What are Pre-Bureau Records?
The Pre-Bureau Records for the Freedmen’s Bureau refer to documentation created by early efforts to address the needs of freedpeople before the formal establishment of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen’s Bureau) in March 1865. These records were created by organizations or military authorities tasked with managing the immediate needs of freedpeople during and after the Civil War.
Mississippi - M1914
Superintendent of Contrabands
1863-1865
The Union Army occupied parts of Louisiana early in the Civil War. Thousands of enslaved people fled to Union-controlled areas, where they were referred to as "contrabands of war" (a term used for escaped enslaved individuals who sought refuge with Union forces). The Superintendent's office was established to provide relief, organize labor, and manage the influx of freedpeople.
Key Activities:
- Distributing rations and clothing.
- Arranging employment for freedpeople.
- Overseeing wages and working conditions, often on abandoned plantations under Union control.
Descriptive pamphlets are important when researching the Freedmen’s Bureau records because they typically provide detailed indexes and explanations of the contents.
| Description | Year | |
| General Superintendent | 1863-1866 | |
| Medical Director and Inspector | 1863-1866 | |
| Staff Officers (Assistant Superintendent) | 1863-1866 | |
