The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, 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 Mississippi, Series 5: Orders and Circulars.
Additional resources including a list of Freedmen's Bureau staff in Mississippi and a style sheet for help when transcribing Mississippi records are available on the Freedmen's Bureau Instructions Page.
Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the experiences of formerly enslaved men and women in Mississippi during the Reconstruction Era.
The volume of special orders issued by the Assistant Commissioner, 1865–1868, is arranged by type of issuance, thereunder by year, and thereunder numerically. The special orders, June 1865–December 1868, consist of issuances concerning specific individuals on matters such as transportation, appointments, special assignments, and purchases. Name index book for the special orders have been filmed before the issuances to which they refer.
The volume of property orders issued by the Assistant Commissioner, 1865–1868, is arranged by type of issuance, thereunder by year, and thereunder numerically. The property orders, August 1865–August 1866, consist of directives restoring abandoned lands and buildings to their former owners. Name index book for the property orders have been filmed before the issuances to which they refer.