United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired - FamilySearch Historical Records

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United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired, 1865-1872 CID2515868 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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Record Description
Record Type	Freedmen and Refugee Records
Record Group	RG 105: Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872
Collection years	1865-1872
National Archives Identifier	434
FamilySearch Resources
Records of the Commissioner
Records of the Assistant Commissioner
Superintendent of Education and the Division of Education Records
Freedmen’s Bank
1870 Census
African American Research
African American Freedmen's Bureau Records
Quick Guide to African American Records
Related Websites
Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau
NARA Freedmen's Bureau Records: An Overview
NARA Genealogical Finding Aid
NARA The Freedmen's Bureau
NARA Freedmen's Bureau Resources
NARA African American Records
Publications of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project
The Freedmen's Bureau Online. Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
Suffolk University
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration

What is in This Collection?

This collection consists of index and images of field office monthly reports of articles and persons hired by the Bureau's field office for the years 1865 to 1872. The principal name in the index is either of the person employed or the person who owned the article.

"The Receiving and Disbursing Officer of each District will make a consolidated Monthly Report [Form 2] of all employees of this Bureau in their respective Districts, giving the name of each officer employing the persons whose services are reported. These names will be entered in the column headed "By whom owned," the words "or employed" being entered in said heading. The several officers under whose direction employees are hired will make their Reports (Form 2) to the Assistant Commissioners of their respective Districts as heretofore . These reports when approved by the Assistant Commissioners, will be by them referred to the Receiving and Disbursing Office reporting to them respectively, for consolidation." Source: Officers' Manuel p. 28

The records and roll numbers are from the field office records of the following states:

• Alabama (M1900), Quartermaster and disbursing officer, roll 7
• Arkansas (M1901), Batesville, roll 6; Devall's Bluff, roll 8; Pine Bluff, Arkansas River District, roll 19
• District of Columbia (M1902), Washington and Georgetown, roll 17
• Georgia (M1903), Chief quartermaster and disbursing officer, rolls 21-24; Isabella, roll 65; Woodville, roll 90
• Kentucky (M1904), Bowling Green, roll 91; Lexington, rolls 110-111; Louisville, roll 119; Maysville, roll 124; Paducah, roll 131
• Louisiana (M1905), Chief medical officer, roll 15; Abbeville, roll 52; Alexandria, roll 54; Amite City, roll 58; Abbeville, roll 60; Bayou Sara, roll 66; Clinton, roll 69; Columbia, roll 71; Franklin, roll 77; Houma rolls 80, 82; Lake Providence, roll 82; Milliken Bend, roll 87; Natchitoches, roll 92; New Iberia, roll 95; New Roads, roll 97; St. Joseph, roll 99;
• Maryland & Delaware(M1906), roll 6
• Mississippi (M1907), Macon, roll 29; Vicksburg, roll 44 and 64
• North Carolina (M1909), Beaufort, roll 6; Charlotte, roll 8; Greensboro, roll 20; Oxford, roll 48
• South Carolina (M1910), Medical officer, roll 13; Abbeville Courthouse, roll 33; Aiken, roll 37; Beaufort, roll 57; Columbia, roll 70; Darlington, roll 72; Georgetown, roll 75; Kingstree, roll 85; Marion, roll 87
• Texas (M1912), Quartermaster and disbursing officer rolls 7-9; Boston roll 13

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.

To Browse This Collection

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

Collection Content

Sample Images

• United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired Examples
• 

  Bill of Lading

• 

  Employment Record (sample 1)

• 

  Employment Record (sample 2)

• 

  Labor Contract (page 1)

• 

  Labor Contract (page 2)

• 

  Labor Contract (page 3)

• 

  Labor Contract (page 4)

• 

  Record of Leins on Crops

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  Register of Sick and Wounded

What Can This Collection Tell Me?

The information found in the records varies by document and locality. You may find any of the following:

• Full name
• Residence
• Document dates
• Age
• Occupation
• Names of family members
• Relationships

How Do I Search This Collection?

To begin your search it is helpful to know:

• The name of your ancestor
• The approximate age of your ancestor
• The place where your ancestor lived
• The name of the former slave owner

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page:
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page:
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links:
⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page
⇒Select the "Film" which takes you to the images

What Do I Do Next?

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

• Use the information found to search for the family in census records
• Use the information found to search for the family in church records
• Use the information found to search for the family in land and probate records
• Use the information found to search for the family in additional state and county records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

• There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
• Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
• Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
• Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.
• 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 could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.
• Former slaves may have had used multiple names or changed their names until they decided upon one particular name. Search all possible names along with variations or spellings of their known names.

General Information About Freedmen's Bureau Records

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands was established in the War Department in March of 1865. It was commonly called the Freedman’s Bureau and was responsible for the management and supervision of matters relating to refuges, freedmen, and abandoned lands. The Bureau assisted disenfranchised Americans, primarily African Americans, with temporal, legal and financial matters, with the intent of helping people to become self-sufficient. Matters handled included the distributing of food and clothing; operating temporary medical facilities; acquiring back pay, bounty payments, and pensions; facilitating the creation of schools, including the founding of Howard University; reuniting family members; handling marriages; and providing banking services. Banking services were provided by the establishment of the Freedman’s Saving and Trust Company, or Freedman’s Bank.

The Bureau functioned as an agency of the War Department from approximately June 1865 until December 1868. In 1872, the functions of the Bureau were transferred to the Freedmen’s Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office.

The Bureau assisted over one million African Americans, including many of the nearly four million emancipated slaves, which was over 25% of the population of former slaves in America.

The records identify those who sought help from the Bureau at the end of the Civil War. Most supplicants were freed slaves, some of which were military veterans. In addition, a few veterans who were not African Americans also sought help from the Bureau. Freedmen’s Bureau records are usually reliable, because the records were supplied through first-person correspondence or the recording of a marriage.

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collection Articles

• Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Arkansas, Field Offices Records of the Freedmen's Bureau (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• District of Columbia, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Georgia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Kentucky, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Louisiana, Freedmen's Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Maryland and Delaware, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• North Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• South Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
• Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citing This Collection

Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation

"United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired." Index and Images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing various NARA microfilm publications. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.

Record Citation: When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.

Image Citation: When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.

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