The Bureau of Refugees, Freemen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of North Carolina, Series 16: Registers and Reports of Registrars Recommended for the Election of Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
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Among the records of the Assistant Commissioner are two volumes that register the unbound reports containing recommendations of people to serve as registrars and inspectors for the election of delegates to the North Carolina constitutional convention, which met in January 1868. The registry volumes, dated 1867, are arranged by county, using a numerical system, and contain indexes. The reports, April–June 1867, are arranged numerically, except for the last third, which are chronologically arranged. Most of the reports were provided by Bureau officials, but some were provided by private individuals. Information given in the reports and registers includes the name of the person recommended, occupation, color, age, resident status, length of residence, person to recommend him as a delegate to the convention, and such remarks as: "Union Man," "Served in Union Army," or "Intelligent."