THIS IS FROM AN INTERNET SITE: A second act of 25 February 1784 created new counties and designated some of the area as bounty lands for Georgia veterans who had served in the Continental Line or Navy. Most of the area that later became Greene County was reserved for bounty-land grants. The Georgia Department of Archives and History and the FHL have microfilm copies of original land grants. Only Georgia has the distinction of distributing lands by lottery. Lands given to Georgia citizens by lotteries from 1805 to 1833 are in the present western and northern three-quarters of Georgia. Lotteries took place in 1805, 1807, 1820, 1821, 1827, and two in 1832. All Georgia citizens were eligible to qualify for a lottery, although the 1820, 1827, and 1832 lotteries also gave special consideration to war veterans. Published lottery books are excellent sources for pinpointing where a Georgia family lived when a lottery was held. Where Georgians sold lots won in the lotteries, researchers will find that deeds may be valuable sources of genealogical information. Those deeds should have been recorded in the counties where the land was located, but in some cases references may be found in the counties where the owner resided. Land transactions between private individuals are recorded with the clerk of superior court in the appropriate county. Most surviving pre-1900 county land records, including deeds and land court minutes, are on microfilm at the Georgia Department of Archives and History and the FHL. Many of the mortgage and county plat books are not included in the FHL's microfilm collection." Max I have long been mystified with the Land Lottery information unclear on what it all means. Can someone help interpret the 1820 Land Lottery info? My suspected ancestor, John Allen, appears in the Twiggs County 1820 Land Lottery as a fortunate drawer. Entry is as follows: Grantee: John Allen Militia District: Griffin Land Lot #: 372 Section: 16 County: Early My questions are: 1. Were the fortunate drawers all living in Twiggs County at the time of the lottery? 2. Militia District, what does that mean? Is that a district in Twiggs or Early County? 3. Was there a claim process? i.e. What happened to the property if the fortunate drawer never went to claim the property? 4. How and where did the deeds for that property originate, in Twiggs or Early? If the property was sold, where would the transaction be recorded, in Early County? Can anyone help clarify these questions for me? Thanks, Cary Allen