A Guide to the Lancaster County (Va.) Reports of Indigent Soldiers' Families, 1861-1865
A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Barcode number: 1134962
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
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© 2008 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.
Processed by: Library of Virginia staff
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
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Preferred Citation
Lancaster County (Va.)Reports of Indigent Soldiers' Families, 1861-1865. Local government records collection, Lancaster County 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 Lancaster County (Va.).
Historical Information
Lancaster County was named for the English county. It was formed from Northumberland and York Counties in 1651.
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 Lancaster County (Va.) Reports of Indigent Soldiers' Families is primarily made up of reports of indigent soldiers' families. These reports include the names of soldiers and family members, the amount of money provided to each family, and the use for which the money was intended. Also included are 1862 appointments of overseers to visit and provide for the families and an 1862 list of soldiers' families including the number of children in each family. The reports record that funds were to be used for specific foods such as salted beef, bacon, pork, ham, flour, meal, corn, coffee, sugar, molasses and household items such as a stone jar, a pitcher, shoes, and material for making clothing.
Arrangement
Chronological
Index Terms
- Lancaster County (Va.) Circuit Court
- Families of military personnel--Virginia--Lancaster County
- Poor--Virginia--Lancaster County
- Public welfare -- Virginia -- Lancaster County
- Lancaster County (Va.)--History--19th century
- Lancaster County (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
- Accounts--Virginia--Lancaster County
- Local government records--Virginia--Lancaster County
- Reports--Virginia--Lancaster County
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Genre and Form Terms:
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Lancaster County (Va.)--History--19th century
- Lancaster County (Va.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865