Freedmen's Bureau Special Order
Scope and Content
This collection consists of an order issued by Colonel Orlando Brown, superintendent of the 8th District of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau), on September 14, 1865, written from Christiansburg, Virginia. Special Order No. 12 requested the assistant superintendent of the bureau to report on the condition of freedmen in their districts in terms of whether they were willing to work for or rent land from the people who formerly enslaved them, how they were working, and how they were treated by the people who formerly enslaved them. It also inquired why they may refuse to work.
Content Warning: This collection contains outdated language and racist stereotypes.
Dates
- 1865
Language of Materials
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The organization that has made the collection available believes that the collection is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The collection may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Administrative History
The U. S. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (better known as the Freedmen's Bureau) was established in March 1865 to provide provisions, healthcare, and education to refugees and people who were formerly enslaved. It's Virginia operations ended in January 1869, and the bureau was abolished in June 1872.
External Sources:
"African American Research at the Library of Virginia to 1870", Library of Virginia, https://lva-virginia.libguides.com/african-american/freedmens-bureau, accessed June 11, 2024.
"The Freedmen's Bureau" in "Remaking Virginia: Transformation Through Emancipation" exhibit, Library of Virginia, https://www.virginiamemory.com/online-exhibitions/exhibits/show/remaking-virginia/freedmens-bureau, accessed June 11, 2024.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
This collection consists of an order issued by Colonel Orlando Brown, superintendent of the 8th District of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Freedmen's Bureau), on September 14, 1865, written from Christiansburg, Virginia. Special Order No. 12 requested the assistant superintendent of the bureau to report on the condition of freedmen in their districts.
Source of Acquisition
The Freedmen's Bureau Special Order was purchased by Special Collections in April 2017.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Freedmen's Bureau Special Order by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-lwork/public-domain/cc0/).
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Freedmen's Bureau Special Order was completed in September 2018. Additional description was completed in June 2024.
- Title
- Freedmen's Bureau Special Order, 1865
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeff Felton, Graduate Intern; Kira A. Dietz, Archivist; and LM Rozema, Archivist
- Date
- 2024 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu