Did you know that Civil War General William T. Sherman coined the phrase "e;40 acres"e; about the fiscal reparations he ordered from the battlefield? The mule as in 40 acres and a mule reference came later when Sherman also suggested that the U.S. Army lend its mules to the formerly enslaved to assist them in their new lives. There is a lot to learn about our ancestors in researching the truth about our past. It provides us with a historic framework that we may press forward in the future. Join us this month as you learn what valuable information is available in the U.S. Census and Freedmen s Bureau Records. There are easy ways to unlock the intricate web of information that is freely available.