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Southern Claims Commission (SCC)

➡️ Established: March 3, 1871, by an act of Congress

➡️ Operational Period: 1871–1880

The Southern Claims Commission (SCC) was created by Congress to hear claims from Southern residents who maintained loyalty to the Union during the Civil War and had property taken or used by the U.S. Army. It was not a charity; claimants had to prove loyalty and prove that property was officially taken for military use.

Who Could File a Claim?

White male witness portrait, Southern Claims Commission testimony, Civil War claims records, Reconstruction genealogy resources, African American claims research.

Eligible claimants came from 12 Southern states:
West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

To succeed, claimants had to demonstrate:

Types of Claims

Allowed Claims

- Found loyal to the Union.
- Losses proven as military requisitions.

Files often contain:
- Full testimonies
- Inventories of goods
special examiner reports
- Treasury Department payment confirmations

Approved claims where compensation was granted.

Disallowed Claims

- Loyalty not sufficiently proven
- Property taken by Confederate forces, or without requisition
- Conflicting witness testimony
Denials were disproportionately common for African American claimants due to racial bias or lack of documentation

Reviewed but denied, often because:

Barred Claims

- Late filing (after March 3, 1873 deadline)
- Procedural or jurisdictional errors
- Incomplete or improper paperwork

Not considered at all, usually due to:

Transfer to the U.S. Court of Claims

- Lawyers were often hired to press the case.
- Courts could review new depositions, examine additional evidence, and occasionally reverse SCC decisions.

Some denied or barred claimants turned to the U.S. Court of Claims.

Testimony and Questions Under Oath

The Southern Claims Commission revised its formal questions several times between 1871 and 1874. These questions, asked under oath, were intended to test loyalty to the Union and verify claims of property loss. In practice, they also drew out deeply personal details of daily life, creating one of the richest archives of Civil War–era testimony, especially for African American claimants.

1871 – Initial Questions

The first version of the SCC questions, introduced in 1871, concentrated on establishing a claimant’s basic loyalty to the Union and verifying property losses. Witnesses were asked to describe where they lived during the war, whether they supported the Confederacy, and what property the Union Army officially requisitioned.

1872 – Revised Questions

By 1872, the Commission refined its approach, adding more probing questions about daily life, relationships with neighbors, and specific encounters with both Union and Confederate forces. These revisions created more context and helped expose contradictions, but also captured vivid community-level detail.

1874 – Final Version

The 1874 revision further expanded the inquiry, asking claimants and witnesses to provide even deeper personal accounts. This version often drew out names of enslavers, stories of survival under occupation, and experiences of formerly enslaved people navigating freedom. Together, the three versions created one of the most detailed archives of Civil War–era testimony in U.S. history.

Locating US Southern Claims Commission

Eligible claimants came from 12 Southern states, namely West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

FamilySearch - SCC
Approved Claims
Alabama M2062 Click to View all 36 Rolls
The Southern Claims Commission (SCC) microfilm publication M2062 comprises 36 rolls, encompassing 828 approved claims from Alabama residents seeking compensation for property appropriated by Union forces during the Civil War. Each roll is organized alphabetically by county, and within each county, by the claimant's surname.
Virginia M2094 Click to View all 45 Rolls
The Southern Claims Commission (SCC) microfilm publication M2094 comprises 45 rolls and contains 931 approved claims submitted by Unionist citizens from Virginia between 1871 and 1880. These claims sought compensation for property—such as livestock, crops, and supplies—confiscated or utilized by the U.S. Army during the Civil War. Each roll is organized by county, and within each county, alphabetically by the claimant's surname.
West Virginia 1762 Click to View all 3 Rolls
The Southern Claims Commission (SCC) microfilm publication M1762 encompasses the approved claims submitted by Unionist citizens from West Virginia between 1871 and 1880. This collection comprises 3 microfilm rolls, containing 47 approved claims. he case files in M1762 are organized by county, and within each county, alphabetically by the claimant's surname. In instances where the claimant was deceased or a minor, the files may be listed under the name of an administrator, executor, or trustee.
Miscellaneous Letters Received
Roll Date Roll Date
1 Journal of the Commissioners 6 Jan 5, - Dec 23, 1875
2 March 10, 1871 - Dec. 30, 1872 7 Jan 7, - Dec 28, 1876
3 Jan 2, - Dec. 29, 1872 8 Jan 2, - Dec 28, 1877
4 Jan 1, - June 29, 1874 9 Jan 2, 1878 - June 29, 1880 and Other Records Mar 29, 1864 - ca. April 17, 1900
5 July 1, - Dec 31, 1874
Letters From and about Special Agents
10 Avery - Brownlow 12 Richmond - Tucker
11 Chamberlain - Richards
NARA -M87
13 Geographical List of Claims 14 Consolidated Index of Claims
United States. House of Representatives. Commissioners of Claims
Southern claims, ca. 1871-1880

National Archive - SCC: Publication in PDF Format
Publication # State
M2062 Alabama: Approved Claims, 1871-1880
M1658 Georgia: Approved Claims, 1871-1880
M2094 Virginia: Approved Claims, 1871-1880
M1762 West Virginia: Approved Claims, 1871-1880

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