M1900-Representative-Image
Freedmen's Bureau Digital Collection, 1865–1872, is a product of and owned by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright for digital images is retained by the donor, FamilySearch International; permission for commercial use of the digital images may be requested from FamilySearch International, Intellectual Property Office, at:
Acquired from FamilySearch International in 2015.
Courtesy of the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, FamilySearch International, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
See also
[The following is reproduced from the original NARA descriptive pamphlet for M1900.]
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, also known as the Freedmen's Bureau, was established in the War Department by an act of Congress on March 3, 1865 (13 Stat. 507). The life of the Bureau was extended twice by acts of July 16, 1866 (14 Stat. 173), and July 6, 1868 (15 Stat. 83). The Bureau was responsible for the supervision and management of all matters relating to refugees and freedmen, and of lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War. In May 1865, President Andrew Johnson appointed Maj. Gen. Oliver Otis Howard as Commissioner of the Bureau, and Howard served in that position until June 30, 1872, when activities of the Bureau were terminated in accordance with an act of June 10, 1872 (17 Stat. 366). While a major part of the Bureau's early activities involved the supervision of abandoned and confiscated property, its mission was to provide relief and help freedmen become self–sufficient. Bureau officials issued rations and clothing, operated hospitals and refugee camps, and supervised labor contracts. In addition, the Bureau managed apprenticeship disputes and complaints, assisted benevolent societies in the establishment of schools, helped freedmen in legalizing marriages entered into during slavery, and provided transportation to refugees and freedmen who were attempting to reunite with their family or relocate to other parts of the country. The Bureau also helped black soldiers, sailors, and their heirs collect bounty claims, pensions, and back pay.
The act of March 3, 1865, authorized the appointment of Assistant Commissioners to aid the Commissioner in supervising the work of the Bureau in the former Confederate states, the border states, and the District of Columbia. In Alabama, operations began in July 1865 when Brig. Gen. Wager Swayne took command as Assistant Commissioner. Bvt. Brig. Julius Hayden succeeded Swayne and served from January to March 1868. Col. Oliver L. Shepherd served from March to August 1868, and Col. T. H. Ruger held the position of Assistant Commissioner for only a few days in August before the arrival of Bvt. Lt. Col. Edwin Beecher later in that month. In January 1869, in accordance with an act of July 25, 1868 (15 Stat. 193), Bureau operations in Alabama were terminated except for the educational functions and the collection of claims. Colonel Beecher remained in Alabama as superintendent of education and held that position until the office was closed in July 1870. The majority of Bureau officers and agents in Alabama were active duty military officers, and for the first two years of the Bureau's existence in Alabama, the agency doubled as the military command for the district. Brig. Gen. Swayne, for example, served as Assistant Commissioner and District Military Commander for Alabama from 1866 to 1868. As a consequence of the wide use of military officers to staff the Bureau, the agency constantly struggled with issues of continuity as well as a lack of personnel to staff the various field offices. At one point at the end of 1866, the Bureau could only staff eight stations in Alabama due to a critical shortage of qualified personnel.
While the work performed by Assistant Commissioners in each state was similar, the organizational structure of staff officers varied from state to state. At various times, the staff could consist of a superintendent of education, an assistant adjutant general, an assistant inspector general, a disbursing officer, a chief medical officer, a chief quartermaster, and a commissary of subsistence. Subordinate to these officers were the assistant superintendents, or subassistant commissioners as they later became known, who commanded the subdistricts. The major subordinate field offices for the Bureau at Alabama included headquarters at Demopolis, Eufaula, Garland, Greenville, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, and Tuskegee. Under the direct supervision of the subassistant commissioners were the civilian and military agents. Occasionally, the Bureau retained military officers in a civilian capacity after the termination of their military service. For a list of known Alabama subordinate field office personnel and their dates of service, see the Appendix.
The Assistant Commissioner corresponded extensively with both his superior in the Washington Bureau headquarters and his subordinate officers in the subdistricts. Based upon reports submitted to him by the subassistant commissioners and other subordinate staff officers, he prepared reports that he sent to the Commissioner concerning Bureau activities in areas under his jurisdiction. The Assistant Commissioner also received letters from freedmen, local white citizens, state officials, and other non–Bureau personnel. These letters varied in nature from complaints to applications for jobs in the Bureau. Because the assistant adjutant general handled much of the mail for the Assistant Commissioner's office, it was often addressed to him instead of to the Assistant Commissioner.
In a circular issued by Commissioner Howard in July 1865, the Assistant Commissioners were instructed to designate one officer in each state to serve as "General Superintendents of Schools." These officials were to "take cognizance of all that is being done to educate refugees and freedmen, secure proper protection to schools and teachers, promote method and efficiency, correspond with the benevolent agencies which are supplying his field, and aid the Assistant Commissioner in making his required reports." In October 1865, a degree of centralized control was established over Bureau educational activities in the states when Rev. John W. Alvord was appointed Inspector of Finances and Schools. In January 1867, Alvord was divested of his financial responsibilities, and he was appointed General Superintendent of Education.
An act of Congress, approved July 25, 1868 (15 Stat. 193), ordered that the Commissioner of the Bureau "shall, on the first day of January next, cause the said bureau to be withdrawn from the several States within which said bureau has acted and its operation shall be discontinued." Consequently, in early 1869, with the exception of the superintendents of education and the claims agents, the Assistant Commissioners and their subordinate officers were withdrawn from the states.
For the next year and a half, the Bureau continued to pursue its education work and to process claims. In the summer of 1870, the superintendents of education were withdrawn from the states, and the headquarters staff was greatly reduced. From that time until the Bureau was abolished by an act of Congress approved June 10, 1872 (17 Stat. 366), effective June 30, 1872, the Bureau's functions related almost exclusively to the disposition of claims. The Bureau's records and remaining functions were then transferred to the Freedmen's Branch in the office of the Adjutant General. The records of this branch are among the Bureau's files.
Constrained by limited resources, Southern opposition, and the politics of Reconstruction, the Bureau faced an enormous challenge in its efforts to assist the freedmen and refugees. Its relief efforts, without question, saved thousands of southerners from starvation. Its attempts to assist freedmen to become self–sufficient, to provide public education, administer justice, and, to a lesser degree, to provide land, all worked with varying degrees of success to lessen the difficulties during the transition from slavery to freedom. One of the Bureau's greatest legacies is the body of records it created and received during the course of its operations. These records are arguably some of the most important documents available for the study of the Federal Government's policies, efforts to reconstruct the South, and Southern social history and genealogy.
The Freedmen's Bureau's major activities in Alabama generally resembled those conducted in other states. The Bureau issued rations to both freedmen and white refugees, supervised labor contracts between planters and freedmen, administered justice, worked with benevolent societies in the establishment of schools, and assisted freedmen in locating land.
