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Records of the Office of the Commissary General of Subsistence

(Record Group 192)
1818-1913
842 cu. ft.

Overview of Records Locations

Table of Contents

• 192.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
  
• 192.2 RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSARY GENERAL OF SUBSISTENCE 1818-1913 1,010 lin. ft.
  

192.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Established: In the War Department to head the newly created Subsistence Department, by act of April 14, 1818 (3 Stat. 426).

Predecessor Agencies:

• War Department (1789-92)
  
• Department of the Treasury (1792-95)
  
• Purveyor of Public Supplies, Department of the Treasury (1795-98)
  
• Purveyor of Public Supplies, War Department (1798-1812)
  
• Commissary General of Purchases, War Department (1812-18)
  

Functions: Supplied all subsistence for the army.

Abolished: By act of August 24, 1912 (37 Stat. 591).

Successor Agencies: Office of the Quartermaster General.

Finding Aids: Roland C. McConnell, comp., "Preliminary Checklist of the Records of the Office of the Commissary General of Subsistence, 1818-1912," PC 34 (1946); Patricia Andrews, comp., "Supplement to PC 34, Records of the Office of the Commissary General of Subsistence," NM 35 (1964).

Related Records: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, RG 92.

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192.2 RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSARY GENERAL OF
SUBSISTENCE
1818-1913
1,010 lin. ft.

History: Subsistence functions vested in newly established War Department by act of August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49). Transferred to Treasury Department by act of May 8, 1792 (1 Stat. 279), where position of Purveyor of Public Supplies was created by act of February 23, 1795 (1 Stat. 419). Purveyor of Public Supplies transferred to War Department by act of July 16, 1798 (1 Stat. 610). Superseded by Commissary General of Purchases, created by act of March 28, 1812 (2 Stat. 696). Subsistence functions of Commissary General of Purchases transferred to newly established Subsistence Department and vested in Commissary General of Subsistence, 1818. SEE 192.1.

Textual Records: Letters sent, 1818-1912. Letters sent relating to accounts and returns, 1875-89; claims, 1867-94; and contracts, 1878-89, with indexes. Letters sent to the Secretary of War, 1840-89, with index, 1854-66. Letters received, 1828-87 (500 ft.), with registers, 1818-89, and index, 1871-89. Record card books, 1890-94, with indexes. Correspondence, 1894-1912, with name indexes. Provision books, 1833-81, with index, 1854-81. Accounts and returns, 1848-1913. Contracts, 1825, 1859-68. Personnel records, 1819-1911.

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Bibliographic note: Web version based on Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States. Compiled by Robert B. Matchette et al. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995.
3 volumes, 2428 pages.

Ordering information

This Web version is updated from time to time to include records processed since 1995.

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