US, NARA, Freedmen's Bureau, Officer's Manual - I, Book Keeping and Official Correspondence


 * Officers' Manuel. Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and abandoned Land. Washington, D.C., 1866
 * War Department
 * Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.
 * Washington, D.C., December 1, 1866


 * The following manual is published for the information and government of the Officers of this Bureau, and from and after the date hereof shall be strictly observed as the standing authority upon the matters therein contained.

O.O. Howard, Major Genl. Commissioner

Article I. - Bookkeeping and Official Correspondence


 * Each Assistant Commissioner, or other officer or agent of the Bureau, having charge of an office, will preserve an accurate record of his official acts, and to secure that end, the following names and descried books will be opened and kept.


 * Letters Received: for the record and entry of all papers received at the office. [see also Registers of letters received.


 * Endorsement and memorandum Book:all endorsements on papers entering and passing from the office, or a record taken of executive action on cases presented for consideration.


 * Letter-Book: recorded all letters sent from the office [see also Registers of Letters Sent]


 * 'General or Special Order Book or Book of Circulars Issued: for the record of instructions issued from the office in that shape.


 * Station Book: giving the station, duties, and a memorandum of the order of assignment issued from the office in that shape.


 * Series of Books: [Abandoned or Confiscated Property] in such order as may be necessary to preserve a record of all pieces of abandoned property in possession of the Bureau, and the action of the Bureau with reference thereto.


 *  Series of Books: [Financial Transcriptions] in such order as may be necessary to record the financial transactions of the office.


 * Transportation Book:giving the date of issue, number of the order, name and number of persons, places from which and to which transportation is given, with any explanatory remarks that may be necessary.


 *  Book of Cases Tried: will contain the names of parties to suits, date of arrival, complaint, a synopsis of the evidence and the decision.

The attention of Assistant Commissioners is invited to the instructions for keeping the books of the office, issued by the Adjutant General of the Army, for the information of the Officers of his Department, which will be found to contain all requisite instructions for keeping the above, but, to insure uniformity where the instructions of the Adjutant General cannot be had, the following memoranda are published for the information of the Officers of the Bureau.