C.A.T.'s
Southern Genealogy
Tips on Getting Around Lost Records
Tactic #1.... Verify the report that the County that you are researching has indeed been burned or lost records for unknown reasons.
Tactic #2.... Do your homework: Verify everything published on problem area Tract down all publications. Use inter-library loans.
Tactic #3.... Join major Genealogical Societies example:
National Genealogical Society
State Genealogical Societies
County Genealogical Societies
Read every word in those journals, most important..read the footnotes also!
Tactic #4 - Use everything that has survived:
Search for reconstituted records
Track Books
Federal Land Office
Order Pension Records
Tactic #5 -
In Census records, look at those neighbors, at least a dozen on each side
County Clerks Fee Books
Search surviving Counties
Lawsuits
District Court Records
Tactic #6
Follow Rivers
Cross State Lines
Tactic #7
Comb State level Records
Tax Record Rolls
Appeals Court Records
Each County made two copies of all records.
Take an in house inventory of what you have.
Tactic #8
Extend search to Federal Archives
Rev. War Era Records
Civil War Era Records
Wartime Damage Claims
Captured Confederate Records
Preliminary Capture RecordsTactic #9
Homestead Act Applications
Homestead FilesTactic #10
Cross Ethnic Lines
Slave Narrations
Pursue Slaves
Check for Government Documents