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African American Genealogy

Finding Aid: Records of the Freedmen's Bureau

The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Record Group 105), also known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865. The Bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to the refugees and freedmen and lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War, duties previously shared by military commanders and US Treasury Department officials. In May 1865, President Andrew Johnson appointed Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard as Commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Howard’s headquarters were in Washington, DC, but assistant commissioners, sub-assistant commissioners, and agents conducted the Bureau’s daily operations in the former Confederate states, the border states, and the District of Columbia.

Although the Bureau was not abolished until 1872, the bulk of its work was conducted from June 1865 to December 1868. While a major part of the Bureau’s early activities included the supervision of abandoned and confiscated property, its mission was to provide relief and help formerly enslaved people become self-sufficient.

Bureau functions included issuing rations and clothing, operating hospitals and refugee camps, and supervising labor contracts between planters and freedpeople. The Bureau also managed apprenticeship disputes and complaints, assisted benevolent societies in the establishment of schools, helped in legalizing marriages entered into during slavery, and provided transportation to refugees and freedpeople who were attempting to reunite with their family or relocate to other parts of the country. As Congress extended the life of the Bureau, it added other duties, such as assisting Black soldiers and sailors in obtaining back pay, bounty payments, and pensions. 

Because the Bureau’s records contain a wide range of data about the African American experience during slavery and Reconstruction, they are an invaluable source for historians, social scientists, and genealogists.

M1483 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the New Orleans Field Office, 1865-1869

M1875 Descriptive Pamphlet | Marriage Records of the Office of the Commissioner, Washington Headquarters, 1861-1869

M1900 Descriptive Pamphlet  | Records of the Field Offices for the State of Alabama, 1865-1872

M1901 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Field Offices for the State of Arkansas, 1865-1872

M1902 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Field Offices for the District of Columbia, 1865-1870

M1905 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Field Offices for the State of Louisiana, 1865-1870

M1906 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Field Offices for the States of Maryland and Delaware, 1865-1872

M1907 Descriptive Pamphlet  | Records of the Field Offices for the State of Mississippi, 1865-1872

M1908 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records fo the Field Offices for the State of Missouri, 1863-1872

M1911 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Field Offices for the State of Tennessee

M1914 Descriptive Pamphlet | Records of the Mississippi Freedmen's Department ("Pre-Bureau Records"), Office of the Assistant Commissioner, 1863-1865

Guide to the Records of the Field Offices for the State of Mississippi, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, & Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872

(National Archives Microfilm Publication M1907)

The descriptive information below comes from the “Table of Contents” section of the National Archives Descriptive Pamphlet (DP) for this film set.  The 65 films in this set have been digitized and are now available from FamilySearch.  History & Genealogy has developed a PDF guide which indexes the films using the FamilySearch DGS number and the Target Number from the Film. 

Organization
The Mississippi Field Office Records are organized into 4 sections:

List of Book Records

Offices of Staff Officers

Subordinate Field Offices

Office of the Assistant Commissioner


What is a Target?
Each entry on the microfilm, now scanned by FamilySearch, begins with a Target Image, which provides a descriptor of what images will follow.  Each of these Targets is numbered. Using the DGS # and the Target number, a researcher can quickly locate a section of the microfilm when using the following index. The following is an image of a Target found in this set:

 

Guide to the Records of the Field Offices for the State of Alabama, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, & Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872

(National Archives Microfilm Publication M1900)

The descriptive information below comes from the “Table of Contents” section of the National Archives Descriptive Pamphlet (DP) for this film set.  The 34 films in this set have been digitized and are now available from FamilySearch.  History & Genealogy has developed a PDF guide which indexes the films using the FamilySearch DGS number and the Target Number from the Film. 

Organization
The Mississippi Field Office Records are organized into 4 sections:

List of Book Records

Offices of Assistant Commissioner

Offices of Staff Officers

Subordinate Field Offices


What is a Target?
Each entry on the microfilm, now scanned by FamilySearch, begins with a Target Image, which provides a descriptor of what images will follow.  Each of these Targets is numbered. Using the DGS # and the Target number, a researcher can quickly locate a section of the microfilm when using the following index. The following is an image of a Target found in this set:

 

 

Guide to the Records of the Field Offices for the State of Missouri, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, & Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872

(National Archives Microfilm Publication M1908)

The descriptive information below comes from the “Table of Contents” section of the National Archives Descriptive Pamphlet (DP) for this film set.  The 24 films in this set have been digitized and are now available from FamilySearch.  History & Genealogy has developed a PDF guide which indexes the films using the FamilySearch DGS number and the Target Number from the Film. 

 

Organization
The Missouri Field Office Records are organized into 2 sections:

List of Book Records

Offices of Staff Officers

 

What is a Target?
Each entry on the microfilm, now scanned by FamilySearch, begins with a Target Image, which provides a descriptor of what images will follow.  Each of these Targets is numbered. Using the DGS # and the Target number, a researcher can quickly locate a section of the microfilm when using the following index. The following is an image of a Target found in this set:

 

Glossary: Records of the Freedmen's Bureau

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Working with the Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Record Group 105) is easier when one understands the various terms the Bureau used for specific types of records. As the Bureau's field office level records become available on microfilm, more researchers are needing to understand these terms.

