Six Ways to Fill Gaps in South Carolina Genealogy 1868-1870

1869 South Carolina State Census, Newberry County

Did you lose the trail of your South Carolina ancestor in 1870? If you have already tried to locate your ancestor on the 1870 US Census without success, other records exist that help to bridge the 10 year gap between the federal censuses for 1860 and 1870. You may be fortunate enough to locate your ancestor using one of the following resources:

1870 US Agricultural Census

Ancestors that had a large enough farm may be listed on the 1870 US Agricultural Census along with the number of acres they owned. A search of other farmers listed nearby may reveal other family members who were neighbors. This census is available on microfilm through the Family History Library Catalog.

1870 US Census Mortality Schedule

If your ancestor died within 12 months prior to when the 1870 US Census was taken, he or she may be listed on the 1870 Mortality Schedule.

“A typical mortality schedule will list the dead person's name, age, sex, color (white, black, or mulatto), married or widowed, birthplace, month of death, occupation, and cause of death.” See United States Census Mortality Schedules.

Mortality Schedules are searchable at Ancestry.com, and they can be ordered and viewed at a family history center. See Agriculture, Industry, Social Statistics, and Mortality Schedules in South Carolina 1850-1870.

1869 South Carolina State Census

The 1869 South Carolina State Census lists only the name of the head of household and the number of females and males according to race and age. It is available on microfilm at theSouth Carolina Department of Archives and History. Even though this census does not list the name of each family member, it does provide a clue as to where your family was living in 1869. This census is not available for Clarendon, Oconee, and Spartanburg Counties.

1869 Militia Enrollments

This database is searchable online. Enter the last name of you ancestor then enter his first name separated by a comma. His name should appear in the drop down menu as you type if he is in the database. Here is an example of a militia enrollment.

“Search for male ancestors who would have been between 18 and 45 in 1869. This repository may help to establish which county an ancestor was living. The record gives the name, age, occupation, residence, and color. Different races are listed together not separately. It is possible that this holding may also help to establish the location of the family in 1865 if they did not migrate previously.” See South Carolina 1869 Militia Enrollments.

1868 Voter’s Registration

Males who voted are listed alphabetically by county, and whites are listed separately from blacks who voted. These records are not indexed and are on microfilm at South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

1868 South Carolina State Agricultural Census

This is a state agricultural census that is on microfilm at South Carolina Department of Archives and History. If your ancestor was a farmer, look for him to be listed here. Also, you may discover other family members living nearby.

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29. Tuesday Tip: Search Reconstruction records to learn more about an emancipated ancestor

African American History Monument on The State House grounds
Columbia, South Carolina

Many Reconstruction Era resources can help you identify the following important information about your ancestor:  former slave owner’s identity, land ownership, military experience, occupation, family life, and more.  

Search the local library for books about Reconstruction.  Search the local university libraries and the local archives.  Search "Reconstruction" at Google Books as well as the name of your ancestor along with the county
and state where he lived.


During Reconstruction, most newly emancipated African Americans became Republicans and the white farmers (Red Shirts) who were mostly Democrats sorely persecuted the former slaves.  This is an excerpt of one of Beverly's testimony which I found:

THE MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS OK THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS IN SIX VOLUMES:

BEVERLY VANCE—ABBEVILLE COUNTY. (page 417)

Columbia, S. C, December 22,1876. Beverly Vance (colored) sworn and examined.

By Mr. Cameron : Question. Where do you live ?—Answer. I live in Abbeville when I am at home. Q. What township or precinct -?—A. I live in Cokesbury township. Q. What is your age?—A. I am forty-four. Q. Are you republican ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long have you belonged to the republican party ?—A. Ever since the emancipation.


Q. Where were you on the day of election ?—A. I was at the ballotbox at Cokesbury precinct.
Q. Yon may state whether or not there were any armed democrats at that polling-place on the day of the election.—A. Well, there were men armed there with pistols.


Q. You may state whether or not they had guns when there.—A. Yes, sir; they bad guns. Some had double-barreled shotguns in their wagons, I suppose, I will say, in from thirty five to one hundred yards of the polling place; they had some of these old muskels, old Army guns, about three hundred yards from there, in Mr. Conner's store.


Q. What else did the democrats have there that day ?—A. Well, sir, they had a good deal of whisky, and one thing and another around there. They had a barrel of whisky in about fifty yards, in Mr. Conner's store, and then they had some jugs in their wagons where they camped tbe night before. There was a good, large crowd of them camped there, and they had a barrel of whisky and a big supper, and was eating and drinking the night before the election.

Q. You may state whether or not the whites threatened the republicans before the election in any way.—A. O, yes, sir; they did that a great deal in every direction, 1 suppose, three months before the elec tion. Myself was threatened the night before the election. I had to have a body-guard around me the whole night. We laid out the whole night. We were expecting them. They had sworn they would kill me.

I also found Beverly in  a 1869 Militia Enrollment for South Carolina and on a 1868 SC Voter's Registration in Abbeville County.  See US Reconstruction Era records help to document ancestor's and link to slavery.

Each type of record will vary according to geographical location.  Here are the results I received from searching Google for South Carolina Reconstruction records:  Click here.  This search led to several great resources that I did not know existed.

If we are to have any hope of finding out more about an ancestor who lived during slavery, we must uncover all we can to document them between 1865 and 1877.

Sources:  THE MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS OF THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SECOND SESSION OF THE FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS IN SIX VOLUMES; SC Department of Archives and History; Hurrah for Hampton!: Black Red Shirts in South Carolina during Reconstruction,  By Edmund L. Drago

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