Resaca Confederate Cem.
Georgia's First Confederate Cemetery

Southern Claims Commission

 The Southern Claims Commission was established to examine and recommend action on monetary damage claims for property that was seized by the U. S. Army for its use from citizens in Southern states that remained loyal to the Union.

The Commission was active from 1871-1880. Typical claim files may contain the claimant's petition; testimony of the claimant and of other persons supporting or opposing the claim; the commissioners' reports; and, on occasion, additional documents submitted in evidence such as proof of title to the property, proof of relationship to the owner, etc.

 All of the Southern Claims Commission files are located at the National Archives. Photocopies of allowed claims are available, however, disallowed and barred claim files have been microfilmed and are available for purchase in this format only.

Finding tools:

 Consolidated Index of Claims Reported by the Commissioner of Claims tothe House of Representatives from 1871-1880. (Washington: U. S. House of Representatives, 1892).

 Mills, Gary B. Southern loyalists in the Civil War : the Southern Claims Commission . (Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., c1994). "A composite directory of case files created by the U.S. Commissioner of Claims, 1871-1880, including those appealed to the War Claims Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Court of Claims." This volume indicates whether the calim was allowed, disallowed, or barred and provides sufficient information to request the record from the National Archives.

  national archives civil war records info