Shortly after accepting the position of Assistant Commissioner in Alabama, Brig. Gen. Swayne requested permission from the Freedmen's Bureau headquarters in Washington, DC, to set aside 1,225 acres of land on the Broward Plantation near Montgomery for freedmen. The plantation had been abandoned shortly before the end of the war and was confiscated by Federal authorities. Montgomery Home Colony, established on some of this land, became the largest of several "home colonies" set aside to provide services for the freedmen. Home colonies were also established at Talladega, Mobile, Garland, Butler County, Montgomery, Selma, Demopolis, and Huntsville. The colonies were not self–sufficient communities of freedmen like those found in South Carolina or Louisiana. Instead, the colonies were distribution centers where the Bureau disseminated rations, clothes, seeds, and tools; processed claims; provided medical care; and organized services for the infirm, orphans, and the elderly. The central functions of these colonies were organized around a freedmen's hospital. The freedmen's hospital at Montgomery offered services to all races. From November 1866 to August 1867, it treated 168 refugees (whites), five of whom died. During the same period, the hospital treated 6,058 freedmen, of whom 162 died.
From 1865 to 1867, Alabama suffered repeated and massive crop failures due to drought or frost conditions. During the same period, the state was swept by a series of epidemics, with smallpox proving the most deadly disease affecting the freedmen. In addition to medical care, one of the most important duties for the Bureau in Alabama was the issuance of rations to refugees and freedmen to stave off malnutrition and starvation.
The Alabama Bureau also expended great resources and energy mitigating contract disputes between freedmen and white landowners as well as attempting to overturn draconian "black codes" enacted by the Alabama State Legislature and signed by the Governor. In his 1866 annual report to the Washington, DC, headquarters of the Bureau, Swayne complained that white landowners rampantly defrauded freedmen of benefits spelled out in their labor contracts.
However, Swayne was unable to convince the Legislature to overturn provisions of the vagrancy laws that allowed widespread arrests of freedmen. The code authorized local and state law enforcement officials to summarily arrest those freedmen without contract papers who were allegedly causing "disturbances" in public places and roads. The normal punishment under this penal code was forced labor on nearby plantations. Finally, in March 1867, the Bureau saw this law overturned through the Military Reconstruction Bill for the District of Alabama (14 Stat. 429).
The Freedmen's Bureau in Alabama had a major impact in providing education for freedmen from 1866 to 1869. Due to its limited budget and resources, the Bureau was unable to directly establish and operate the great number of freedmen schools needed. However, the successive Assistant Commissioners proved very adept at finding other means for establishing these schools. They successfully implemented a three–way partnership program in which a wide variety of Northern relief societies flooded the state with resources to build schools, money for books and teachers, or volunteer members who instructed the freedmen for no fee. The freedmen were often responsible for actual maintenance of facilities as well as contributions of money and resources for upkeep of the local schools. Bureau agents oversaw the education program and provided land and protection for the schools. The results of this program were impressive. At the beginning of the school year in October 1866, there were 3,100 freedmen in classes taught by 68 teachers. By June 1867, these figures had grown to just under 10,000 students instructed by 150 teachers.
1 Annual Report of the Assistant Commissioner, Montgomery, AL, October 31, 1866, Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Alabama, Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865–1870 (National Archives Microfilm Publication M809, Roll 2), Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Record Group (RG) 105, National Archives Building, Washington, DC.
The volumes reproduced in this microfilm publication were originally arranged by type of record and thereunder by volume number. No numbers were assigned to series consisting of single volumes. Years later, all volumes were arbitrarily assigned numbers by the Adjutant General's Office (AGO) of the War Department after the records came into its custody. In this microfilm publication, AGO numbers are shown in parentheses to aid in identifying the volumes. The National Archives assigned the volume numbers that are not in parentheses. In some volumes, particularly in indexes and alphabetical headings of registers, there are a number of blank numbered pages that have not been filmed.
The volumes consist of letters and endorsements sent and received, press copies of letters sent, registers of letters received, fair copies of letters received, letters and orders received, registers of freedmen issued rations, special orders and circulars issued, registers of bounty claimants, reports, registers of contracts, registers of complaints, registers of patients, registers of disbursements, account books, miscellaneous records, and monthly reports forwarded to the Assistant Commissioner. The unbound documents consist of letters sent and received and endorsements sent, reports, applications for relief, labor contracts, rosters of officers and employees, court records, special and general orders and circulars received, and miscellaneous records. The unbound records also contain monthly reports; oaths of office; applications of freedmen for rations; and records relating to claims, court trials, property restoration, and homesteads.
From June 1866 to January 1868, Assistant Commissioner Swayne also served as the military commander of Alabama. He therefore created and received records in both capacities. The dual function of the Assistant Commissioner resulted in a succession of changes in the official headings used on correspondence and issuances. The title "Office of the Assistant Commissioner" was changed in June 1866 to "Headquarters, District of Alabama," and in August 1866 to "Headquarters, Subdistrict of Alabama." The heading "District of Alabama" was used again from March 1867 until superseded by "State of Alabama" in February 1868. The dual function of the office is also reflected in the recordkeeping practices for that period. Although the Assistant Commissioner generally maintained separate records for each of his capacities, in the case of letters and endorsements sent the records were frequently combined. Wherever they were separable, the records created by the Assistant Commissioner in his military capacity were placed with the Records of United States Army Continental Commands, 1821–1920, RG 393.
This list provides the names and dates of service of known Freedmen's Bureau personnel at selected subordinate field offices in Alabama. Additional information regarding persons assigned to various field offices might be found among the Bureau's Washington headquarters station books and rosters of military officers and civilians on duty in the states and other appointment–related records.
The single–volume list of book records of officers in the State of Alabama (no date) is arranged by office, with records of the Assistant Commissioner first, and then alphabetically by locations of the subdistrict office. Included in the list of book records are the type of record in each book or volume, the dates of the volume, and the volume number. Throughout this introductory material and in the Table of Contents, the volume number appears in parentheses in the series descriptions of the records.
1 Volume
The single–volume name index (no date) is an additional index to Volumes 1 (4) and 2 (5) of letters sent (July 27, 1865–June 27, 1866) and Volumes 1 (16) and 2 (17) of special orders issued by the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Alabama. The letters sent and special orders issued have been reproduced in NMAAHC.FB.M809, Records of the Assistant Commissioners for the State of Alabama Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865–1870, Series 1 and 11, respectively.
Volume (6)
The single–volume miscellaneous name index consists of three unidentified indexes that have no dates and are unnumbered.
1 Volume
The single volume of letters and endorsements sent and a register of subsistence stores received and issued, 1865–1868 (113) 2, is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically. The letters and endorsements sent, September 1865 to May 1867, are interfiled in the volume, and there is a name index. The register of subsistence stores received cover the period December 1866–May 1868.
