Military Bounty Land Warrants

[Larry Koschkee]

I recently returned from a National Archives (NARA) research trip and came away perplexed about the lack of information about Black Hawk War military bounty land warrants that BHW veterans may have received.

Before I made the trip I researched a group of BHW veteran names for"Land Patents" issued to them by the Federal Government in what is now present day state of Wisconsin. This was easily done by accessing the BLM - BLO website.

Did Black Hawk War veterans receive bounty land warrants?

[gorentz]

Hi, Larry. I just now checked in here for the first time in many months. Are you still trying to do research on land warrants for service in the BHW?

[Larry Koschkee]

John... Yes I still have the Bounty Land Warrants on my research list, however way down on the list.

[gorentz]

Last week I spent a morning at the Michigan State archives, hoping they had the paperwork that was generated in the land offices to indicate when people made their entries. Indications of which lands were purchased with warrants wasn't the main thing I was after, but it was something I had in mind.

I was not successful. I think those records exist only at the National Archives, and it sounds as though they are not the easiest thing to research. Here is a link that may give an idea:

www.archives.gov/publications/general-info-leaflets/67.html#inf

Maybe you already learned that much.

I don't understand it all yet, but for me this is a project that is going to wait quite a while. I have enough other things to research closer to home before I do that. It's different for research I might do at the Indiana state archives, for example. I can take some vacation time and spend a couple of days in the archives in between history-bike rides. I don't see it working that way in Washington D.C. But it looks like there is a wealth of untapped data there.

You asked if people received bounties for their service in the BHW. There were certainly a lot of people who served in the militia in Michigan who said they did -- even though they got no closer to the war than Niles, Michigan.

I am not very familiar with the history of the legislation that granted those bounties, but I do know that pensions (not exactly the same thing) were an issue during the presidential election campaign of 1852. This was 20 years after the BHW, and that year some settlers got together in Marshall, MI, to talk over the "old days", including the days of the Black Hawk war scare. The local Whig newspaper reported on it, and also slammed the Democrat candidate (Franklin Pierce) for opposing pensions for veterans of the Indian wars. It also ran a piece saying that Black Hawk had endorsed his opponent, Winfield Scott, for president. This endorsement is in Black Hawk's autobiography, and is a puzzle to me because it doesn't completely square with what I've read in a biography of Winfield Scott that was written several years ago by John S.D. Eisenhower.

I'll be putting this stuff on my web site eventually.

[Larry Koschkee]

John,

I have reached many dead-ends and disappointments on this thread subject. During my 2006 trip to the NARA I was searching for Bounty Land Warrants issued to BHW militia and more specificaly Warrants issued to Michigan Territory militia. NARA personnel directed me to NARA Record Group 15, Federal Bounty Land Applications, but I did not want Applications, I wanted paper evidence of the land grants or warrants. NARA personnel could not find such records.

Subsequent correspondence with a Professor of History, Emeritus, University of Wisconsin - Madison convinced me that the Michigan Territory, Iowa County Militia, received cash payment for service... not bounty land warrants. Since then I have not expanded research for other militias, i.e. Illinois, etc.

regards,

Larry

[aseright]

I too am attempting to do a search on bounty land warrants issued to BHW militia and have thus far been unsuccessful, so any leads will be helpful. However, I can assure you that bounty land warrants were in fact issued. I have my great grandfather's original bounty land warrant for serving as a Corporal in Captain Barnes Company with the Michigan militia in the BHW. In the warrant, it provides him 160 acres in Kansas, where my granddad and father were also born. It is signed by Abraham Lincoln on April 1, 1861 with his presidential seal. If it is any help, it states that his warrant is recorded in Volume 437.

[kakcal]

I just saw this thread and registered so that I could let you know that my g-g-g-grandfather, James A. Holland, received bounty land in Searcy Co., AK in 1853 for his service in the Blackhawk War in 1832., in Capt. Bankston's company from Clinton Co., IL. Here is a link to the image of the patent, which gives this information:
www.glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=0669-479&docClass=MW&sid=pcqs3avj.14o#patentDetailsTabIndex=1

If you are still researching this topic, I am interested in knowing of other BH War veterans who might've received bounty land in AK, so let me know if you find anything. Also, if you're still reading this topic, let me know of your continued interest and I'll post anything else I may find.

[Robert Braun]

Yes! Please do!

Bob

[wfwenzel]

A couple o things.

I've always thought that the National Archives is a "Black Hole", that is difficult to dig stuff out of - sort of like the ending of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Unless the contents and information can be cataloged in some detail and is available, it can be difficult or impossible to research.

Coupled with that, the issue of where it is complicates things. NARA has regional centers, but unless things changed since I looked last, it is tough to find out just what is where.

Around 20 years ago, NARA went to outsourcing photocopying to "improve service" but did anything but that. The price soared and the helpful staff was further removed from serving researchers. I remember the days of "long distance rates" to DC!

Here's a link to an article about NARA shrinking their facility and service to the public: upfront.ngsgenealogy.org/2009/10/nara-seeks-to-shrink-research-space-and.html

Patents:
I see a lot of these in my research around Sauk and Dane Counties and never saw a BHW one. I've seen an occasional Rev. War or 1812 one though.

I take it that starting with a roster and querying the BLO web site isn't producing results. I wonder why?

Possibly not all the vets could take advantage of it? Did getting paid have an effect on whether they could bounty land? My RW ancestor wound up with a patent in Minnesota which he promptly sold since there was no way he could pioneer land at his age. Just a thought.