Letters Archive Collections:

CAWL Archives: The Civil War

CAWL Archives: First World War

CAWL Archives: Second World War

CAWL Archives: The Korean War

CAWL Archives: Cold War and Interwar Periods

CAWL Archives: The Vietnam War

CAWL Archives: The Gulf War

CAWL Archives: The Iraq War