Research: Military: Guide to Revolutionary War Records
Starting in 1781, New York State offered bounties of land to soldiers who would enlist for specified terms of service. Land bounties were first pledged by the State in a legislative act of 1781 for the purpose of raising or "levying" two regiments of troops for three years service. The following year the legislature promised land bounties to any person or militia "class" providing a soldier to serve in any of the five New York regiments. All militia regiments in New York were divided by law into "classes" or groups of fixed numbers of men (usually 35).
After the Revolutionary War ended, the legislature in 1784 passed a law providing for the administration of land bounties. As a result of this law the so-called "Old Military Tract" was laid out in northern New York. This land was deemed substandard and it is unknown whether any veterans applied for grants within this tract, although the land was eventually disposed of through the normal land granting process. In 1789 the legislature appropriated a new tract of land in central New York, referred to as the "New Military Tract." The following year procedures were established in law for allocating land to those who applied by a specified deadline. Many veterans ultimately sold their rights to bounty lands rather than relocate to central New York. (In 1799, the Commissioners of the Land Office were empowered to extinguish claims against lands sold by the State. They exercised functions relating to the sale, lease, or other disposition of State-owned lands. Their records are held by the Office of General Services.)
The State also provided grants of land to patriot refugees from Canada and Nova Scotia. Creation of the "Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugee Tract" was authorized in 1784 and lands were laid out and granted in the Champlain region.
The records in this section include:
- patents and deeds for bounty lands
- land grant application files
- lists of grantees
- surveys and maps of lands granted
SECRETARY OF STATE
A0272. Applications for Land Grants ("Land Papers, 1st Series"), 1642-1803. 22 cubic feet (63 volumes)
Arrangement: Generally chronological by date of document.
This series contains applications for grants of land from the Colony and State of New York. Most of the applications to the State (volumes 37-63) are for grants of bounty land to which many Revolutionary War veterans were entitled. In addition to applications submitted by veterans, many applications were submitted by persons who had purchased bounty rights from veterans, and a few were received from widows of veterans. Land granted pursuant to these claims was located in the New Military Tract in central New York.
Applicants submitted claims for bounty land to the Commissioners of the Land Office, who granted approval or disapproval. For approved claims the commissioners ordered the surveyor general to survey the land to be granted. The surveyor general then filed a return of survey and certificate of location describing the land and certifying the individual entitled to receive it. Letters patent conveying the property were then issued to the grantee.
The applications in this series generally contain the following documents:
- claim submitted to the Commissioners of the Land Office stating the right to a grant of bounty lands and the rank and unit of the officer or soldier during the Revolutionary War
- return of survey filed by the surveyor general describing the metes and bounds of the tract, stating the acreage and name of the claimant, and occasionally including a map
- certificate of location filed by the surveyor general certifying that an individual is entitled to a grant, describing the tract, citing the authorizing legislation, and giving the date of the letters patent
- assignment of certificate of location to a person other than the claimant (sometimes present)
- assorted powers of attorney, treasurer's receipts, letters, and affidavits submitted in support of claims
Volumes 47 and 48 (1789-1790) contain documents concerning land grants to patriot refugees who left Canada and Nova Scotia during the Revolutionary War. These documents, which at one time constituted a separate series of records, include lists of refugees, claims for land grants, certificates of authenticity of claims, and related letters.
Orders of the Commissioners of the Land Office to the surveyor general to survey tracts are held by the Office of General Services. The patents issued for land grants are recorded in series A0447, Military Patents, described below. The numbered lots assigned to each veteran are listed in The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Land, in the State of New York (Albany, 1825), a copy of which is in series A0476, Register of Military Bounty Land Grants (below, page 26). The post-1803 applications for land grants are held by the Office of General Services.
Indexes: The published Calendar of New York Colonial Manuscripts Indorsed Land Papers (Albany, 1864) contains a name index. For the years 1785-1790 the following volumes contain name indexes to Revolutionary War veterans' claims: 37, 41, 43, 45, 46, 48.
Available on microfilm.
A0447. Military Patents, 1764-1797. 4 cubic feet (8 volumes)
Arrangement: Chronological.
