Many depositors signed their names. Others made a mark. Such notation gives the researcher clues to the account holder's literacy level. Military units, schools, churches, and other organizations may be listed. A few White individuals are included in the registers.
Some accounts give the depositor's first, middle, and surname.
Such detailed information is useful in distinguishing one individual from another, discovering full given names when only initials are known, and showing family naming patterns. A remark's line may include individuals eligible to remove money from the account or a depositor's Civil War military unit. In the remark's space, depositors frequently named the city residence of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, and whether they were living or dead. You may find a plantation and a former slave owner's name. For many researchers, these records lead to specific information on ancestors and collateral relatives for the critical period just after the Civil War.