A Guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869 Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869 Barcode number 1100408/ Arlington County (Va.) Reel 269

A Guide to the Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Collection numbers: Barcode number 1100408/ Arlington County (Va.) Reel 269


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Processed by: Sarah Nerney

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Collection numbers
Barcode number 1100408/ Arlington County (Va.) Reel 269
Title
Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869
Physical Characteristics
1 v. (143 p.) and 1 microfilm reel.
Collector
Arlington County (Va.) Circuit Court
Location
Library of Virginia
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

Use microfilm copy, Arlington County (Va.) Reel 269.

Preferred Citation

Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected, 1863-1869. Arlington County (Va.) Reel 269, Local government records collection, Arlington County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Arlington County.

Historical Information

Arlington County was formed in 1789 from Fairfax County and was at that time named Alexandria County. The county was ceded to the federal government in 1801 and was part of the District of Columbia until 1846 when it was returned to the state of Virginia. Alexandria County changed its name in 1920 to Arlington County.

Reverend Albert Gladwin of Connecticut was appointed the first Superintendent of Contrabands by the military governor of Alexandria in 1862 to help deal with the influx of escaped slaves who had flooded the city after the beginning of the Civil War. Two of his duties were to record the deaths of freedmen and to assist poor and destitute people with coffins, headstones, and burial. Gladwin was removed from his position in 1865 after he insisted on burying deceased United States Colored Troops in the Freedmen's Cemetery instead of in the newly established soldiers' cemetery at Arlington.

The Freedmen's Cemetery was established in 1864 on land seized by the military government of Alexandria from Francis L. Smith. Located on south Washington Street just outside of the then city limits, it was established as a burial ground for contrabands and placed under the charge of the Superintendent of Contrabands.

Scope and Content

Arlington County (Va.) Book of Records Containing the Marriages and Deaths That Have Occurred Within the Official Jurisdiction of Rev. A. Gladwin Together With Any Biographical or Other Reminiscences That May Be Collected,, 1863-1869, is a marriage and death register kept by the Superintendents of Contrabands in Alexandria, Virginia, during and directly after the Civil War. Reverend Albert Gladwin was the first Superintendent of Contrabands and his successors kept up the register after his departure. The book records death, burial, and marriage information about freedmen and free blacks in the Alexandria area. The book is often referred to as the Gladwin Record.

Page 2 contains a monthly reporting on the number of deaths from 1862 May through 1865 December.

Pages 3-23 and 51-79 are a Personal Record of Deaths. Information recorded is month, day and year of death, name, age in years, months or days, and a remarks column. The remarks column (called varyingly the Residences, etc. column) contains varying information including location of funeral, place of death, cause of death, or occasionally place of burial. A few persons are noted as being white. The remarks column is not always filled in. Many of the burials of the deceased certainly took place in the large Freedmen's Cemetery.

Pages 15-39 are a Record of Deaths in the New Freedmen's Hospitals, Etc. Information recorded is month, day and year of death, name, age in years, months and days, and a remarks column. The remarks column records which hospital the death occured in and sometimes other notes about the place of burial or the funeral. A great number of the deceased were members of the United States Colored Troops. Regiment is given for soldiers. Named hospitals include Commissary Hospital, New General Hospital, Quarter Master Hospital, L'Ouverture Hospital, and Bartlott's Division Hospital. Some of the deceased soldiers were buried in the Freedmen's Cemetery but most are interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Pages 80-83 are a history and explanation of the death and funeral responsibilities of the Superintendent of Contrabands and gives a brief history of the founding of the Freedmen's Cemetery. The name of the first gravedigger is listed as Randall Ward, colored. Page 83 contains an account of coffins which have been received and expended.

Pages 84-119 are a Record of Deaths and Burials among the Freedmen in Alexandria, Va. Information recorded is month, day and year of death, a number, name of deceased person, age, name of parent or near relation, residence of person at time of death, charges, and remarks. The remarks are usually limited to charges for the burial or whether the person was destitute and therefore buried at the expense of the Superintendent of Contrabands. Some few remarks concern cause of death. The remarks column is not always filled in.

Pages 129-143 are a Record of Marriages. Information recorded includes date of marriage, names of parties married, by whom married, place of marriage, and a remarks column. Remarks usually concern fees paid and marriage licenses. Some parties are noted as white. Other remarks are about the ceremony or situation of the couple such as "travelled over a hundred miles from vicinity of Richmond on foot together to get married." Marriage information exists only for the years 1863-1864.

Related Material

Additional Arlington County vital statistics records can be found on microfilm at the Library of Virginia. Consult "A Guide to Virginia County and City Records on Microfilm" found on the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

    Corporate Names:

  • Arlington County (Va.). Circuit Court.
  • Subjects:

  • African Americans -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Freedmen. -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Geographical Names:

  • Arlington County (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.
  • Genre and Form Terms:

  • Cemetery records -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Death records -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Local government records -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Marriage records -- Virginia -- Arlington County.
  • Added Entry - Personal Name:

  • Gladwin, Albert.
  • Added Entry - Corporate Name:

  • Alexandria (Va.)

Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • Arlington County (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865.