Volumes 4-8 of this series contain copies of patents for bounty lands granted to Revolutionary War soldiers for military service. Each patent gives the following information:
- name of patentee
- rank (sometimes present)
- date of patent
- location of land grant (county, township within Military Tract, and lot number)
- date grant was approved by the Commissioners of the Land Office
Volume 8 includes copies of 63 patents for lots in the Military Tract that were sold by the surveyor general pursuant to laws providing for such sales in cases where the original grantee failed to pay for the cost of a survey.
Indexes: An online name index to patentees is available. Name indexes in each volume; see also series A3123, Index and Abstracts of Patents for Lands in the Military Tract (below, page 25), and series A0476, Register of Military Bounty Land Grants (below, page 26). A card index to patents is available on microfilm; the original card index is located at the Office of General Services.
Available on microfilm.
A3123. Index and Abstracts of Patents for Lands in the Military Tract, ca. 1820. .3 cubic foot (1 volume)
Arrangement: Abstracts are chronological, following the order of patents in series A0447, Military Patents (above).
This volume contains abstracts of patents for bounty lands granted to Revolutionary War veterans (1790-1797), copies of which are in series A0447, Military Patents (above). Each abstract gives the following information:
- date of letters patent
- name of patentee
- name of township
- lot number
- acreage
- county and town where lot was located ca. 1820
Indexes: Alphabetical name index to patentees and alphabetical index to towns listing all military patents in each town.
A3124. Abstract of Patents for Lands in the Military Tract, Including a Copy of the "Balloting Book", 1790-1869. .3 cubic foot (1 volume)
Arrangement: Alphabetical by township name, then numerical by lot number.
This volume is a geographical register of lots and parts of lots in townships in the Military Tract. Each entry gives the following information:
- name of township
- lot number
- acreage
- subdivision (if any)
- name of patentee
- date of patent
- volume and page references to series 12943, Letters Patent (below, page 27)
- occasional remarks
Bound into this volume is a copy of the printed The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands, in the State of New York (Albany, 1825) (see series A0476 below). This copy contains handwritten annotations on pages 115-147 giving references to the volumes and page numbers of patents in series A0447, Military Patents (above, page 24).
A0476. Register of Military Bounty Land Grants (The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Lands, in the State of New York), 1825. .2 cubic foot (1 volume)
The Balloting Book is a published volume containing various documents and lists relating to the allotment of bounty lands in the Military Tract in central New York. The following documents and lists are included:
- extract from the Journal of the U.S. Congress
- extract from the Journal of the N.Y. State Assembly
- acts of the State legislature
- extracts of minutes of the Commissioners of the Land Office
- "The Balloting Book," giving names of soldiers by regiment with location and acreage of grant, and date of patent
- lists of officers and soldiers by unit
- list of lots in each township giving the name of patentee, and annotated with volumes and page numbers of patents in series A0447, Military Patents (above, page 24), and with acreage
- alphabetical list of patentees giving the name of person to whom the patent was delivered
- list of Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugees entitled to land grants, giving the lot numbers assigned to them
Indexes: Published name index by Mary F. Ferris entitled The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands in the State of New York. Index (1954).
A3307. Manuscript of Register of Military Bounty Land Grants (The Balloting Book, and Other Documents Relating to Military Bounty Lands in the State of New York), 1825. .5 cubic feet
This original manuscript of the published Balloting Book was severely damaged in the 1911 Capitol Fire and is closed to researchers due to its fragile physical condition. See series A0476 above (page 26) for a description of the published version.
12943. Letters Patent, 1664-1989. 38.5 cubic feet (92 volumes)
Arrangement: Chronological.
These letters patent are instruments conveying title to real property from the colony or State to one or more persons. Included in this series are transfers of land in the Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugee Tract and the Old Military Tract. (Letters patent for grants of land in the New Military Tract, including those granted as bounties to Revolutionary War veterans, are in series A0447, Military Patents, above, page 24.)
Indexes: Alphabetical grantee name index in each volume; alphabetical grantee, grantor, and geographical card indexes on microfilm. Series A3121, Geographical Index to Patents (below) contains an index by name of tract.
Available on microfilm.
A3121. Geographical Index to Patents, ca. 1786-1899. .6 cubic foot (1 volume)
Arrangement: Roughly alphabetical by name of tract, then numerical by lot number.
