WASHINGTON COUNTY ARKANSAS SHERIFFS CENSUS FOR 1865

The 1865 sheriffs census of Washington County Arkansas is the only county census known to exist from this enumeration Its importance lies in having been taken just nine months after the end of the Civil War when the county was still recovering from major loss of life and property Destruction of homes schools farms and businesses and confiscation of livestock and crops was wrought by both Union and Confederate forces Washington Countys 442 claims for personal property reimbursement filed with the Southern Claims Commission after the war were by far the greatest number of any Arkansas county The war took a heavy toll on the county population which was down by 9000 from the 1860 federal census The census contains names age groupings and groupings by gender for white persons free persons of color are identified only by name and gender The census is arranged chronologically and includes names of several but not all townships Clear Creek Elm Spring Mars Hill Illinois Vineyard Cove Creek Mountain West Fork White River Richland Prairie and the city of Fayetteville Cane Hill and Brush Creek Townships are not named even though they existed when the census was taken This book may enable researchers with roots in northwest Arkansas to identify their ancestors who first appeared or who had remained in Washington County during the difficult years of 1861 through 1865 Agricultural statistics are on the microfilm from which this information was copied but are not included in this book