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Folks in doing some research on my Unionist ancestors from Alabama , I came across an interesting document, that may be of some interest, to some of you as well. It pertains to the reimbursment of Unionist in Alabama for their service during the war. There are 828 "claimants", but in viewing the names I actually found (listed below) my 2nd grt. grandfather (Silas Woodall) his brother (Presley), and my 3rd grt grandfather (Pleasant) who died in 1861 in Illinois, after "defecting" to the North uopn the outbreak of the war. I have no idea what in what capacity they aided the Federals, but these peolpe surely had a rough go of it during the war. They were from Woodville Ala. (named after the family,so I'm told) about 35 miles from Chattanooga. My other grt grandfather actually formed a company of scouts and guides for the Union, from the same area. They actually were brother vs. brother, as dozens of other family members were in various Confederate regiments from the region.
Publication Number: M-2062
Publication Title: Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880: Alabama
Date Published: 1999
SOUTHERN CLAIMS COMMISSION APPROVED CLAIMS, 1871-1880:
ALABAMA
Introduction
On the 36 rolls of this microfilm publication, M2062, are reproduced the 828 approved case files of
claims submitted to the Commissioners of Claims (known as the Southern Claims Commission) from the
State of Alabama, 1871-1880. These records are part of Record Group 217, Records of the Accounting
Officers of the Department of the Treasury.
Background
Even before the close of the Civil War, in an act of July 4, 1864 (13 Stat. 381-82), which applied only to
citizens in states not in rebellion, Congress recognized the debt the Federal Government owed loyal
citizens for property losses suffered during the war. Throughout the last half of the 1860s, the
Government was besieged with claims from southern states, many from people who had been
unquestionably loyal to the Union cause during the war.
It was not until the power of northern radicals in Congress diminished and northern ill will toward the
South began to subside that sufficient support could be mustered to provide for the losses suffered by
southern Unionists. An act of March 3, 1871 (16 Stat. 424-25), authorized a special board of three
commissioners to be appointed by the President, with the advise and consent of the United States Senate.
These Commissioners of Claims were to "receive, examine, and consider the claims of those citizens who
remained loyal adherents to the cause and the government of the United States during the war, for stores
or supplies taken or furnished during the rebellion."
The commissioners were to satisfy themselves about the loyalty of each claimant; certify the amount,
nature, and value of the property taken or furnished; and report their judgment on each claim in writing to
the U.S. House of Representatives. The House would then vote to approve or disallow the claim and
appropriate money for payment; it usually followed the recommendation of the commissioners. The act
provided further that of the claims within its provision only those presented to the commissioners could
be acted on; all others were to be barred.
The Commissioners of Claims first met on March 16, 1871, in Washington, DC, with Asa Owen Aldis of
Vermont as its president. The other two members were James B. Howell of Iowa, and Orange Ferriss of
New York. Charles F. Benjamin served as the chief clerk. The volume of their work soon proved to be so
great that they were authorized by an act of May 11, 1872 (17 Stat. 97), to appoint special commissioners
to administer oaths and affirmations and take depositions of witnesses. These special commissioners
were local appointees confined to hearing "small claims." The Commissioners of Claims were also
authorized to appoint special agents to investigate pending claims, procure evidence, and examine
witnesses. The special agents were traveling investigators of both "large and small claims". All papers
collected by special commissioners and agents were sent to the Commissioners of Claims in Washington,
who were responsible for making recommendations on all claims.
In 1872 the deadline for filing claims was set at March 3, 1873 (17 Stat. 577). By that date a total of
22,298 claims had been filed, all of which were considered by the commissioners. The final date for
submitting evidence pertaining to a claim was fixed at March 10, 1879 (17 Stat. 97-98).
The Commissioners of Claims were occupied with investigation and settlement of the southern claims
until March 1880, when the last of the claims was reported to Congress. Of the 22,298 claims filed, only
7,092 satisfied the rigid tests of sworn statements and cross examination required to prove both the
sustained unionism of the claimant throughout the war and the validity of the claim. The total amount of
the claims submitted amounted to $60,258,150.44, of which $4,636,920.69 was approved and paid.
An act of June 16, 1880 (21 Stat. 253), terminated the Commission and gave the Treasury Department the
responsibility for liquidating the business of the Commission.