This volume lists the disposition of lots in a number of large and small tracts, including the Old Military Tract and the Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugee Tract. The following information is given for each lot in a tract of land:
- lot number
- acreage
- name of patentee
- date of patent
- volume and page number reference to patent in series 12943, Letters Patent (above)
Indexes: Alphabetical index to names of tracts in front of volume.
A0453. Record of Deeds, 1652-1884. 22.2 cubic feet (43 volumes)
Arrangement: Chronological by date recorded.
These volumes contain copies of various instruments commonly referred to as "deeds," most of which involve conveyances of real property. These instruments were recorded in the office of the secretary of the colony until 1783, and thereafter with the secretary of State. Included are many documents in which Revolutionary War soldiers assigned their rights to bounty lands to other individuals. Also included are copies of commissions issued by the British government in occupied New York City to civil officers during the years of the Revolutionary War.
Finding aids: Volume list.
Indexes: Each volume contains a name index; series A3074, Abstracts and Indexes of Deeds (below), contains grantor and grantee name indexes; series A0479, Index to Books of Deeds and Mortgages, contains a name index to this series.
Available on microfilm (1659-1890).
A3074. Abstracts and Indexes of Deeds, 1674-1855. 4.2 cubic feet (7 volumes)
Arrangement: Chronological.
These volumes were prepared during the nineteenth century from the original books of deeds in series A0453 (above). They contain brief abstracts of the subjects of most deeds recorded in that series.
Indexes: Each volume has grantor and grantee name indexes, and location and subject indexes.
Available on microfilm.
A0451. Original Releases to the State, 1782-1929. 9 cubic feet (13 volumes)
Arrangement: Chronological by recording date.
These records are releases of right and claim to real property, given by individuals to the State of New York. The first three volumes include releases of land in the Old Military Tract, the Canadian and Nova Scotian Refugee Tract, and the New Military Tract. Many of these releases are for lands erroneously granted by letters patent, usually because of an inadequate description of the land. Also in this series are releases of claims to lands seized by the commissioners of forfeitures during the Revolution, and releases of dower claims to those lands by widows of loyalists whose lands were forfeited.
Finding aids: Volume list.
Indexes: Name indexes in some volumes.
Available on microfilm (1782-1900).
A0452. Field Books, 1762-1845. 11 cubic feet (55 volumes)
Arrangement: None.
These volumes include many surveys of land in the State's New Military Tract granted to veterans for service during the Revolution. They generally provide date of the survey; surveyors' names; name of patent and/or a narrative description of the land surveyed; narrative description and acreage of each lot laid out; and occasional maps, valuations of lots, and papers filed during the land grant process.
Indexes: These field books are listed and indexed in David E. E. Mix, Catalogue of Maps and Surveys in the Office of the Secretary of State, State Engineer and Surveyor, and Comptroller, and the New York State Library (Albany, 1859).
Available on microfilm.
SURVEYOR GENERAL
A4019. Land Survey Field Books, 1668-1848 (bulk 1749-1830). 12 cubic feet (61 volumes)
Arrangement: Numerical by field book number.
These volumes include many surveys of land in the New Military Tract granted to veterans for service during the Revolution. They generally provide survey notes on land; name of surveyor; name and/or number of township, tract, or lot; county; date survey was completed or filed; occasional rough maps; and occasional valuations of lots.
Indexes: Some volumes contain rough alphabetical indexes to tracts or towns, or contents listings. These field books and the maps in them are listed and indexed in David E. E. Mix, Catalogue of Maps and Surveys in the Offices of the Secretary of State, State Engineer and Surveyor, and Comptroller and the New York State Library (Albany, 1859) and in Catalog of Maps and Field Books in the Land Bureau of the Department of the State Engineer and Surveyor, New York State (Albany, 1920). Series A4024, Indexes to Maps and Land Records (below, page 33), indexes these records alphabetically by name of town, tract, lot, or owner.
Available on microfilm.
B0255. Books of Sales of State Lands, 1786-1927. 4 cubic feet (17 volumes)
Arrangement: Roughly chronological.
These volumes contain a record of State land sales, including sales of lots in the Old and New Military Tracts. Information on each sale includes lot number, acreage, name of purchaser, price, and date of sale. Also in this series is a list of Revolutionary War soldiers entitled to grants of bounty land, giving name, rank, military unit, and amount of acreage.
