I answered previously that I thought 1866 may have been the first year after the Civil War that ex-slaves could be married. Actually, the first year was probably 1865. There is a book called "From Slavery to Uncertain Freedom, The Freedman's Bureau in Arkansas, 1865-1869" which can provide you with some perspective on this period. Here is a website with information on the Freedmen's Bureau plus some of its records which are online. http://freedmensbureau.com/ M. Gillette