The absence of any regularly established tribunal for the adjudication of claims by Southern Unionists,
the dissatisfaction of many claimants with the outcome of their cases, and objections to the act of March
3, 1873, which declared that all claims not presented by that date "shall be deemed barred forever
thereafter," led to the Bowman Act of 1883 and the Tucker Act of 1887. Under the provisions of these
acts, Congress could reconsider any of the claims previously disallowed by the Southern Claims
Commission and transmit them to the U.S. Court of Claims for review and recommendation. The result is
that some of the case files are in Record Group 123, Records of the U.S. Court of Claims.
Records Description
The approved case files for the State of Alabama, 1871-1880, are arranged alphabetically by county,
thereunder by name of claimant. In some cases, individuals filed more than one claim. A case file may
contain any or all of the following types of documents: summary reports; petitions; inventories for
supplies and property for which compensation was desired; applications to have testimony taken by a
special commissioner; testimony of the claimant and others, both favorable and adverse, relating to the
claim; vouchers; powers of attorney; correspondence; a copy of the Commissioners of Claims report; and
the certificate of settlement issued by the Third Auditor of the Treasury.
Related Records
Southern Claims case files have found their way into records of all three branches of the Government,
executive, legislative, and judicial. The approved claims, which were sent to the Treasury Department for
payment, were inherited by the General Accounting Office, as the agency which succeeded the
Comptrollers and Auditors of the Treasury. Most disallowed claims and barred claims were retained by
Congress and are now part of Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives. Claims
that were sent to the Court of Claims for a finding of fact are part of Record Group 123.
The disallowed and barred case files in Record Group 233 have been reproduced as National Archives
Microfilm Publication M1407, Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission,
1871-1880. Allowed claims for the State of Georgia have been reproduced on M1658, Southern Claims
Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880: Georgia.
An index of claims acted upon by the Commissioner of Claims was published under the title Consolidated
Index of Claims by the Commissioners of Claims to the House of Representatives from 1871-1880
(Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1892). This index was compiled under the supervision of
J.B. Holloway, clerk to prepare digest of claims, and Walter H. French, file clerk, U.S. House of
Representatives. This volume is the only document in which the names of all the claimants appear in a
single alphabetical list. This index has been reproduced on the first four microfiche of M1407, above.
Additional records documenting the activities of the Southern Claims Commission are part of Record
Group 56, General Records of the Department of the Treasury, and have been reproduced as M87,
Records of the Commissioners of Claims (Southern Claims Commission), 1871-1880.
CONTENTS
Roll County and Name
Jackson Co.
Woodall, Presley R. (Administrator, Pleasant S. Woodall)
Woodall, Silas
Publication Number: M-2062
Publication Title: Southern Claims Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880: Alabama
Date Published: 1999
SOUTHERN CLAIMS COMMISSION APPROVED CLAIMS, 1871-1880:
ALABAMA
Introduction
On the 36 rolls of this microfilm publication, M2062, are reproduced the 828 approved case files of
claims submitted to the Commissioners of Claims (known as the Southern Claims Commission) from the
State of Alabama, 1871-1880. These records are part of Record Group 217, Records of the Accounting
Officers of the Department of the Treasury.
Background
Even before the close of the Civil War, in an act of July 4, 1864 (13 Stat. 381-82), which applied only to
citizens in states not in rebellion, Congress recognized the debt the Federal Government owed loyal
citizens for property losses suffered during the war. Throughout the last half of the 1860s, the
Government was besieged with claims from southern states, many from people who had been
unquestionably loyal to the Union cause during the war.
It was not until the power of northern radicals in Congress diminished and northern ill will toward the
South began to subside that sufficient support could be mustered to provide for the losses suffered by
southern Unionists. An act of March 3, 1871 (16 Stat. 424-25), authorized a special board of three
commissioners to be appointed by the President, with the advise and consent of the United States Senate.
These Commissioners of Claims were to "receive, examine, and consider the claims of those citizens who
remained loyal adherents to the cause and the government of the United States during the war, for stores
or supplies taken or furnished during the rebellion."
The commissioners were to satisfy themselves about the loyalty of each claimant; certify the amount,
nature, and value of the property taken or furnished; and report their judgment on each claim in writing to
the U.S. House of Representatives. The House would then vote to approve or disallow the claim and
appropriate money for payment; it usually followed the recommendation of the commissioners. The act
provided further that of the claims within its provision only those presented to the commissioners could
be acted on; all others were to be barred.
