United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Complaints (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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United States Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Freedmen’s Complaints, 1865-1872 CID2492627 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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Record Description
Collection years

Record Description

This collection will include records from 1865-1872

Index and images of registers of complaints and other records related to civil rights complaints. The complaints consisted of problems which freedmen brought to the Bureau's attention. Many registers give the names of freedmen and the nature of the complaint, but others give only a synopsis of the case without names. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau) was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay,bounty payments and pensions. The records are from the field office records of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia,Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland/Delaware, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (often called the Freedmen’s Bureau) was created in 1865 at the end of the American Civil War to supervise relief efforts including education, health care, food and clothing, refugee camps, legalization of marriages, employment, labor contracts, and securing back pay, bounty payments and pensions. These records include letters and endorsements sent and received, account books, applications for rations, applications for relief, court records, labor contracts, registers of bounty claimants, registers of complaints, registers of contracts, registers of disbursements, registers of freedmen issued rations, registers of patients, reports, rosters of officers and employees, special and general orders and circulars received, special orders and circulars issued, records relating to claims, court trials, property restoration, and homesteads

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States Freedmen’s Bureau, Records of Freedmen’s Complaints, 1865-1872.

Record Content

Complaint Books or Registers may contain the following information:

• No
• When Received [Date]
• Complainant or Inquirer
• Complaint or Inquiry
• Of Whom Complained
• Action and When Taken
• Result of Action
• Final Action of Complaint Division

How to Use the Record

To begin your search it is helpful to know:

• Your ancestor’s name.
• Other identifying information such as residence, at the time of application in Utah
• Military unit or units from the United States Colored Troops

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• If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
• Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

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Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:

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• You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
• Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:

• Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date from the date of the application.
• Use the soldier's age and residence to find his family in census, church, and land records.
• Use the military service information to obtain a copy of history service and pension file.

Tips to Keep in Mind

• When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
• Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
• Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have served in the same unit or a nearby unit.
• If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for all their names.
• Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
• Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

• Check for variant spellings of the names.
• Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
• Search the records of nearby localities (or military unties, counties, parishes, etc.).
• Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You can then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Related Websites

• NARA Freedmen's Bureau, 1865-1872
• NARA Selected Images of Freedmen's Bureau Records
• NARA Article Freedmen's Bureau Records
• NARA Freedmen's Bureau Resources
• Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau
• Freedmen & Southern Society Project University of Maryland
• The Freedmen's Bureau Online

Related Wiki Articles

• African American Freedmen's Bureau Records
• African American Genealogy
• African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records

Citations for This Collection

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Collection Citation:

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