Kentucky, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of scanned images of records from National Archives microfilm publication M1904 Records of the Field Offices for the State of Kentucky, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands which is part of Record Group 105 Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. The images are generally arranged in the order the records were microfilmed with the records of the Assistant Commissioner who oversaw Bureau operations in the state and state level staff officers; Disbursing Officer and Chief Medical Officer, first then the local field office records are arranged alphabetically by location and by NARA roll number.

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 collection includes records from 1865 to 1872.

Records with Freedmen and Refugee Names
 * Reports, Roll 61,Monthly Reports of Confiscated or Abandoned Lands in the Possession of the Assistant Commissioner, Monthly Report of Changes in Officers and Civilians in the Bureau
 * Other Records, Roll 62- 63, Roster of Officers and Civilians
 * Other Records, Roll 64-68, Lists of Teachers Assigned to Schools, Labor Contracts
 * Disbursing Officer, Roll 76, Registers of Claimants 5 volumes
 * Disbursing Officer, Roll 77, Register of Claimants, 5 volumes, Lists of Claimants, 5 volumes, Receipts of Claimants for Checks,
 * Bowling Green, Roll 91, Monthly Reports of Persons and Articles Hired, Register of Complaints, Register of Cases Tried
 * Bowling Green,Roll 92, Register of Marriages
 * Burksville, Roll 92, Register of Cases in Freedmen’s Court
 * Columbus, Roll 93, Contracts, Proceedings of Freedmen’s Court
 * Covington, Roll 93, Register of Complaints,
 * Henderson, Roll 97, Register of Indentures
 * Hodginsville, Roll 97, Freedmen’s Contracts
 * Lebanon, Roll 97, Register of Letters Received Relating to Claims, Register of Claimants
 * Lebanon, Roll 98, Papers relating to the Claim of John Spaulding and Lists of Claimants
 * Lexington, Roll 110-111, Monthly Reports of Persons and Articles Hired
 * Lexington, Roll 112, Register of Complaints
 * Louisville, Roll 119, Monthly Report of Persons and Articles Hired, Registers of Complaints, 2 volumes, Proceedings of Freedmen’s Court(Minutes of Daily Proceedings), Affidavits and Records Relating to Complaints
 * Louisville, Roll 120-121, Affidavits and records Relating to Complaints, C-Y
 * Louisville, Roll 121, Affidavits and Records Relating to Complaints, T-Y, Warrants Issued in Response to Freedmen’s Complaints, A-Y
 * Louisville, Roll 122, Warrants Issued in Response to Freedmen’s Complaints, 1-556
 * Louisville, Roll 123,Freedmen’s Contracts, Indentures, Register of Applications Forwarded for Bounty Claims, Register of Claimants for Bounties, Station Book of Officers in the Louisville Subdistrict
 * Maysville, Roll 124, Register of Claimants, 2 volumes, Monthly reports of Persons and Articles Hired
 * Mt. Sterling, Roll 125, Register of Contracts, Marriage Certificates, Freedmen’s Contracts
 * Nicholasville, Roll 126, List of Claimants
 * Owensboro, Roll 128, Marriage Certificates Issued
 * Paducah, Roll 132, Complaints, Affidavits, and Evidence Relating to Court Cases, Register of Contracts with Freedmen at Paducah, Register of Complaints
 * Paris, Roll 133, Freedmen’s Contracts
 * Russellville, Roll 133, Complaints
 * Winchester, Roll 133, Marriage Certificates, Contracts

Sample Images
For details about the contents of these records, their history, and help using them, see the wiki article: United States Freedmen’s Bureau Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Search the Collection
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Freedmen's Bureau Office or Subordinate Field Office Location" ⇒Select the appropriate "NARA Roll Number-Contents" which takes you to the images.

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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