United States, Freedmen's Bureau Records of Persons and Articles Hired - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What is in This Collection?
This collection consists of index and images of field office monthly reports of articles and persons hired by the Bureau's field office for the years 1865 to 1872. The principal name in the index is either of the person employed or the person who owned the article.

"The Receiving and Disbursing Officer of each District will make a consolidated Monthly Report [Form 2] of all employees of this Bureau in their respective Districts, giving the name of each officer employing the persons whose services are reported. These names will be entered in the column headed "By whom owned," the words "or employed" being entered in said heading. The several officers under whose direction employees are hired will make their Reports (Form 2) to the Assistant Commissioners of their respective Districts as heretofore . These reports when approved by the Assistant Commissioners, will be by them referred to the Receiving and Disbursing Office reporting to them respectively, for consolidation." Source: Officers' Manual, p. 28.

To locate additional information on the indexed collections in this publication see the digital folder number list section and related digital folder number list link located in this article under the heading Collection Content. The links in the state column will direct you to the browse collection landing page.

The records and roll numbers are from the field office records of the following states:
 * Quartermaster and disbursing officer, roll 7
 * Batesville, roll 6; Devall's Bluff, roll 8; Pine Bluff, Arkansas River District, roll 19
 * Washington and Georgetown, roll 17
 * Chief quartermaster and disbursing officer, rolls 21-24; Isabella, roll 65; Woodville, roll 90
 * Bowling Green, roll 91; Lexington, rolls 110-111; Louisville, roll 119; Maysville, roll 124; Paducah, roll 131
 * Chief medical officer, roll 15; Abbeville, roll 52; Alexandria, roll 54; Amite City, roll 58; Abbeville, roll 60;  Bayou Sara, roll 66;  Clinton, roll 69; Columbia, roll 71; Franklin, roll 77; Houma rolls 80, 82; Lake Providence, roll 82; Milliken Bend, roll 87; Natchitoches, roll 92; New Iberia, roll 95; New Roads, roll 97; St. Joseph, roll 99
 * roll 6
 * Macon, roll 29; Vicksburg, roll 44 and 64
 * Beaufort, roll 6; Charlotte, roll 8; Greensboro, roll 20; Oxford, roll 48
 * Medical officer, roll 13; Abbeville Courthouse, roll 33;  Aiken, roll 37; Beaufort, roll 57; Columbia, roll 70; Darlington, roll 72;  Georgetown, roll 75;  Kingstree, roll 85; Marion, roll 87
 * Quartermaster and disbursing officer rolls 7-9; Boston roll 13

General Information about the Freedmen's Bureau
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. 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.

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
The following information may be found in this collection: • 2

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, 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
 * Consider ancestors who may have been employed as a civilian agent or served as local agent while still in the military. Look for statewide rosters of bureau personnel in the records of Assistant Commissioners and the Field Office Personnel Coverage Table for this state. Others may have worked with aid associations or taught school supported by aid associations in the north.

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information found to search for the family in census records, in church records, in land and probate records, 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
 * United States Research Tips and Strategies

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

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Dee Parmer Woodtor, Finding a place called home : a guide to African-American genealogy and historical identity New York, New York : Random House, c1999 FHL 973 F2wd See chapter 8
 * Paula K Byers, ed. African American genealogical sourcebook New York, New York : Gale Research, c1995 FHL 973 F27afg See pages 68-98 The Freedmen's Bureau

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Alabama, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Arkansas, Field Offices Records of the Freedmen's Bureau - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * District of Columbia, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Georgia, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Kentucky, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Louisiana, Freedmen's Bureau Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Maryland and Delaware, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * North Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * South Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Maryland and Delaware, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * North Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * South Carolina, Freedmen Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Texas, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Elaine Everly, Willna Pacheli, comp., Preliminary inventory of the records of the field offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands : record group 105. 3 volumes. Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Service, 1973

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.

Estados Unidos, Registros da Agência de Liberados de Pessoas e Artigos Contratados (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)