Greetings - the LVA is pleased to announce the availability of the new
Revolutionary War Bounty Warrants and Rejected Claims databases and
digitized documents.

The new resources are available via the Library's web site
(http://www.lva.lib.va.us) in the "What We Have" section under "Military
Records and Resources."


Here is a description of the collection:

Bounty Warrants and Rejected Claims

The Bounty Warrant files consist of accumulated documents intended to verify
dates of service of officers, soldiers, and sailors in a Virginia or
Continental army or naval unit during the Revolutionary War. The files may
include affidavits of commanding officers or fellow soldiers, discharge
papers, and other records of service. If the soldier or sailor had died
while in service, his heirs were required to submit documentation verifying
their status as legal heirs as well as proof of the military service. The
governor's office reviewed the application and filed approved records in a
record group now identified as Bounty Warrants.

The disapproved papers are known as Rejected Claims and are indexed in the
second database. In order to qualify for an award of bounty lands for
Revolutionary War service, an applicant must have served continuously for at
least three years in a State or Continental unit.

Once proof of proper military service had been established and a claim
approved, the Governor's Office issued a certificate authorizing the Land
Office to issue a warrant for a specific amount of land. The amount of land
awarded depended on the applicant's rank and time of service. The warrant
directed the surveyor of lands to set aside that quantity of land in the
western reserves of Kentucky and Ohio. Information concerning the
disposition of the warrants is in the state records of Kentucky and Ohio.

Information regarding more than 10,000 individuals is available via 25,000
digital images of original documents.

Please contact me if you have any difficulty using these databases.

--
Elizabeth Roderick                   email ([log in to unmask])
Director, Digital Library Program    voice  (804) 692-3761
The Library of Virginia              fax    (804) 692-3771
800 E. Broad Street
Richmond, VA  23218

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