Source: Everly, Elaine and Willna Pacheli, compilers. Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Records Group 105). National Archives and Records Service, 1973. pages 244-249.

According to the title page this inventory was "...produced in this form by the Military Archives Division in order to make it readily available for staff use. It has not been distributed as a National Archives and Records Service publication."

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Registers of claimants.

The registers were complied by the disbursing officers and usually give the name of the claimant; the company and regiment of the soldier; the date the money was received from the Chief Disbursing Officer; the amount due the claimant; the date and place the claim was paid; and by whom claimant was identified.

Lists of claimants.

"Lists" received from the disbursing officer in Washington. They are printed forms giving the name of the soldier or his heirs; the rank, company, and regiment of the soldier; the name and residence of the agent; the number and amount of the Treasury certificate; the fees due the agent; the advances paid the agent; and the amount to be paid the claimant.

Confidential lists.

Forms received from the Washington office of the Freedmen’s Branch and used by the disbursing officers to identify claimants. The forms used in 1872 and 1873 list more than one name, but later each "list" referred to only one soldier. Both forms were compiled from records in the Office of the Adjutant General and included such information as the soldier’s name, rank, company, and regiment; the soldier’s place of birth and age and occupation at date of enlistment; place and date of the soldier’s enlistment; and descriptive information such as the soldier’s eye and hair color and complexion.

Memorandums of examination of claimants.

Forms used by the disbursing office during interviews with claimants. The questions on the form are similar to the information supplied in the "confidential list" and were apparently used to verify the claimant’s identity.

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Letters sent. 
Volumes containing copies of outgoing communications and usually including letters telegrams and reports made to superior officers.

Press copies of letters sent. 
Volumes containing exact copies of outgoing communications. The copies were made by wetting the original letter and pressing it against a piece of blotter-like paper. Although the press copies were often made at the time the communication was dispatched and then used to copy the letter into the volumes of letters sent, among the Bureau records they are frequently the only copies of the outgoing communications of many officers.

Endorsements.
Volumes containing copies of endorsements sent and sometimes of endorsements received as well. Instead of writing a letter in reply to an incoming communication, officials frequently wrote replies or forwarding statements on the communication. They then either returned the letter with the endorsement to the sender or forwarded it to another officer. These replies or "endorsements" were copied into volumes along with a summary of the incoming communication.

Registers of letters received.
Volumes in which incoming communications were entered. Registers usually include the date the letter was received, the date it was written, the name and office of the writer, the place from which the letter was written, a summary of the contents of the letter, and the entry number assigned the letter.

Letters received.
Incoming communications, usually consisting only of letters, but sometimes including reports and orders.

Unregistered letters received.
Communications not entered in the registers.

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

General orders.
Orders usually pertaining to administrative matters that affected policy.

Special orders.
Orders pertaining to specific subjects, usually personnel matters. Special orders relieved officers of duty, assigned them to duty, transferred them to other positions, granted leaves of absence, or ordered officers to perform special assignments. They also restored abandoned property to former owners.

Circulars.
Issuances relating mainly to administrative policies, although some also pertain to personnel assignments.

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Land reports.
Statistical reports usually submitted on a printed form listing the abandoned or confiscated lands Bureau officers held. The reports usually give the name of the former owner; the county in which the property was located; the boundaries of the property; when and how the Bureau acquired the property; when and how the Bureau lost the property; whether the property was abandoned or confiscated; the total acreage of the property; the acreage under cultivation, cleared, or wooded; and the number and kinds of buildings on the property.

Operations reports.
Narrative reports of Bureau operations for a stated time period. These reports frequently give information about the economic and social conditions in the area in which the officer was stationed, the attitudes of the white populace toward the freedmen, and the quality of education offered the freedmen.

Personal reports.
Narrative accounts in which the officer reported where he was stationed, the nature of his duties, and the authority placing him at the station.

Reports of persons and articles hired.
Statistical forms used by the Quartermaster Department to account for persons hired or articles rented by Bureau officers. The reports show the name of the person or the article hired, the person’s occupation or the article’s use, the number of days employed or rented, the rate of compensation or rent, and the amount of pay or rent due.

Ration reports.
Reports of rations, clothing, and medicine issued. Statistical reports submitted on a printed form. The reports list the stations at which rations were issued to refugees and freedmen; the number of rations issued to men, women and children; the number of rations issued to dependents, to Federal Government employees, or to persons giving liens on their crops; the value of the rations issued; and the value of the medicine and quartermaster supplies issued. There are usually separate reports for refugees and for freedmen.

School reports.
Narrative or statistical reports about the number and kinds of schools available for freedmen. The most common statistical report is a printed form on which the reporting officer listed the names and locations of the schools in his area and the societies that sponsored the schools. The officer also indicated on the form whether the schools were night or day schools and whether the building was furnished by the Bureau or owned by freedmen. The reports give for each school the number of students of each sex, the race of the students, the number over 16 years of age, the students’ degree of literacy, and the number of students in geography, arithmetic, writing, needlework, and the "higher branches." The reports also indicate how many pupils had been free before the war, the amount of tuition the freedmen paid, and the expenses of the school the Bureau paid. At the bottom of the report the officer commented on public sentiment toward the black schools.

School reports from officers subordinate to the Assistant Commissioners also include a printed form consisting of 19 questions concerning such subjects as the number and locations of the schools, the number of visits of the officer to the schools, the establishment of new schools in the area, and the public sentiment toward education for black people. The report also asked how many educational meetings the officer had held during the month, what the Bureau could do for the education of the children of refugees, and how long the aid of northern charities would be needed. These reports are usually interfiled with the ration reports.

Among the school reports there are also two printed forms for reporting the number and kinds of school buildings. One report called for the names and locations of the schools, the materials with which the buildings were constructed, the dimensions of the buildings, the estimated value of the building, and the estimated value of the land on which the buildings were located. A second form required the listing of the teachers at the schools, the benevolent societies sponsoring the schools, and the number of pupils attending the school.

Reports of sick and wounded.
Printed forms showing the number of males and females under treatment at the reporting hospital or dispensary; the number of patients discharged or transferred during the week; and the number who died. The reports also show the number of beds available; the number of attendants on duty; and the total number of hospital employees under the charge of the Bureau.

Teachers’ reports.
Usually a printed form submitted by teachers of freedmen’s schools. The reports give information about the number of pupils at the school; the attendance habits of the pupils; and the hours of teaching. The teacher usually reported if he had received transportation from the Bureau; who owned the school building at which he taught; and who supported the school. He also commented on the public sentiment toward the black schools; if there were any Sabbath schools in the area not otherwise reported; and how many pupils were members of temperance societies.

Rosters of officers and civilians.
Forms showing the names and stations of the officers and civilians employed. The rosters usually give the rank of officers and the order number assigning then to duty. For civilians the rosters usually give the monthly salary and often the date of appointment. Rosters also often show the data of discharge or transfer.

Reports of changes of officers and civilians.
Reports listing the officers and civilians assigned to or discharged from the staffs of the Assistant Commissioner. The reports are similar to the rosters except that they list only those people assigned or appointed and discharged or relieved during the month, not the entire staff.

Reports of attendants employed by medical departments.
Forms listing attendants employed at hospitals and dispensaries. They give the names and occupation of attendants, the date of the contract, by whom the contract was made, the salary per month, and remarks indicating whether the attendant was discharged during month.

Morning reports of hospitals.
Forms showing the number of patients at last report, the number admitted since, the number deserted, the number died, and the number remaining in the hospital. The reports also often show the numbers of beds occupied and available at the hospital.

Returns of bureau or quartermaster property.
Forms listing the kinds and amount of Bureau or Quartermaster property in the possession of the reporting officer.

Accounts current.
Forms used to account for Bureau funds. Usually included are abstracts of receipts and expenditures, vouchers, and other related papers.

Receipt rolls of hired men.
Forms similar to a payroll. The receipt roll gives the names, occupations, periods of service, and rates of pay of individuals hired by the Bureau.

Glossary of terms for Records of the Field Offices of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Station books of officers and civilians.

Volumes showing officers’ and civilian employees’ names, stations, and occupations and rank or salary of officers or civilians on the staffs of the Assistant Commissioners. The books also give the order assigning the officer to duty or the date of the civilian’s appointment and the order number relieving them of duty.

Labor contracts.

Contracts between freedmen and employers, usually farmers or plantation owners, witnessed by Bureau officers. Most of the contracts indicate the period of service, the rate of wages, and the type of work to be performed.

Indentures.

Terms of apprenticeship or indenture of freed people.

Registers of labor contracts.

Registers kept by officers subordinate to the Assistant Commissioners. The registers usually give the date of the contract, the names of the contracting parties, and the rate of wages.

Registers of complaints.

Registers kept by officers subordinate to the Assistant Commissioners. The "complaints" relate to problems which freedmen brought to the officer’s attention. Many of the registers simply list the name or names of the freedmen and the nature of the complaint, but others also give a synopsis or summary of the case.

Registers of marriages.

Registers kept by officers subordinate to the Assistant Commissioners. Most registers give the names of the couple and the date the marriage was registered. Many registers also give information about previous marriages, the number of children from previous marriages, and the ministers who performed the ceremony.

Registers of claimants - - bounty registers. 

Registers usually kept by claims agents. While most of the claims were for bounties, some were also for commutation of rations, back pay, or pensions. The registers usually give the claimant’s name; the soldier’s rank, company, and regiment; the nature of the claim, and information about the payment of the claim.

Oaths of office.

Oaths required by an act of Congress approved July 2, 1862 (12 Stat. 502), of persons elected or appointed to any office under the Government of the United States.