So many of you wrote and requested information on how to trace land, where land documents are located, etc. etc. .... although I shudder in my boots to write on the subject due to its complex nature, I'm going to give it a try. I'm asking that you go back and check my precious tips again - I have done several tips on this. If you'll click on the bottom URL in my message, then click on Research, you will go to the page where all my previous 381 tips are housed. I think this will help a lot. But - here's a little more. First of all, I am not an expert on the subject and it's easy to forget if you don't work with the topic daily. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Bill Utterback who has allowed me access to many of his materials also. In this tip, I'm going to cover the bounty lands. These were lands given outright by the states - or later, the federal government - as a partial payment for service in times of war. Sometimes free land was given as a "teaser" by the government to encourage men to volunteer in times of war. They were issued from the colonial period up until about 1858. The program was discontinued and by 1861, the right to take possession of bounty lands ceased. During the 80 years that this program ran, there were many different "acts" controlling bounty land warrants. The Congressional Act of September 1776 was a way to get young men to enroll in the Continental Army. It gave from 100-150 acres of land, and this was based, as I have explained before, on the rank reached in the Army. Most of the bounty lands were awarded in Virginia; most of the soldiers came from there; and the original bounty lands were located between the Mississippi, Ohio and Green Rivers in what later became our wonderful state of Kentucky. But, more land was needed so the Virginia Military Tract was established in the State of Ohio. Continental soldiers from Virginia were the only ones allowed to settle the Ohio lands. (Remember, Virginia was a much bigger state at this time, we weren't formed until 1792); state soldiers were allowed to settle the lands in Kentucky. State bounty lands were almost always governed by that particular state; federal bounty lands were established in districts and some federal land states. The Congressional Military Tract cited above was established in 1796 in Ohio and set apart in five square mile townships. A quarter-township was 400 acres and was the minimum that could be purchased or "redeemed" as they called it. Federal bounty lands were 160 acres only. This caused a problem for claimants; they often had to go together as a group to redeem such a high acreage. By the year 1800, 100 acres were being offered. During the War of 1812, the bounty land inducement came into being again to encourage enlistment. Congress then created three new military districts for the soldiers. One of the districts was in Illinois; one in Michigan and in what is now Arkansas (then in Louisiana). Land in Missouri were later substituted for the lands in Michigan; the land in Michigan was considered undesirable. Where can the genealogist find out if his ancestor receive bounty lands. This list is courtesy of Bill Utterback (save me a lot of looking!). The most comprehensive is National Archives, Record 15, Federal Bounty Land Applications. Dates covered are from the Revolutionary War to the year 1917. In it are pension files, bounty land records, applications for the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War and some case files 1814-18567. Thousands of bounty land applications were burned in a fire from 1789-1800. The original documents are likely lost, but some abstracted information exists. (Note the date of 1912 - claims, law suits, etc. were still being conducted up until this date!) Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications in the National Archives, National Genealogical Society and Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files by Virginia White are also extremely helpful. National Archives, Record Group 49 contains warrants issued under each act, treasury certificates, exchange certificates, scrip records, etc. (Scrip was paper certificates that could be used in land offices in exchange for Virginia military bounty land warrants. The Federal Land Series by Clifford Neal Smith is an excellent reference source. Index for Federal Land Entries, circa 1802-1849, purchased by the Ohio Historical Society is useful for those searching in Ohio. Bounty land was a monstrous project and quite complicated. Warrants could be assigned by the original applicant, but the original applicant had to apply for the warrant before he could assign it to someone else. Businesses grew up just to handle the process. Next week I'll look at some of the terminology again before you head off to the county clerk's office. I'll cover what's in a deed book, what are deeds of gift, a Deed of sale, what's a grantor and grantee, a mortgage sale, a strawman sale and more. (c) Copyright 7 March 2002, Sandra K. Gorin, All Rights Reserved. sgorin@glasgow-ky.com Col. Sandi Gorin, 205 Clements, Glasgow, KY 42141 (270) 651-9114 Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ SCKY resource links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html < >< God Bless America ><>