Civil War Records – Southern Claims Commission

Civil War Records – Southern Claims Commission – This “footnotes” episode on Genealogy TVs YouTube channel is about the Civil War records known as the Southern Claims Commission. This episode talks about what they are, what is in them for genealogists, and where they can be found.

This Genealogy TV program discusses the 80 questions asked of the Union soldier who was making a claim for property lost during the Civil War. Within these 80 questions can be a goldmine of information for family history.

Christine Cochran, professional genealogists, shares with us these Post Civil War records and specifics about the questions that were asked of the Southern Claim Commission applicants, including questions about the applicant’s family and about slavery. It’s the answers to these questions that can be a very valuable for genealogists researching for ancestors between 1860 to about 1880. Researchers looking for African American ancestry, should see this video.