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

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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?[edit | edit source]

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.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

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

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Images[edit | edit source]

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
Register of Sick and Wounded

Digital Folder Number List[edit | edit source]

This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired Digital Folder Number List.

The table can be sorted by DGS number, GS number (microfilm number), the state where the registration took place, the title of the collection as it appears in the FamilySearch Catalog, the FHL Catalog Title Number is a link to the catalog entry, and the Film Note describing the contents of the DGS image folder.

How Do I Search This Collection?[edit | edit source]

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 the Index[edit | edit source]

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images[edit | edit source]

To view images in this collection:

Look at the United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired Digital Folder Number List article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
Go to the Browse Page
Select the Film number to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?[edit | edit source]

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?[edit | edit source]

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

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?[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

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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 == 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