West Virginia, Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States West Virginia

What is in the Collection?
The images of approved claims from civilians seeking compensation for lost or destroyed property as a result of the Civil War. The collection is NARA publication M1762 Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880:West Virginia and is from RG 217, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury. The collection includes records from 1871 to 1880.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The information varies by record. You may find any of the following:


 * Name of primary individual
 * Claim number
 * County of residence
 * Dates of supply or service
 * Amount of money claimed
 * Itemized supplies
 * Names of witnesses which may be close relatives or neighbors
 * Details of transactions
 * Date of claim or submission to Congress

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the primary individual.
 * The county of where your ancestor lived.

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 "County" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Approved Claims (Name)" which takes you to the images

Look at the images one by one 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:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the date and locality to search for the family in census records.
 * Use the date and locality to search for the family in church records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the primary individual, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * 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.

Citations for 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. Collection Citation: Image Citation: