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.

Sample Images
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

What Can this Record Tell Me?
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.

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)
 * NARA Select Images from Freedmen's Bureau Records

How Do I Search the Collection?
The Freedmen’s Bureau records are a major source of genealogical information about post Civil War African Americans. To begin your search it is helpful to know the name and some other identifying information such as age, residence or former owner.

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.

What Do I Do Next?
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.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?
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. For example use the place of residence, age, and other information for each person to search for the individuals in census records and other types of records.

I Can't Find Who 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.

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.

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