Southern Claims Commission
Established: March 3, 1871, by an act of Congress
Operational Period: 1871–1880
Target Audience: Southern residents who:
- Lived in the Confederate states during the Civil War
- Maintained loyalty to the Union
- Had property taken by or furnished to the U.S. Army (not the Confederate forces)
The SCC was not a charity. Claimants had to prove two things:
- Loyalty to the Union throughout the war (often under difficult or dangerous circumstances).
- That the U.S. Army officially took their property (e.g., horses, crops, tools, lumber) for military use.
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 # | 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 |
| 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 | ||||
| What records can I find on the SCC files? | |||
| Claimant's Petition | |||
| Detailed descriptions of the property lost or damaged. | |||
| Statements of loyalty to the Union, including personal declarations and sometimes character references. | |||
| Affidavits | |||
| Statements from the claimant and supporting witnesses. | |||
| Descriptions of the claimant's loyalty and specific incidents involving property losses. | |||
| Evidence and Testimony | |||
| Recorded oral testimonies. | |||
| Written statements and affidavits from neighbors, friends, and sometimes Union soldiers or officials. | |||
| Official Correspondence | |||
| Letters and communications between the claimant and the Commission. | |||
| Internal memos and notes by Commission members regarding the claim. | |||
| Decisions and Reports | |||
| Final decisions by the Commission on each claim, indicating approval or rejection. | |||
| Detailed reports explaining the basis of the decision. | |||
| Financial Records | |||
| Records of approved claims and the amounts awarded. | |||
| Payment records, including receipts. |
Allowed Claims
These are the claims that were approved by the SCC, and the claimant received compensation.
What it means:
- The Commission found the claimant to be loyal to the Union.
- The property loss was sufficiently proven to have been taken or used by the Union Army.
- These files often include:
- Full testimonies
- Inventory of goods
- Special examiner reports
- Treasury Department records confirming payment
Disallowed Claims
These are claims that were reviewed but ultimately denied.
Common reasons for disallowance:
- Claimant could not sufficiently prove loyalty to the Union.
- Property may have been taken by Confederate forces or taken without official requisition.
- Inconsistencies in witness testimony.
- Sometimes denied due to race or lack of legal documentation, especially in the case of African American claimants.
Barred Claims
These were claims that were not considered at all because of procedural issues, such as:
- Filed too late (after the submission deadline of March 3, 1873)
- Improper paperwork
- Jurisdictional problems
- These claims were never formally adjudicated by the Commission.
Disallowed and Barred Claims Transferred to the U.S. Court of Claims
Some claimants, after having their SCC claims disallowed or barred, petitioned the U.S. Court of Claims for reconsideration.
What happened:
- These files were transferred from the SCC to the Court of Claims (established to handle federal claims lawsuits).
- Claimants often hired lawyers to present their cases.
- The Court might:
- Review new evidence
- Take fresh depositions
- Issue a new decision (sometimes reversing SCC outcomes)
Questions to be answered by claimants under oath
There were three versions of the questions to be asked of claimants and witnesses
The questions asked by the Southern Claims Commission (SCC) were designed to determine a claimant’s loyalty to the Union and the validity of their property loss claims, but they also unintentionally created one of the richest sources of personal narratives from the Civil War era, especially for African Americans.
These questions prompted claimants and witnesses to describe where they lived during the war, how they were treated by Union and Confederate forces, and whether they or their families supported either side. In answering, formerly enslaved and free African Americans often revealed vital details about their lives before and after emancipation—such as the names of enslavers, work performed during slavery, family relationships, migration paths, and the formation of post-war Black communities.
The SCC’s inquiry process captured first-person testimonies under oath, making these documents a rare and invaluable window into the lived experiences of people whose stories were otherwise silenced in official records.
1871 - Initial Questions
1872 - Revised Questions
