United States, Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Civilians - FamilySearch Historical Records

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United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866 andUnited States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866
CID1834304
CID1845948
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.

United States
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Record Description
Record Group RG 109: War Department Collection of Confederate Records
Collection years 1861-1866
Microfilm Publication M345. Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Individual Civilians. 300 rolls.
M416. Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Two or More Civilians. 94 rolls.
National Archives Identifier 2133278
FamilySearch Resources
Content Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


What is in This Collection?[edit | edit source]

This article describes multiple collections covering the years 1861 through 1866. The collection "United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866" consists of images of records from the United States Provost Marshal during the Civil War. The Provost Marshal served as military police for the Union Army. Records in this collection deal with deserters, Confederate spies, civilians suspected of disloyalty, civilian passage through military zones, contraband slaves, etc. The records are in Record Group 109 located in the National Archives. This collection corresponds to NARA publication M345: Union Provost Marshals’ File of Papers Relating to Individual Civilians and Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers relating to Two or More Civilians NARA publication M416.

The collection was digitized from microfilm and is arranged alphabetically by the first two or three letters of the surname. It consists of correspondence, provost court papers, lists of transportation permits, claims for compensation for property used or destroyed by military forces, affidavits, oaths of loyalty and other lists.

Although the records were kept by the Union Army, they primarily deal with information about confederate citizens and union citizens who were suspected of supporting the confederate cause. They dealt with a wide range of individuals including those who were suspected of disloyalty or of giving aid to the enemy, who violated military orders, were prisoners, were authorized to travel in or to enter the Confederate states, and others. During the war each division, brigade, and corps of the Union Army had a provost marshal. Be aware that

  • Provost marshals kept records of their activities as the military police
  • Provost courts were established to try civilians who violated military orders as well as military personnel suspected of committing civil crimes

The United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866 collection consists of mages of records from the United States Provost Marshal during the Civil War. The Provost Marshal served as military police for the Union army. Records in this collection would deal with deserters, Confederate spies, civilians suspected of disloyalty, civilians passage through military zones, etc. These files (for two or more citizens) are arranged by file number and date.This is National Archive publication M416.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility[edit | edit source]

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection[edit | edit source]

United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866.

United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866.
Tip
 This collection contains searchable content in the NARA Catalog. They can be accessed by clicking on the National Archives identifier in the Record Description. Once inside the Catalog, click on the "Search Within This Series".

What Can These Records Tell Me?[edit | edit source]

The following information may be found in these records:

  • Name of civilian
  • County and/or state of civilian’s residence
  • Reason why civilian was brought into question
  • Current residence
  • Occupation
  • Legal findings
  • Resolution of matter

Collection Content[edit | edit source]

Sample Images[edit | edit source]

  • 1864 Example 1

    1864 Example 1

  • 1863 Example 2

    1863 Example 2

  • 1862 Example 3

    1862 Example 3

  • 1864 Example 4

    1864 Example 4

  • 1863 Example 5

    1863 Example 5

  • 1865 Example 6

    1865 Example 6

Coverage Table[edit | edit source]

A coverage table containing lists of contraband names and slave owners in the collection Union Provost Marshal's File of Papers Relating to Civilians can be found at African American Contraband Records, Coverage Table - FamilySearch Historical Records.

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

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

  • The name of your ancestor
  • The state and county of residence for your ancestor
  • The occupation of your ancestor

Search the Index[edit | edit source]

United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866

This collection does not have a searchable index. Only images are available. See View the Images to access them.

United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

This collection does not have a searchable index. Only images are available. See View the Images to access them.

View the Images[edit | edit source]

United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Select a surname range to view the images

United States Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Document Type
  2. Select Record Number/Date/Prison 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]

  • Add any new information to your records
  • If available, check the image for additional information
  • Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family
  • Provost marshal records can be used to place an individual in a specific location at a specific time
  • They can show how individual citizens were involved in the Civil War
  • Film numbers referenced will tell you in which of the two records sets you will locate the file
Film numbers F1580-F1662 indicate that the file is located in "United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Two or More Civilians, 1861-1866"
All other film numbers designate United States Union Provost Marshal Files of "United States, Union Provost Marshal Files of Individual Civilians, 1861-1866."

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?[edit | edit source]

  • Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
  • Look for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records. For example an index to Missourians in the collections is available at Index for Missourians in the Provost Marshal's Records. The dates listed in this index will help you more readily locate the files.

Research Helps[edit | edit source]

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

Other FamilySearch Collections[edit | edit source]

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Historical Records[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Digital Library[edit | edit source]

Citing This Collection[edit | edit source]

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