My local public library subscribes to Heritage Quest, which now includes access to Freedman’s Bank records. In this database I’ve found information about some of my ancestral relatives that could not be found elsewhere.

In a quick search for individuals in Georgia with Strange surname, I found the fascinating record below, a capsule biography of this man who was a former slave and Civil War veteran:

Applicant: Harrison Strange
Former master: John Strange
Date of application: Feb. 1, 1866
Height & complexion: 5’ 7” – black
Military information: Company E, 135th USCT
Place of birth: Washington County, GA
Current residence: Washington County, GA
Occupation: farmer
Remarks: Accounts transferred from Beaufort, SC. Scar from gun shot wound right shoulder.