Volume (113)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent (37), dated February 1867–May 1868 and February–July 1867, is arranged and numbered in chronological order through August 1867 and thereafter chronologically without numbers. The volume contains an incomplete index.
Volume (37)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent (50), dated February–July 1867, is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Most of the letters that appear in the volume are entered in volume (37). The volume also contains an account of stores purchased by the subdistricts for the period April–May 1867. The accounts are arranged by subdistrict and thereunder chronologically.
Volume (50)
Letters Received Pertaining to Subsistence
Letters Received Pertaining to Subsistence
Unbound letters received, March–December 1867, consist of registered and unregistered letters and letters and reports received by M. H. Cruikshank, state commissioner for coordinating issuance of supplies to the destitute. The registered letters received, March–December 1867, are arranged according to their entry in volume (37).
Unregistered Letters Received
Unbound letters received, March–December 1867, consist of registered and unregistered letters and letters and reports received by M. H. Cruikshank, state commissioner for coordinating issuance of supplies to the destitute. The unregistered letters, March–October 1867, are arranged chronologically.
Letters and Reports Received by M. H. Cruikshank
Unbound letters received, March–December 1867, consist of registered and unregistered letters and letters and reports received by M. H. Cruikshank, state commissioner for coordinating issuance of supplies to the destitute. The Cruikshank letters and reports are arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically.
Unbound weekly, trimonthly, and monthly reports and returns of rations issued, 1865–66, are arranged by year, thereunder alphabetically by county, and thereunder chronologically. This series provides, in some cases, a list of people who received rations; and in others, the number of rations issued and the number of people who received rations.
Demopolis – Talladega
Autauga – Conecuh
Coosa – Randolph
Benton – Bibb
Employees – Pest House
Employees – Pest House
Reports of Subsistence Stores Issued and Received
Unbound reports of subsistence stores issued and received, July 1867–August 1868, are arranged chronologically by year and thereunder alphabetically by subdistrict. These are reports from subassistant commissioners and agents from local areas.
List of Heads of Families Who Have Received Relief ("Certificates of Applicants")
Unbound list of heads of families who received relief (Certificates of Applicants), covering the years 1867–68 are arranged chronologically. These are printed forms that include the name of the head of the family; the number of men, women, and children in the family; and the amount of corn and bacon received.
Applications for Relief
Applications for Relief
Applications for Relief
Applications for Relief
Unbound applications for relief, January 1866, May–July 1867, and May 1868, are arranged chronologically. This series consists of sworn statements of applicants indicating why they can't work and information concerning their dependents.
The single volume of accounts of stores issued to agents, November 1866–February 1868 (46), are arranged according to recipient and thereunder chronologically. The entries indicate who received the stores (corn and bacon), whether they were donated, and the amount received and transferred.
Volume (46)
The single volume of letters received and endorsements sent, March–May 1868 (28), is arranged chronologically. The volume has a name index. The letters concern primarily court cases involving financial settlement, claims, and requests for aid.
Volume (28)
The single volume of letters received and sent, April–July 1866 (38), consists of two parts. The first part of the volume contains copies of letters received dated April 4 to July 23, 1866. The second part of the volume contains copies of letters sent dated May 10 to July 28, 1866.
Volume (38)
The three volumes of press copies of letters sent, 1 (39), 2 (40), and 3 (41), September 1866–July 1870, are arranged chronologically. Each volume has a name index. Edwin Beecher, who was serving as Assistant Commissioner and superintendent of education, signed the letters from February 1869 to July 1870. All of the letters concern the accounting or disbursement of funds.
Volume 1 (39)
Volume 1 (39)
Volume 1 (39)
Volume 2 (40)
Volume 2 (40)
Volume 2 (40)
Volume 3 (41)
The single volume of endorsements sent, January–April 1867 (42), are arranged and numbered in chronological order. The volume contains a name index.
Volume (42)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent, January 1867–January 1869 (36), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (36)
Unbound letters received, January 1868–June 1869, are arranged by year, thereunder by initial letter of surname of correspondent, and thereunder chronologically. The letters from Bureau headquarters are filed after the alphabetical divisions. Although the letters appear to be entered in the volume of letters received and endorsements sent (36), neither the letters nor the entries in the volume are numbered.
A – G
A – G
G – K
M – W
M – W
M – W
B – W
Monthly Reports of Persons and Articles Hired
Unbound monthly reports of persons and articles hired, September 1865–JuIy 1869, are arranged chronologically. The reports are from Bureau officers and include retained copies of reports of persons and articles hired by the quartermaster.
The single volume of miscellaneous memorandums (45), January 1866–April 1867, is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically. The memorandums in the volume concern invoices, accounts, monies, postage, and persons employed and discharged.
Volume (45)
The single–volume account book of stores purchased (48), September 1866–July 1870, is arranged chronologically according to date of purchase. Accounts show articles purchased, the amount spent, and for whom purchased.
Volume (48)
The single–volume account book of stores issued in the counties, January 1867–May 1868 (47), is arranged alphabetically by county and thereunder chronologically. The volume contains a partial index, and the accounts show the number of white and black persons issued stores, and the amount of corn, flour, pork, and bacon issued.
Volume (47)
The single–volume account book of stores transferred (49), October 1867, is arranged by type of account and thereunder chronologically. The first part of the volume contains an account of stores transferred by the chief quartermaster (May 1 to October 21, 1867); the second part contains accounts transferred to the chief quartermaster (April 23 to October 17, 1867). The volume includes such information as dates, cost, the articles transferred and received, the condition of the articles, and from whom the articles were received or transferred.
Volume (49)
The three volumes of letters sent, September 1865–December 1868, 1 (31), 2 (32), and 3 (33), are arranged in chronological order. The indexes include a name and subject index for the first volume and name indexes for the remaining two. They also indicate the content of letters. The volumes also contain the annual reports of the Medical Department, 1866–68, and include reports to the Assistant Commissioner, January and February 1867.
Volume 1 (31)
Volume 2 (32)
Volume 3 (33)
The two volumes of endorsements sent, September 1865–December 1868, 1 (34) and 2 (35), are arranged chronologically and there is a name index for the first volume.
Volume 1 (34)
Volume 2 (35)
The two volumes of registers of letters received, October 1865–December 1868, 1 (29) and 2 (30), are arranged by time period. The first volume has an index. The entries in the volumes are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of correspondent and thereunder chronologically.
Volume 1 (29)
Volume 2 (30)
Letters Received
The unbound letters received, December 1865–August 1868, consist of three items that are arranged chronologically.
The single-volume register of invoices of medical supplies received (195), November–December 1865, is arranged according to type of supply.
Volume (195)
Labor Contracts
The unbound labor contracts, August 1865, are arranged chronologically. The contracts were approved and witnessed by the commander of U. S. Forces at Jacksonville, Alabama, not by a Bureau agent stationed at Ashville.
