The Captain (elected from each area) of each Company would enroll the names of every male between the ages of 15 and 60, who lived within that District.
Both the Captain and the Lieutenants were elected offices.
The boundaries were determined by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief and determined by the number of eligible men living there.....limiting the district to a maximum of 63 men.
In those days the Districts were known by the Captain's Name, i.e. Captain Wilson's., and whenever a new Captain was elected, the name would change.
In 1804, the numerical system came into being, and the District KEPT the original number even as the Counties were created. However, in those early years the way of referring to the District was chiefly by the Captain's Name. That makes it confusing on Land Lotteries!
In 1804 the Tax Receiver got his list of persons from the Captain in each District Company. Tax payers even now are arranged by GMD.
As new counties were formed, new districts were created also. That is why the GMDs are not in chronological order. In the 1931, the Georgia Official & Statistical Register includes a lengthy paragraph about each of the Militia districts. These are the GMDs that we are able to find right now.
482 482 483 514 519 520 584 716 1085GMD Map of Bibb County
"Muster Days" were held in each county, usually in the county seat, and were occasions for the county to meet socially. Military drilling took place and even athletic contests and other events were held.
Georgia's surveying system west of the Oconee river consists of land districts and land lots. Every time the Indians ceded territory to the state, the land was pre-surveyed.
Between 1805 and 1832, Georgia held seven lotteries to distribute its lands west of the Oconee River and south of the Altamaha River. Each lottery distributed lands for a specific area. The lands were laid out into large original counties (e.g. Muscogee County, Houston, Monroe, Troup) These counties were subdivided into numbered Land Districts (squares with a length and width of 9 miles). For instance, Muscogee had 24 districts (1-24); Houston had 16 districts (1-16).
Each districts were subdivided into numbered land lots (every one starting with land lot 1 and ran in a logical order). Take a look at a map of any county showing Land Lots and you'll see these. But be careful that you first pay attention to the District Land Lines, as some lands lot numbering may run almost parallel to the neighboring District.
Hall's Original County Map of Georgia shows these Original Counties as well as the Land Districts within it. The present counties are also indicated. This map is available from the Georgia Archives for $1.00.
These districts and land lots are still the same, since a surveying system cannot be changed once it has been established.
Since these original counties proved to be too large and
unmanageable, they were soon broken up into smaller newer counties, which
was a never ending process. County lines have nothing to do with district
or land lot lines; they can cut right through these. That is why you find a
part of District 4, originally Houston County, now in Bibb County. A piece of property in this area would be
identified by land lot number, land district number and county (and
sometimes original county).
Ingrid P. Shields
Sr. Archivist, Land Records Georgia State Archives
Compilation Copyright by The GAGenWeb Project Team 1996 - Present - All Rights Reserved.
This page was last updated on -11/14/2015