Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Franklin County (Va.) Reports of Indigent Soldiers' Families, 1863-1864. Local government records collection, Franklin County (Va.) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in shipments of court papers from Franklin County (Va.).

Historical Information

Franklin County was named for Benjamin Franklin and was formed from Bedford and Henry Counties in 1785.

Throughout the Civil War, the principal responsibility for Virginia's indigent soldiers' families lay with the locality. The Virginia State Convention in 1861 gave the responsibility entirely to counties and incorporated towns and authorized whatever actions had already been taken. Acts of Assembly in 1862 and 1863 expanded the localities' powers to provide for their needy, and in 1863 some minimal state assistance was added in. At first relief was provided as money, but as the monetary system collapsed, relief was distributed in kind. Agents of the court maintained lists of eligible families, gathered goods for distribution and paid for them, and impressed supplies if necessary. Virginia was unique amongst the southern states in that it assigned the provisioning of needy families almost solely to the locality.

Scope and Content

The Franklin County (Va.) Reports of Indigent Soldiers' Families is made up of four folders. One folder contains the county orders of 1864 to levy taxes upon the county to provide for the support of indigent soldiers' families. Three folders contain reports of indigent soldiers' families, including names of the soldiers and family members, number of children per family, the amount of money provided to each family and for what use. The reports record that funds were to be used for provisions, shoes and clothing.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Franklin County (Va.) Circuit Court

Subjects:

• Families of military personnel--Virginia--Franklin County
• Poor--Virginia--Franklin County
• Tax collection--Virginia--Franklin County

Geographical Names:

• Franklin County (Va.)--History--19th century
• Franklin County (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts--Virginia--Franklin County
• Local government records--Virginia--Franklin County
• Reports--Virginia--Franklin County