The single volume of letters sent, April–July 1868 (156), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (156)
The volume of fair copies of letters received and endorsements sent, April–July 1868 (155), is arranged chronologically and has a name indexs.
Volume (155)
Letters Received
The letters received, May 1868, consists of a single letter reporting the killing of a black youth by a white youth.
The single volume of contracts, register of contracts, and registers of transportation and rations issued, 1865–1866 (191), is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically. The volume has a name index and a table of contents.
Volume (191)
Letters Received
The unbound letters received by Lt. A. S. Bennett, the subassistant commissioner at Claiborn, May–July 1868, are arranged chronologically.
The three volumes of letters sent by the subassistant commissioners at Demopolis, January 1866–December 1868, 1 (138), 2 (139), and 3 (140), are arranged chronologically and have name indexes.
Volume 1 (138)
Volume 2 (139)
Volume 3 (140)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent (137), April 1867–November 1868, is arranged chronologically. It is primarily a register of letters endorsed or forwarded. The letters received are all unregistered letters. For fair copies of letters received at the post of Demopolis from December 1865 to January 1866, see the single–volume register of complaints (141) mentioned below.
Volume (137)
Unbound letters received, August 1865–December 1868, are arranged chronologically and consist of unregistered letters.
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
The single–volume register of complaints, February 1866–August 1868 (141), is arranged chronologically and, as mentioned above, includes fair copies of letters received at Demopolis for the period December 1865–January 1866. For letters received from April 1867 to November 1868, see the single–volume register of letters received (137).
Volume (141)
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, January 1866–November 1868, are arranged by subject and thereunder chronologically. The series includes an opinion of Clarke and Lyon in Freedmen v. Ridgway, leases for a plantation to be used as an asylum, a list of contributors to a black school, and a plan of Bureau buildings. Also included is a list of government buildings at Gainesville, and letters sent, orders issued, reports, and bills of lading.
The single volume of miscellaneous school records of C. L. Drake (a teacher), May 1866–October 1868 (194), is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically. The volume contains a roll of students (May 1866–January 1868) that includes their names, ages, tuition paid, and days attended. There is also a school property account for the period September 1866–October 1868 that shows the service or item paid for and the amount. In addition, there are records of post and citizen bakeries and accounts (January to August 1864) kept by Capt. C. L. Drake (20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry) while serving at a post in Brownsville, Texas. Drake later served as subassistant commissioner of Demopolis in June 1868.
Volume (194)
The single–volume register of patients at the freedmen's hospital at Demopolis (142), June–November 1867, is arranged chronologically according to the date of admission.
Volume (142)
The single volume of letters sent, May–August 1868 (153), is arranged chronologically and includes a name index and monthly reports for June and July.
Volume (153)
The register of letters received and endorsements sent, May–July 1868 (152), is arranged and numbered in chronological order with a name index.
Volume (152)
Letters Received
The unbound letters received, May–July 1868, are arranged chronologically and are entered in the register of letters received.
Letter Received by H. R. Burton
The single letter received by H. R. Burton, January 1868, the Bureau agent at Eufaula, concerns payment of a debt claim.
Letters Received by J. A. Yordy
The records for the Bureau agent at Eutaw include an unbound series of letters received, April–June 1868. The series is arranged chronologically.
Labor Contracts
The records for the Bureau agent at Eutaw include an unbound labor contracts that consist of two items dated 1866. The series is arranged chronologically.
The single volume of letters sent by the surgeon, May–October 1868 (145), is arranged and numbered in chronological order and has a name index.
Volume (145)
The single volume of letters received and sent and register of prescriptions, 1867–1868 (146), is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically.
Volume (146)
The two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent (143) and (144) are arranged by time period, thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname of writer, and thereunder chronologically. The first volume (143) has a partial name index.
Volume 1 (143)
Volume 2 (144)
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, March–August 1867, is arranged chronologically.
The single–volume account book, October 1867–October 1868 (147), is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically and consists of three sections. There is a list of commissary supplies received (October 1867–October 1868), accounts of the hospital with the Subsistence Department (October 1867–September 1868), and monthly reports of hospital stores remaining, returned, or issued (October 1867–October 1868).
Volume (147)
The two series relating to inmates treated at the freedmen's hospital at Garland include two volumes of registers of patients, May 1867–October 1868, 1 (148) and 2 (149), and two volumes of registers of prescriptions, May 1867–October 1868, 1 (150) and 2 (151). The two volumes of registers of patients are arranged by date of admission and several of the entries in the volumes are duplicated.
Volume 1 (148)
Volume 2 (149)
The two series relating to inmates treated at the freedmen's hospital at Garland include two volumes of registers of patients, May 1867–October 1868, 1 (148) and 2 (149), and two volumes of registers of prescriptions, May 1867–October 1868, 1 (150) and 2 (151). The two volumes of registers of prescriptions are arranged chronologically.
Volume 1 (150)
Volume 2 (151)
Monthly Reports of Destitute Discharged Soldiers
Unbound monthly reports of destitute discharged soldiers, June–November 1867, are arranged chronologically.
List of Expenses Incurred for Treatment of Freedmen
Unbound list of expenses incurred for the treatment of freedmen, May 3, 1866, consists of two items.
Letters Received by J. B. Healy and a Labor Contract
Unbound letters received by J. B. Healy and a labor contract, 1867–1868, consists of three items. The letters are dated March 1, 1867, and April 1, 1868; the labor contract is dated February 2, 1867.
The four volumes of letters sent, September 1865–December 1868, 1 (123), 2 (124), 3 (125), and 4 (126), are arranged chronologically and have name indexes. The first volume contains a register of freedmen; the second volume contains endorsements sent (October 1866 to January 1867).
Volume 1 (123)
Volume 2 (124)
Volume 3 (125)
Volume 4 (126)
The two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent, April 1867–November 1868, 1 (121) and 2 (122), are arranged by time period, thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname of writer, and thereunder chronologically. Both volumes have name indexes.
Volume 1 (121)
Volume 2 (122)
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, January 1866–December 1868, are arranged chronologically, and most of the letters from April 1867 to November 1868 appear to be entered in the two–volume series of letters received and endorsements sent, 1 (121) and 2 (122), for that period.
The two volumes of registers of contracts, May–December 1865, 1 (128) and 2 (129), are arranged chronologically. The contracts for the period January–March 1866 appear in the miscellaneous record book series (127) mentioned below.
Volume 1 (128)
Volume 2 (129)
The single–volume register of complaints, February 1867–December 1868, 1 (130), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (130)
The single–volume miscellaneous record book, September 1865–August 1867 (127), is arranged by type of record. In addition to containing a register of complaints for September 1865 and copies of contracts for January through March 1866, the volume includes an account of subsistence stores issued by both the Bureau and the New York Relief Association for the period from May through August 1867.
