"Letter of introduction for slave-owner John Gray of Giles county from Military Governor Andrew Johnson. 1863"
Introduction
During the Civil War, the Provost Marshal was the Union Army officer charged with maintaining order among both soldiers and civilians. The Provost Marshal
records microfilmed by the National Archives include many records related to Tennesseans.
The provost marshals were the Union’s military police. They hunted and arrested deserters, spies, and civilians suspected of disloyalty; confined prisoners;
maintained records of paroles and oaths of allegiance; controlled the passage of civilians in military zones and those using Government transportation; and
investigated the theft of Government property. In some instances, provost courts were set up to try cases that fell under the provost marshal’s jurisdiction and
those cases where military personnel were accused of civil crimes.
The entries in this database are based on a microfilm collection of 94 rolls created by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) as Microcopy 416.
These materials were collected from War Department files and are dated 1861 to 1867. Each document pertains to two or more civilians, or “citizens”, as they
were referred to during the Civil War. The materials were gathered from provost marshals across the country. They include correspondence, oaths of allegiance,
orders, passes, transportation permits, lists of prisoners, paroles, provost court papers, and claims for compensation for property used or destroyed by
military forces. Copies of a similar collection of NARA microfilm, which contains documents relating to just one civilian, can also be found in the Tennessee
State Library and Archives microfilm holdings (Mf. 1047).
An index created by the National Archives appears at the beginning of this microfilm, but it is incomplete and difficult to use for searching. This Union Provost
Marshal Database was created to index those documents that were from provost marshal offices in Tennessee and that relate to Tennesseans during the Civil War.
The fully searchable database includes name, location (city or county), year, file number (if provided), and a brief description of the document(s).
Surname |
First Name |
Description |
Year Written |
County Where Written |
City Where Written |
File Number |
Residency and other notes |
PDF Image |
Allen |
H. M. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5210 |
|
|
Allen |
J. H. |
Semi-monthly Report of Citizen Prisoners |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5381 |
|
|
Allen |
Chas. |
Citizens in Memphis military prison |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5970 |
|
|
Allen |
Douglas |
Citizens in Memphis military prison |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5970 |
|
|
Allen |
Joseph H. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1863 |
Tennessee |
Memphis |
6384 |
|
|
Allen |
D. J. |
Petition for preachers' exemption from Gen. O |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6713 |
|
|
Allen |
Kate |
Semi-monthly report of confiscated property |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6874 |
|
|
Allew |
Barney |
Rail Road Employees |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9592 |
|
|
Allsworth |
T. B. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8575 |
|
|
Alveston |
Jno. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8003 |
|
|
Alveston |
John |
Citizens in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8021 |
|
|
Anderson |
Wm. |
Rail Road Employees |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9592 |
|
|
Anderson |
William |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Anderson |
Turner |
Citizens in Memphis military prison |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5970 |
|
|
Anderson |
Robert B. |
Semi-monthly report of confiscated property |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6379 |
|
|
Anderson |
A. T. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1863 |
Tennessee |
Memphis |
6384 |
|
|
Anderson |
Mollie |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8004 |
"Col'd" |
|
Anderson |
Randolph |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8004 |
"Col'd" |
|
Anderson |
Millie |
Citizens in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8022 |
Col'd |
|
Anderson |
Randolph |
Citizens in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8022 |
Col'd |
|
Anderson |
John |
Citizen Prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9051 |
|
|
Anderson |
John |
Confined in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9324 |
|
|
Andrews |
A. S. |
Request refund of money taken by guerilla cap |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6388 |
|
|
Angers |
E. E. |
Citizens in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8022 |
Guerrilla |
|
Angus |
E. E. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8004 |
|
|
Appleby |
John |
Rail Road Employees |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9592 |
|
|
Applely |
John |
Men Employed on U.S. Military Railroad |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8502 |
|
|
Appleton |
Wm. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1863 |
Tennessee |
Memphis |
6383 |
(col.) |
|
Archer |
W. B. |
Disputed promissory note |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6970 |
|
|
Armstrong |
Thos. |
Rail Road Employees |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9592 |
|
|
Army |
George |
Men Employed on U.S. Military Railroad |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8502 |
colored |
|
Arnold |
|
Military Clothing |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8472 |
Arnold & Company |
|
Aron |
M. |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Aron |
Phil |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Aron |
Adelaid |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Arthur |
Jas. |
Semi-monthly Report of Citizen Prisoners |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5381 |
|
|
Ashcraft |
John |
Confined in Military Prison |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
9324 |
|
|
Atkinson |
Jos. |
Semi-monthly Report of Citizen Prisoners |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
5381 |
|
|
Austin |
Dave |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Austin |
Helena |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Austin |
Roda |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Austin |
Fany |
Contraband |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4316 |
Contrabands Landed at Island No. 10 |
|
Avery |
E. W. |
1st Presbyterian Church |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
8507 |
|
|
Ayres |
T. S. |
Failed to comply with Gen. Ord. No. 65 |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
7265 |
|
|
Babb |
Benjamin |
Bonds for Steamer "Lillie Martin" |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
7207 |
|
|
Babb[?] |
J. C. |
Request for protection |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
4665 |
live about seven miles South east of Collierville |
|
Bailey |
W. T. |
Failed to comply with Gen. Ord. No. 65 |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
7265 |
|
|
Baily |
R. F. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
6985 |
|
|
Baker |
Thomas |
Property Damage Assessments |
1863 |
|
Memphis |
3501 |
|
|
Ball |
W. F. |
Semi-monthly report of citizen prisoners |
1864 |
|
Memphis |
7756 |
|
|