Reconstruction, 1865-1877

Link to online order or .pdf NATF 86 form to order photocopies of military records,

Link to online order blank or .pdf NATF 85 form--photocopy of file costs $75 each for up to 100 pages. Union soldiers only--Confederate pensions were awarded through the individual Southern states.

Search for soldiers, sailors, cemeteries, etc.

Closest regional National Archives office. Includes address, maps, research guides, etc.

Under Organization, select Confederate States Army (204 names) or Texas State Troops (483 names). Includes images of files.

The Genealogy Department has service records for Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas troops, and pension records for Texas. The link is to their Guide to Research.

Subscription database (all access $79.95 per year or $11.95 per month) that includes, among many other things, federal pensions index, all Confederate soldiers service records, some Union service records (in progress), USCT records, Confederate amnesty papers, the Confederate Citizens File, Union Citizens file, and papers of the Southern Claims Commission. A steal at twice the price!

Searchable 1860 and 1870 population census, among others. Now includes slave (1850 and 1860), agriculture, products of industry, and mortality census. Full images of handwritten pages. UT-Tyler only although most public libraries in Texas can provide access through Texshare.

Tyler Public Library has the 1860 Population, Slave, Products of Industry, and Social Statistics census for Smith and some other counties, on microfilm, in the Local History Room on the 3rd floor. Agriculture census has been transcribed.

County courthouses will include deed, probate, marriage, divorce, civil and criminal court records, and county commissioners court minutes listing slave patrol members, road crews, indigent families, court members, and contract holders. Smith County records are intact, Gregg is divided between Upshur and Rusk. Check particular locations for post-war fires, etc.

Subscription database (all access $79.95 per year or monthly for $11.95) that includes, among many other things, Confederate Citizens and Business File, Confederate Amnesty Papers, Southern Claims Commissions Files, Union Citizens Files (in progress). The problem with this and other genealogical source is that they are almost entirely indexed by name, not place or subject. I have "annotated" probably most of the Texas records for place--town or county and state.

Genealogical search site for the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Subscription. Tyler Public Library has a computer with full access in its Local History Room on the 3rd floor, but they are not able to offer access from home.