Freedmen’s Bureau records are a good example of “needle in a haystack” records for those doing African-American genealogical research. They are voluminous and rich. But they are also notoriously difficult to approach. Most aren’t indexed; heck, most aren’t even paginated. That they were governed by the military, and arranged as such— is itself another obstacle. […]
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Tag: researching slaves
Southern Claims Commission
I’ve been perusing the Southern Claims Commission records and rediscovering how incredible they are. The files includes many stories of the experiences of civilians during the Civil War.The website Fold3 has digitized many of these claims. Background Congress established the Southern Claims Commission in 1871. The Commission adjudicated claims by loyal Southerners for reimbursement of […]