Volume (127)
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, June 1866–February 1869, are arranged by type of record and include receipts, returns of commissary property, invoices, reports on current accounts, estimates of funds, affidavits, and incomplete claims applications.
The single volume of letters sent by W. H. Hunter, August–November 1868 (192), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (192)
The four volumes of letters sent, July 1865–November 1868, 1 (62), 2 (63), 3 (64), and 4 (65), are arranged chronologically and have name indexes.
Volume 1 (62)
Volume 2 (63)
Volume 3 (64)
Volume 4 (65)
The two volumes of endorsements sent, September 1865–November 1868, 1 (70) and 2 (71), are arranged chronologically, and only the second volume, 2 (71), has a name index. In this series, cross–references to letters received and sent are designated by a citation of the appropriated file number of the letter.
Volume 1 (70)
Volume 2 (71)
The single–volume register of letters received, July 1865–March 1866 (57), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Many of the letters in the series after November 1865 seem to be copied in full, and issuances received by the subassistant commissioner at Huntsville have also been copied in the volume.
Volume (57)
The four volumes of letters received, March 1866–December 1868 1 (58), 2 (59), 3 (60), and 4 (61), are arranged chronologically, and each volume has a name index.
Volume 1 (58)
Volume 2 (59)
Volume 3 (60)
Volume 4 (61)
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, September 1865–January 1869, are arranged chronologically, and they do not appear to be duplicates of those in the four–volume series of letters received mentioned above.
The single volume of special orders issued, April 1866–April 1868 (72), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (72)
The single–volume register of rations shipped to agents and issued in the counties, January–October 1866 (80), is arranged by type of record. The volume includes a register of subsistence stores shipped to agents (January–April 1866), a register of rations issued in bulk to freedmen (January–March 1866), and a register of rations issued in the counties (February–October 1866). The subsistence stores shipped are arranged chronologically, rations issued in bulk are arranged chronologically and thereunder alphabetically, and the rations issued in the counties are arranged alphabetically by county. The volume also contains copies and extracts of special orders issued at the contraband camp at Huntsville for the period December 1864–July 1865.
Volume (80)
The three volumes of fair copies of contracts, September 1865–January 1868 1 (81), 2 (82), and 3 (83), are arranged chronologically and numbered, and there is a name index for the period January 1867–January 1868. The volumes include a copy of each contract and the date on which the contract was made. The contracts involve the rental of property, payments for goods, and obligations of employers to freedmen employees. Some of the entries for 1865 seem to be summaries rather than fair copies. Canceled contracts are generally marked in red ink.
Volume 1 (81)
Volume 2 (82)
Volume 3 (83)
The single–volume docket of trials, January–March 1866 (84), is arranged chronologically by case and includes such information as the title of the case, names of witnesses, the cause of action, the proceedings of the case (including testimony), and the decision of the judge.
Volume (84)
Rosters of Officers and Employees
Unbound rosters of officers and employees, January–March 1866, are arranged chronologically.
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, 1865–67, are arranged by subject in accordance with an index list. The records in the series relate to discharges received, affidavits, contracts, accounts, and bills.
The two correspondence series for the claims agent at Huntsville and Athens include four volumes of letters sent. The series cover the period April 1868–January 1872. The four volumes of letters sent, 1 (66), 2 (67), 3 (68), and 4 (69) are arranged chronologically. From April 1868 to February 1869 the claims agent was at Athens, and from February 1869 to January 1872 at Huntsville.
Volume 1 (66)
Volume 2 (67)
Volume 3 (68)
Volume 4 (69)
The two correspondence series for the claims agent at Huntsville and Athens include unbound letters received. The series cover the period April 1868–January 1872. Unbound letters received are arranged generally by office of sender.
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Receipts for Claims
Receipts for Claims
Unbound receipts for claims, 1867–72, are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of correspondent and thereunder chronologically by date of claim. The claims also contain information relating to payments.
The single–volume census of black citizens and register of bounty claims received and forwarded, 1865 and June–July 1868 (79 ½), is arranged by type of record. The first part of the volume is a census of blacks in Athens in 1865. The census includes the person's name, age, sex, and residence; the name of former owner, if applicable; and the person's occupation and current employment. The register of bounty claims received by the agent at Athens is dated June–July 1868. Each entry gives the name of the claimant, the nature of the claim, and the action taken.
Volume (79 ½)
The two volumes of registers of claims allowed, April 1868–January 1872, 1 (78) and 2 (79), are arranged chronologically. There is some duplication in the volumes, and they document the claim agent's activities while at Athens and Huntsville.
Volume 1 (78)
Volume 2 (79)
The two volumes of registers of claims forwarded by the claims agent, May 1866–January 1872, 1 (74) and 2 (75), are numbered and arranged in chronological order. The entries give the date the claim was forwarded, the name of the claimant, and the nature of the claims and the disposition of the claim. These registers were apparently begun by the subassistant commissioner at Huntsville and continued by the claims agent at Huntsville. Some of the names in volume 2 (79) of the claims allowed are also in volume 2 (75) of the claims forwarded.
Volume 1 (74)
Volume 2 (75)
The two volumes of registers of disbursements, January 1868–January 1872, 1 (76) and 2 (77), are arranged and numbered in chronological order. There are cross–references to claims listed in the two volumes of registers of claims forwarded, 1 (74) and 2 (75).
Volume 1 (76)
Volume 2 (77)
The single–volume register of claimants, June 1868–December 1871 (73), is arranged chronologically by date of receipt of voucher. The entries give the date the voucher was received; the claimant's name, company, and regiment; the amount due the claimant; the date the voucher was returned; the date the money was received; and the date the payment was made. The register was apparently begun by the subassistant commissioner at Huntsville and continued by the claims agent.
Volume (73)
Miscellaneous Records on Claims and Copies of School Reports
Unbound miscellaneous records on claims and copies of school reports, 1865–71, are arranged by type of record. The claims agent also acted as district superintendent of schools.
The single volume of letters sent by the surgeon, February–March 1866 (87), is arranged chronologically and does not have an index.
Volume (87)
The single–volume press copies of letters sent by the surgeon, September 1866–August 1868 (88), is arranged chronologically and consists primarily of letters to the surgeon in chief transmitting reports.
Volume (88)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent February 1867–June 1868 (85), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (85)
The single volume of special and general orders and circular letters received by the Freedmen's Hospital at Huntsville, May 1865–August 1866 (86), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Some of the letters received have also been entered in this volume.
Volume (86)
The single volume register of sick and wounded, January 1866–July 1868 (89), is arranged chronologically by date of admission and includes each patient's name, sex, nature of illness, date of admission, and date of discharge or death.
Volume (89)
Monthly Reports of Destitute Discharged Soldiers and Families Treated
Unbound monthly reports of destitute discharged soldiers and families treated, July 1867–June 1868, are arranged chronologically.
The single volume of letters sent, May–August 1868 (131) has a name index.
