Registers of Letters and Telegrams Received
setName: label: See more items in
content: Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Arkansas Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865–1869
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content: Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of Arkansas Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865–1869 / Series 1: General Records
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAAHC.FB.M979, Subseries 1.3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The four volumes of registers of letters and telegrams received, June 1865–April 1869, each contain a name index. Volume 1 (1) contains two parts – the first being for June–December 1865, the second being for January–June 1866. In each part, entries are arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname or office of correspondent and are then numbered strictly by date of receipt, beginning with "1" for each part (e.g., the first four letters received under letter "A" for June–December 1865 are numbered 15, 54, 61, and 74; the first four letters received under letter "A" for January–June 1866 are numbered 3, 19, 42, and 68).

In Volumes 2 (2), 3 (3), and 4 (4), entries are arranged generally by time period. Within Volume 2 (2), entries are then arranged alphabetically by initial letter of surname or office of correspondent. Numbers are consecutive by date of receipt within each alphabetical division; i.e., beginning with "1" under each alphabetical heading. In Volumes 3 (3) and 4 (4), entries are arranged and numbered in chronological order, with separate numerical sequences for each year within each register.

Since the number of pages allotted to each alphabetical division in the first two volumes often proved insufficient, it became necessary to continue the entries elsewhere in the volume. NARA has filmed the registers in alphabetical order; therefore, some of the pages are not in the original numbered sequence.

A number of documents entered in the registers are no longer to be found among the series of registered letters and telegrams received. Often, communications were forwarded to Bureau headquarters, referred to staff or subordinate officers, or returned with endorsements to the sender. NARS has placed asterisks near the writers' names in the registers where corresponding letters and telegrams are still to be found among the registered letters and telegrams received. A single asterisk denotes letters and telegrams among the unbound subseries. A double asterisk denotes letters and telegrams bound in the three–volume subseries of letters and telegrams received from subordinate officers [Vols. 1 (5), 2 (6), and 3 (7)]. A triple asterisk denotes letters and telegrams bound in the one–volume subseries of letters and telegrams received from Commissioner Howard's office. Reports from the superintendents, agents, the Superintendent of Education, and the Surgeon–in–Chief were entered in the registers as correspondence. However, only the letter of transmittal was kept with the registered letters received; the reports were filed in separate series.

Some letters, although normally among registered letters and telegrams received, are no longer to be found filed under their original registry designation. Some were subsequently placed in consolidated files with related documents. When this occurred, Bureau clerks entered the marginal note "Filed With" together with the designation under which the document was refiled and under which it can currently be found.