Records of the War of the Rebellion include copies of army correspondence (reports, letters, telegrams, and general orders) from both the Union and Confederate Armies discussing their operations. The fourth series, according to the preface in Series 1, Volume 1, "will exhibit the correspondence, orders, reports, and returns of the Confederate authorities similar to that indicated for the Union officials, as of the third series, but excluding the correspondence between the Union and Confederate authorities given in that series" (p. iv). On pages 1177-1178, there is a list of alternate names/designations of organizations mentioned in the text; index starts on page 1179.

Index to publications "issued during the period covered by the Forty-seventh to the Fifty-second Congresses, inclusive, printed either by order of Congress, or by the several Executive Departments of the Government."--p. iii

Index to publications "issued during the period covered by the Forty-seventh to the Fifty-second Congresses, inclusive, printed either by order of Congress, or by the several Executive Departments of the Government."--p. iii of vol. 1

The Federal Reporter contains the text of decisions and commentary regarding cases tried in circuit and district courts throughout the United States. The opinions printed in the volumes include both written statements and oral comments transcribed for publication. Index of cases starts on page vii.