The Commissioners of Claims first met on March 16, 1871, in Washington, DC, with Asa Owen Aldis of
Vermont as its president. The other two members were James B. Howell of Iowa, and Orange Ferriss of
New York. Charles F. Benjamin served as the chief clerk. The volume of their work soon proved to be so
great that they were authorized by an act of May 11, 1872 (17 Stat. 97), to appoint special commissioners
to administer oaths and affirmations and take depositions of witnesses. These special commissioners
were local appointees confined to hearing "small claims." The Commissioners of Claims were also
authorized to appoint special agents to investigate pending claims, procure evidence, and examine
witnesses. The special agents were traveling investigators of both "large and small claims". All papers
collected by special commissioners and agents were sent to the Commissioners of Claims in Washington,
who were responsible for making recommendations on all claims.
In 1872 the deadline for filing claims was set at March 3, 1873 (17 Stat. 577). By that date a total of
22,298 claims had been filed, all of which were considered by the commissioners. The final date for
submitting evidence pertaining to a claim was fixed at March 10, 1879 (17 Stat. 97-98).
The Commissioners of Claims were occupied with investigation and settlement of the southern claims
until March 1880, when the last of the claims was reported to Congress. Of the 22,298 claims filed, only
7,092 satisfied the rigid tests of sworn statements and cross examination required to prove both the
sustained unionism of the claimant throughout the war and the validity of the claim. The total amount of
the claims submitted amounted to $60,258,150.44, of which $4,636,920.69 was approved and paid.
An act of June 16, 1880 (21 Stat. 253), terminated the Commission and gave the Treasury Department the
responsibility for liquidating the business of the Commission.
The absence of any regularly established tribunal for the adjudication of claims by Southern Unionists,
the dissatisfaction of many claimants with the outcome of their cases, and objections to the act of March
3, 1873, which declared that all claims not presented by that date "shall be deemed barred forever
thereafter," led to the Bowman Act of 1883 and the Tucker Act of 1887. Under the provisions of these
acts, Congress could reconsider any of the claims previously disallowed by the Southern Claims
Commission and transmit them to the U.S. Court of Claims for review and recommendation. The result is
that some of the case files are in Record Group 123, Records of the U.S. Court of Claims.
Records Description
The approved case files for the State of Alabama, 1871-1880, are arranged alphabetically by county,
thereunder by name of claimant. In some cases, individuals filed more than one claim. A case file may
contain any or all of the following types of documents: summary reports; petitions; inventories for
supplies and property for which compensation was desired; applications to have testimony taken by a
special commissioner; testimony of the claimant and others, both favorable and adverse, relating to the
claim; vouchers; powers of attorney; correspondence; a copy of the Commissioners of Claims report; and
the certificate of settlement issued by the Third Auditor of the Treasury.
Related Records
Southern Claims case files have found their way into records of all three branches of the Government,
executive, legislative, and judicial. The approved claims, which were sent to the Treasury Department for
payment, were inherited by the General Accounting Office, as the agency which succeeded the
Comptrollers and Auditors of the Treasury. Most disallowed claims and barred claims were retained by
Congress and are now part of Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives. Claims
that were sent to the Court of Claims for a finding of fact are part of Record Group 123.
The disallowed and barred case files in Record Group 233 have been reproduced as National Archives
Microfilm Publication M1407, Barred and Disallowed Case Files of the Southern Claims Commission,
1871-1880. Allowed claims for the State of Georgia have been reproduced on M1658, Southern Claims
Commission Approved Claims, 1871-1880: Georgia.
An index of claims acted upon by the Commissioner of Claims was published under the title Consolidated
Index of Claims by the Commissioners of Claims to the House of Representatives from 1871-1880
(Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1892). This index was compiled under the supervision of
J.B. Holloway, clerk to prepare digest of claims, and Walter H. French, file clerk, U.S. House of
Representatives. This volume is the only document in which the names of all the claimants appear in a
single alphabetical list. This index has been reproduced on the first four microfiche of M1407, above.
Additional records documenting the activities of the Southern Claims Commission are part of Record
Group 56, General Records of the Department of the Treasury, and have been reproduced as M87,
Records of the Commissioners of Claims (Southern Claims Commission), 1871-1880.
CONTENTS
Roll County and Name
Jackson Co.
Woodall, Presley R. (Administrator, Pleasant S. Woodall)
Woodall, Silas
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