Volume (131)
Letters Received
Contracts
Contracts
Contracts
The single volume of letters sent and fair copies of letters and orders received by agent John L. Stelzig at Livingston, August–December 1868 (157), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. The volume includes monthly reports of operations to the subassistant commissioner for the period from August to November 1868.
Volume (157)
The three remaining records for Livingston included a single–volume register of complaints, August–November 1868, unbound court records, 1866–1867, and list of contracts (no dates). The single–volume register of complaints (158) is arranged chronologically.
Volume (158)
Court Records
The three remaining records for Livingston included a single–volume register of complaints, August–November 1868, unbound court records, 1866–1867, and list of contracts (no dates). The unbound court records are arranged by case.
List of Contracts
The undated list of contracts gives the name of the employer and number of contracts.
The single volume of letters sent, April 1865–April 1868 (108), is arranged chronologically and has a name index for the months after January 1866.
Volume (108)
The single volume of press copies of letters sent, April–December 1868 (109), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (109)
Volume (109)
The single volume of press copies of letters of transmittal sent, February 1866–September 1868 (110), is arranged chronologically. Most of the letters in the series relate to reports, invoices, receipts, and bills of lading forwarded. There are also some reports that were copied into the volume.
Volume (110)
The two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent, November 1865–December 1868, 1 (106) and 2 (107), are arranged chronologically.
Volume 1 (106)
Volume 2 (107)
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, September 1865–December 1868, are arranged chronologically by year and thereunder generally according to whether registered or not. The registered letters are generally, but not always, marked with file numbers. These letters are registered in the two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent mentioned above.
The single volume of registers of contracts and complaints, January 1866–August 1 868 (114), is arranged by type of register and thereunder chronologically. The first part of the volume contains a register of contracts for the period from January 1866 to January 1868. Until December 1867, there are only brief entries describing the type of labor, period, pay per month, and sex of employee. Thereafter, there are a few entries that give a more detailed copy of the contracts. The register of complaints is for the period from July to August 1868 and contains the name and residence of the complainant, the nature of the complaint, and the action taken.
Volume (114)
Transcripts of Mayor's Docket
Unbound transcripts of mayor's docket, August-September 1865, are arranged and numbered in chronological order. The entries consist of brief abstracts of cases tried before the mayor of Mobile. They give the date of the case, the persons involved, the nature of the case, officers and witnesses involved, and the judgment rendered.
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, 1865–68, are arranged by type of record. The series includes affidavits, February 1866–December 1867, some of which relate to the riot of May 14, 1867. The records also contain contracts (December 1866–January 1868), authorizations for rations (August 1865), copies of monthly reports of rations issued (January–November 1866), trimonthly reports of destitutes (April–May 1866), and reports of persons and articles hired and returns of quartermaster stores (July 1865–July 1868). In addition, there are such miscellaneous items as a copy of an act dated March 1866 to provide for the erection of schoolhouses in Mobile and proceedings of a board of survey convened to investigate the damage and loss of a shipment of corn.
The single volume "Time Book (112)," Swayne School Construction (1868), is arranged chronologically. A table of wages is pasted on the inside of front cover. An account book of work done provides names of workmen, number of days employed, pay per diem, and amount earned.
Volume (112)
The single volume of press copies of letters sent by the surgeon, August 1866–November 1867 (116), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. They are primarily letters transmitting reports. The letters sent from September to November 1865 appear in the single volume miscellaneous record book described below (117). For letters sent from February to July 1866, see the single volume of letters sent and register of letters received (115) listed below.
Volume (116)
The single volume of letters sent and register of letters received, January–December 1866 (115), is arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically, and there is a name index for the letters sent. The letters sent are dated February–July 1866; the letters received are dated January–June 1866; and the register of letters received are dated June–December 1866.
Volume (115)
The single–volume miscellaneous record book (117) is arranged by type of record. The volume contains general orders, special orders, circulars, and circular letters received for the period from September 1865 to September 1867. There are also copies of letters sent for the period from September to November 1865 and a list of the required weekly, monthly, quarterly, and semiannual reports that were required by the surgeon in chief for Alabama.
Volume (117)
The single–volume monthly abstract of provisions issued, October 1866–October 1867 (118), is arranged chronologically by month. The abstract gives a breakdown of patients (men, women, and children) to whom rations were issued, the types and amounts of rations issued, and the total rations issued.
Volume (118)
The two volumes of registers of patients, August 1865–November 1867 (119) and June 1865–November 1867 (no number), are arranged chronologically by date of admission and chronologically, respectively. Some entries in the volumes appear to be duplicates.
Volume (119)
Volume (No Number)
The single volume of morning reports of sick and wounded (120) is dated August 1865–November 1867 and is arranged chronologically.
Volume (120)
Monthly Reports on Treatment of Destitute Discharged Soldiers and Their Families
Unbound monthly reports of treatment of destitute discharged soldiers and their families, dated June–October 1867, are arranged chronologically.
The single–volume register of claimants compiled by the claims agent in Mobile, December 1867–March 1872 (111), is arranged chronologically by date of receipt of voucher. The entries consist of the date the voucher was received, the claimant's name, company, and regiment. It also contains the amount due the claimant, the date the vouchers were returned, the date the money was received from the disbursing officer, the date payment was made to the claimant, and by whom the claimant was identified.
Volume (111)
The three volumes of letters sent, October 1865–December 1868, 1 (92), 2 (93), and 3 (94), are arranged and numbered in chronological order, and Volumes 1 (92) and 3 (94) have name indexes.
Volume 1 (92)
Volume 2 (93)
Volume 3 (94)
The two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent, March 1867–December 1868, 1 (90) and 2 (91), are arranged by time period, and each volume has a name index. The entries in the volumes are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of writer and thereunder chronologically. The letters entered in the register were apparently either returned or forwarded.
Volume 1 (90)
Volume 2 (91)
Unbound letters received, May 1865–December 1868, are arranged chronologically. This series consists of letters that were retained, rather than letters entered in the registers of letters received and either returned or forwarded.
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Special and General Orders and Circular Letters Received
Unbound special and general orders and circular letters received, July 1865–May 1868, are arranged chronologically. Most of the issuances were received from the Assistant Commissioner.
The four volumes of fair copies of contracts dated 1865, 1 (196), 2 (197), 3 (198), and 4 (199), are unarranged and consist of copies of contracts made in counties outside the Montgomery subdistrict. Volume 2 (197) contains a list of rooms and tenants at Stonewall Hospital for October 1866 and a record of applicants for unpaid bounties.
Volume 1 (196)
Volume 2 (197)
Volume 3 (198)
Volume 4 (199)
The single–volume register of claimants, March 1867–July 1868 (95), is arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of claimant and thereunder chronologically by date of receipt of claim. The claims are for bounties and back pay.
