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

United States

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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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United States
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US Flag 1863-1865 (35 stars)
National Archives and Records Administration Logo
Record Description
Record Type	War Department 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
United States Guided Research
United States Record Finder
Research Tips and Strategies
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Commissioner, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Assistant Commissioner, 1865-1872
United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of the Superintendent of Education and of the Division of Education, 1865-1872
United States, Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874
United States Census, 1870
African American Freedman's Savings and Trust Company Records
African American Freedmen's Bureau Records
African American Genealogy
United States
Related Websites
Mapping the Freedmen's Bureau
NARA Freedmen's Bureau Records: An Overview
NARA Genealogical Finding Aid
NARA Freedmen's Bureau, 1865-1872
NARA Selected Images of Freedmen's Bureau Records
The Freedmen's Bureau Online
NARA Freedmen's Bureau Resources
Freedmen & Southern Society Project University of Maryland
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration

What is in This Collection?

This collection includes 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. 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. 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.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

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

Coverage Table

The search results in this collection will identify the National Archives microfilm publication that the indexed image is from along with the film, digital and image numbers. The coverage table will help you determine the specific locality and provide the film notes which should identify the record type. Additional images of bureau records for the locality identified in the table will be found by searching in the browse collection.

To see the records indexed and their localities see the coverage table United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints,1865-1872 Coverage Table

Sample Images

• 

  Register of Complaints

• 

  Orders Sent to Local Citizens

• 

  Case Tried

• 

  Bill of Lading

• 

  Release from Jail

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 the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

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

View the Images

To view images in this collection:

1. Look at the United States, Freedmen's Bureau, Records of Freedmen's Complaints,1865-1872 Coverage Table article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
2. Go to the Browse Page
3. Select the Film number to view the images
   
   

How Do I Analyze the Results?

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?

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

Research Helps

The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.

• United States Guided Research
• United States Record Finder
• Research Tips and Strategies

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.

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation: The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Citing this Collection.

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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