New York State Department of State Register of Military Bounty Land Grants
Statement on Language
Some content in this finding aid may contain offensive terminology. For more information on why this language is occasionally retained, see: New York State Archives Statement on Harmful Language in Descriptive Resources.
Overview of the Records
Repository
- New York State Archives
222 Madison Avenue
Albany, NY 12230
Summary
- The published version of the Balloting Book contains documents and lists relating to the allotment of bounty lands in the Military Tract in central New York and includes. names of soldiers by regiment with location and acreage of grant and date of patent. Also provided are lists of officers and soldiers by unit; of lots in each township with acreage; and of Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugees entitled to land grants with lot numbers assigned to them.
Title
- Register of military bounty land grants
Quantity
- 0.2 cubic feet; 1 volume(s); 1 35mm microfilm roll(s)
Bulk Dates
Series Number
- A0476
Creator
Administrative History
The statute authorizing military bounty land grants in the new Military Tract of Central New York was Chap. 44, Laws of 1789. The "Balloting Book" was published at Albany by Packard and Van Benthuysen in 1825. It was evidently published by the Secretary of State on his own authority, as no statute or resolution has been found directing the book to be printed. A name index to the "Balloting Book" was compiled by Mary F. Ferris and published in 1954 (copy in the New York State Library).
Scope and Content Note
The "Balloting Book" published various documents relating to the allotment of lands in the Military Tract of Central New York. The documents include extracts from the journals of the U.S. Congress and the New York State Assembly concerning military bounties; acts of the Legislature; and extracts from the minutes of the Commissioners of the Land Office.
The complete "Balloting Book" gives names of soldiers by regiment, with location of military patents (township and lot), acreage, and date of grant; lists of officers and soldiers by unit, including those who died in service or who resigned; a list of lots by number in each township in the Military Tract, with the name of the patentee given (the number of acres in each lot and book and page reference to Military Patents (Series A0447) or Letters Patent (Series 12943) is given in the margin in ink); an alphabetical list of patentees, with the name of the person to whom the patent was delivered; and a list of patents granted to Canadian and Nova Scotian refugees. A detailed table of contents ("Index") is at the end of the volume.
Alternate Formats Available
Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.