Volume (95)
Reports Sent to the Assistant Commissioner
Unbound reports sent to the Assistant Commissioner, July 1865–October 1868, are arranged by type of report and thereunder chronologically. Included are narrative reports, including one submitted by an officer subordinate to the subassistant commissioner, and form reports of buildings in the possession of the subassistant commissioner.
Miscellaneous Records
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records are arranged by type of record. The series includes affidavits (January 1866–September 1867), contracts (January 1866–February 1867), receipts for funds (December 1865–July 1866), receipts for provisions (October 1865–June 1867), authorizations for rations issued (April–July 1866), reports of cases tried (February 1866–May 1868), and miscellaneous papers (July 1865–January 1868).
The single volume of letters sent by the surgeon, January–November 1867 (98), is arranged chronologically and has name index. For other letters sent, see the single volume surgeon's record book (101) and the single volume of reports of patients (103), listed below.
Volume (98)
The single register of letters received and endorsements sent, January–November 1867 (96), is arranged alphabetically by initial letter of writer and thereunder chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (96)
The single volume of special orders and circular letters received, January–November 1867 (97), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Most of the issuances were received from the office of the Chief Medical Officer at Bureau headquarters or from the chief surgeon for Alabama.
Volume (97)
The single–volume surgeon's record book, August 1865–January 1867 (101), is arranged chronologically and thereunder by type of record. Included in this volume are copies of letters sent and issuances received; an invoice of hospital stores received; and accounts of the freedmen's hospital and the Home Colony Hospital with the Subsistence Department for the period May–October 1867.
Volume (101)
The two volumes of accounts of subsistence stores purchased and issued, January–September 1867, 1 (99) and 2 (100), are arranged chronologically. The second Volume 2 (100) contains accounts for the Home Colony Hospital for the period June–August 1867. Other accounts of subsistence stores are filed with the surgeon's record book (101) described above and the register of patients (102) listed below.
Volume 1 (99)
Volume 2 (100)
The single volume of reports of patients, September 1865–November 1867 (103), is arranged chronologically and thereunder by type of record. There are daily, weekly, and monthly reports, including some for the Home Colony Hospital. The volume also contains copies of special orders received and letters sent by the acting staff surgeon for the period from January to August 1865. There are also invoices of medicines and hospital supplies received for the same period.
Volume (103)
The two volumes of registers of patients, August 1865–November 1867, 1 (104) and 2 (105), are arranged chronologically. The second volume 2 (105) also contains a register of patients at Home Colony Hospital for the period January–November 1867.
Volume 1 (104)
Volume 2 (105)
Monthly Reports on Treatment of Destitute Discharged Soldiers and their Families
Unbound monthly reports of treatment of destitute discharged soldiers and their families (2 items), June–July 1867, are arranged chronologically.
The single–volume miscellaneous registers of food purchased for use at the hospital, 1865–67 (176), is arranged by type of register. The volume was erroneously listed among the book records of Arkansas. It originally was used as a morning report book for an artillery company during the Civil War.
Volume (176 Ark.)
The single–volume register of patients for the Home Colony Hospital at Montgomery, September 1865–July 1866 (102), is arranged chronologically by date of admission. The volume also contains an account of subsistence stores for January–July 1867. For subsistence accounts for June–August 1867, see volume (100) of the accounts of subsistence stores purchased and issued, and for May–October 1867, see volume (101) of the surgeon's record book. For a register of patients at the Home Colony for January–November 1867, see volume 2 (105) mentioned above.
Volume (102)
The two volumes of letters sent June 1867–December 1868, 1 (133) and 2 (134), are arranged chronologically, and each volume has a name index.
Volume 1 (133)
Volume 2 (134)
The single register of letters received and endorsements sent, February–December 1868 (132), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. This is primarily a register of letters endorsed or forwarded; therefore, the letters registered in the volume do not appear in the unbound letters received listed below.
Volume (132)
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, May 1867–December 1868, are arranged chronologically. Only a few if any, of these letters appear in the register of letters received and endorsements sent.
The single–volume register of complaints, June 1867–January 1868 (330), is arranged chronologically. The register includes copies of endorsements sent or received relating to complaints. This volume was originally "indexed," or listed, as a record of Georgia.
Volume (330)
Monthly Reports of Operations
Unbound monthly reports of operations, August–November 1868, are arranged chronologically.
Circular Letters Issued and Orders Received
Unbound circular letters issued and orders received cover the period June–October 1868. The circular letters are arranged by circular number and thereunder chronologically. The orders received are arranged by type of order.
The four volumes of letters sent, March 1866–December 1868 [no entries for May 1866], 1 (175), 2 (176), 3 (177), and 4 (178), are arranged chronologically and each volume has a name index. The first volume, 1 (175), also contains records of the proceedings relating to a freedmen's court for the period March–April 1866, which states the nature of the cases, testimony, and court decisions. There are a number of cross–references beginning in January 1867 to register file numbers of letters received and endorsements sent.
Volume 1 (175)
Volume 2 (176)
Volume 3 (177)
Volume 4 (178)
The single volume of letters sent, July 1867–June 1868 (179), relating to Bureau and quartermaster stores, is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (179)
The two volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent, January 1867–December 1868, 1 (173) and 2 (174), are arranged and numbered by time period in chronological order and have name indexes. These volumes are extensively cross–referenced to letters and endorsements sent citations are to file numbers.
Volume 1 (173)
Volume 2 (174)
Unbound letters received, September 1865–December 1868, are arranged chronologically, and most of the letters are for the period January 1867–December 1868 and are entered in the two volumes of registers of letters received, 1 (173) and 2 (174). There is a small number of pre–1867 and several 1868 letters that are unregistered.
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Special Orders Received
Unbound special orders received, November 1865–February 1867, are arranged chronologically.
The single–volume register of complaints, August 1865–April 1868 (180), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (180)
The single–volume register of employed freedmen dated 1865 (181) is arranged in two parts: the first part of the volume is arranged by sex and thereunder by initial letter of surname of freedman; the second part is arranged according to employer. The register gives the names of the freedmen and indicates the terms of employment.
Volume (181)
The single–volume register of rations issued to freedmen and destitute whites, July 1866–September 1867 (182), is arranged chronologically and thereunder by race of recipient.
Volume (182)
Morning Reports of Freedmen in Camp and Hospital
Unbound morning reports of freedmen in camp and hospital, August–December 1865, are arranged chronologically and include freedmen in the hospital and in the freedmen's camp at Home Colony, which was a leased plantation.
Complaints
Unbound complaints, June–September 1866, are arranged chronologically. These complaints appear to be entered in the single–volume register of complaints (180) described above.
Miscellaneous Records
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, 1856–69, are arranged by type of record. The series includes labor contracts (January 1866–March 1869), lists of Bureau stores received and transferred (June–September 1865), reports of registration of white and black voters (June–October 1867), and vouchers authorizing pay for services and supplies (August–December 1866). This series also includes memorandums on labor contract settlements (November 1866–February 1868), reports of cases tried (September 1866–July 1868), miscellaneous records on disbursements (February–November 1866), and certificates of destitution among freedmen (January–June 1867). In addition to the above–mentioned records, there are a copy of the last will of Lewis Tidwell, dated January 22, 1856; lists of confiscated lands; forms used by the Bureau; and specifications for carpentry work on a schoolhouse.
The two volumes of letters sent by the surgeon, May 1866–June 1868, 1 (185) and 2 (186), are arranged chronologically. Volume 2 (186) contains the earliest letters sent, dated May–July 1866, by the surgeon at the Talladega hospital. For other records relating to that hospital, see the single volume of letters sent, August–December 1868 (170), listed below for Freedmen's Hospital at Talladega.
Volume 1 (185)
Volume 2 (186)
The single–volume register of letters received and endorsements sent, July 1867–June 1868 (190), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (190)
The single–volume register of patients, February 1866–July 1867 (no number), is arranged chronologically. The volume also contains a list of employees for January 1867. Some of the entries appear to duplicate entries in the single–volume register of patients listed below (187).
1 Volume (No Number)
The single–volume register of patients, October 1866–June 1868 (187), is arranged chronologically by date of admission. Records of patients admitted dating back to February 1866 appear in the unnumbered single–volume register of patients mentioned above.
Volume (187)
The single volume accounts of Subsistence Department, August 1867–June 1868 (188), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Included in the volume is the monthly breakdown of supplies issued and purchased giving quantity, cost per unit, and total cost.
Volume (188)
The single–volume register of prescriptions, May 1867–December 1868 (183), is arranged chronologically.
Volume (183)
The single volume of morning reports of patients and attendants, August 1867–JuIy 1868 (189), is arranged chronologically.
Volume (189)
The four volumes of letters sent by the subassistant commissioner at Talladega, May 1866–December 1868, 1 (164), 2 (165), 3 (166), and 4 (167), are arranged chronologically and have name indexes. The first volume, 1 (164), also contains a receipt roll for pay (April 1867–May 1868); ration returns (May–July 1866); and miscellaneous accounts (April 1867–December 1868).
Volume 1 (164)
Volume 2 (165)
Volume 3 (166)
Volume 4 (167)
Copies of Letters Sent
Unbound copies of letters sent, March–July 1866, are arranged chronologically. Several of these letters are duplicated in the corresponding volume of letters sent, 1 (164).
The three volumes of registers of letters received and endorsements sent, May 1867–December 1868, 1 (161), 2 (162), and 3 (163), are arranged by time period and have name indexes. Many of the letters entered in the registers are in the unbound series of letters received described below. The entries in volumes 1 (161) and 2 (162) are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname of writer and thereunder chronologically. Those in volume 3 (163) are arranged chronologically. Volume 3 (163), June–December 1868, includes no endorsements.
Volume 1 (161)
Volume 2 (162)
Volume 3 (163)
The single volume of endorsements sent, June–December 1868 (168), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Cross–reference citations are to registers of letters received. The endorsements during the period May 1867–June 1868 are filed in the registers of letters received, volumes 1 (161) and 2 (162).
Volume (168)
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, December 1865–December 1868, are arranged chronologically. Most of the letters for the period May 1867–December 1868 are marked with file numbers that correspond to entries in the registers of letters received. However, some of the letters for that period appear to be unregistered.
The single volume of special orders issued and received, June 1867–November 1868 (169), are arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically and has a name index. The orders received were from the Assistant Commissioner's office and related to affairs in the Talladega subdistrict.
Volume (169)
General and Special Orders and Circular Letters Received
The unbound general and special orders and circular letters received, December 1865–November 1867, are arranged chronologically.
Miscellaneous Records
The unbound miscellaneous records, 1865–68, are arranged by type of record. The series includes copies of monthly returns of Bureau stores (February–June 1867), reports on indigents (October 1865), reports on rations issued (July 1866), and bills of lading (May 1866–January 1867). The series also includes invoices and receipts of commissary stores (June–October 1866); contracts (May 1865–Mar. 1866); and miscellaneous papers, including some deeds dating from 1859.
The single volume of letters sent, August–December 1868 (170), is arranged chronologically and has a name index. For letters sent for the period May–July 1866, see volume 1 (185), mentioned above, of letters sent by the surgeon for the Freedmen's Hospital at Selma.
Volume (170)
The single–volume register of patients, February 1867–November 1868 (172), is arranged alphabetically by surname of patient and thereunder chronologically.
Volume (172)
The single volume of morning reports of sick and wounded, September 1867–December 1868 (171), is arranged chronologically.
Volume (171)
The single volume of letters and endorsements sent and letters received, March–October 1866 (135), is arranged chronologically. It has a name index and contains a list of destitute persons issued rations in February 1866.
Volume (135)
Letters Received
Unbound letters received, February 1866–May 1868, are arranged chronologically.
General and Special Orders and Circular Letters Received
The unbound general and special orders and circular letters received, January 1866–May 1867, are arranged chronologically.
Contracts
Contracts
Unbound contracts, December 1865–April 1867, are arranged chronologically.
The single–volume register of complaints, January 1866–July 1868 (136), is arranged chronologically and has a name index.
Volume (136)
Miscellaneous Records
Unbound miscellaneous records, January 1866–May 1867, are arranged by type of record and thereunder chronologically. The records include school reports, ration reports, affidavits, complaints, and statements about threats of personal violence and breaking of contracts.
The records for the subassistant commissioner at Tuscumbia include a single volume of letters sent, May–August 1868 (159), and a single volume of fair copies of contracts, November 1865–March 1868 (160). Both of these record series are arranged chronologically, and the single volume of letters sent (159) has a name index.
Volume (159)
The records for the subassistant commissioner at Tuscumbia include a single volume of letters sent, May–August 1868 (159), and a single volume of fair copies of contracts, November 1865–March 1868 (160). Both of these record series are arranged chronologically, and the single volume of letters sent (159) has a name index.
Volume (160)
The single volume of letters sent, September 1865–April 1866 (154), by the assistant superintendent at Tuskegee is arranged chronologically and has a name index. Much of the volume consists of weekly reports sent to the office of the Assistant Commissioner for the period September 1865–April 1866. The volume also contains pay receipts for persons serving as election registrars for the period September–October 1867. There is also a breakdown by district on the number of voters registered by each registrar.
Volume (154)
Monthly Reports of Rations Issued
The remaining records for the assistant superintendent at Tuskegee include unbound monthly reports of rations issued, February–April 1866, and a single–volume register of patients from an unidentified hospital, 1865–66 (175 Ark.). The monthly reports are arranged chronologically.
The single volume register of patients from an unidentified hospital was listed among the Arkansas book records, but the patients are from Alabama.
Volume (175)