A4008. Lists of Grants to Revolutionary War Soldiers, 1784-1790. .2 cubic foot
Arrangement: By muster master.
These incomplete lists of soldiers who received land grants in return for military service during the Revolution give soldier's name; file number; number of acres; and by whom delivered. Also included is a list of muster masters and the amount of acreage distributed to soldiers mustered by each.
A4010. Description of Lots Granted to New Yorkers in Compensation for Land Lost to Vermont, 1788. .5 cubic foot (1 volume)
Arrangement: By geographic location of lots.
These lots were in a tract set aside by New York State for grants to persons who lost land as a result of the New York-Vermont boundary dispute. The descriptions of lots provide lot number, boundaries, and number of acres in each lot.
AUDITOR
A0808. Register of Land Bounty Rights, ca. 1782. .5 cubic foot (1 volume)
This fragmentary volume contains information on the assignment of land bounty rights to militia "classes." It lists class, soldier's name, muster master, and regiment.
Indexes: Name indexes to "heads of classes" and to "certificates of location."
Restricted: Fragile condition due to burn damage.
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE
B0900. Incoming Correspondence and Case Registers, 1806-1906 (bulk 1814-1906). 37.5 cubic feet
Arrangement: Chronological.
This correspondence includes two folders (in box 39) of documents relating to grants in the New Military Tract and sales of land from forfeited estates.
Finding aids: Card file for correspondence from 1806-1821 only.
STATE ENGINEER AND SURVEYOR
A4016. Records of Surveys and Maps of State Lands ("Land Papers, 2nd Series"), ca. 1686-1892. 29 cubic feet (29 volumes)
Arrangement: Largely unarranged; some arranged by subject.
Some of these land surveys were prepared for lands granted to veterans for service during the Revolution. Documents relating to a particular survey may include survey descriptions and diagrams; survey maps showing lots, name of town, names of landholders, property lines, roads, and waterways; appraisals of the value of various tracts or lots; surveyor's certifications that land had been surveyed; instructions to surveyors; correspondence from surveyors; petitions for land grants; and surveyor general's responses to petitions for land.
Indexes: An online name index to Loyalists and to purchasers of Loyalist lands is available. Each volume is indexed separately by county, town, name or location of tract or patent, and name of surveyor. These records are listed and indexed in Catalog of Maps and Field Books in the Land Bureau of the Department of the State Engineer and Surveyor, New York State (Albany, 1920). Series A4024, Indexes to Maps and Land Records (below, page 33), indexes these records alphabetically by name of town, tract, lot, or owner. There is also a card index to this series containing information very similar to that found in each volume.
A0273. Survey Maps of Lands in New York State ("Surveyor General Rolled Maps"), ca. 1711-1913 (bulk ca. 1772-1913). 36 cubic feet (ca. 1,000 maps)
Arrangement: Numerical by map number.
Some of these maps show towns in the New Military Tract. Also included are maps prepared for lands confiscated and sold by the commissioners of forfeitures. Maps generally provide name, location, or number of the town, tract, or patent surveyed; lot boundaries, dimensions, and numbers; names of landholders (occasionally); location of waterways; number of acres surveyed (occasionally); and sometimes town street names.
Indexes: These maps are listed and indexed in David E. E. Mix, Catalogue of Maps and Surveys in the Offices of the Secretary of State, State Engineer and Surveyor, and Comptroller, and the New York State Library (Albany, 1859), and in Catalog of Maps and Field Books in the Land Bureau of the Department of the State Engineer and Surveyor, New York State (Albany, 1920). Series A4024, Indexes to Maps and Land Records (below), indexes these records alphabetically by name of town, tract, lot, or owner.
Available on microform (selected maps on aperture cards).
A4024. Indexes to Maps and Land Records, 1850-1900. 1 cubic foot (6 volumes)
Arrangement: Alphabetical by name of town, tract, lot, or owner.
These indexes were prepared to provide access to the following series of maps and surveys: series A4016, Records of Surveys and Maps of State Lands ("Land Papers, 2nd Series") (above, page 32); series A0273, Survey Maps of Lands in New York State (above); and series A4019, Land Survey Field Books (above, page 30). The indexes generally provide name of town, tract, lot, or owner; volume and page number (if a land survey or purchase record), map number (if a map), and map case and portfolio letter or number, as appropriate.
