The American Revolution

This granite marker is located on the lawn of the Warren County Courthouse in Warrenton Georgia.
Erected by Burkhalter Chapter DAR June 14, 1940 Mrs. J. A. Bray, Regent

LOTTERY GRANTS
TO
REVOLUTIONARY VETERANS

COMPLIED BY ALEX M. HITZ

Following the fiasco of the bounty grants of 1784, the State of Georgia did nothing for its veterans of the War of the Revolution until 1818. It will be recalled that bounty grants had been given to many more noncombatan citizens than to soldiers of the Continental Line, Georgia Line and Georgia militia, and that soldiers of the line had received less land than the citizens or militia.

Thirty-five years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, a limited class of Revolutionary veterans was given a preference under the Act of December 15, 1818, which set up the Third Land Lottery of 1820. In this Land Lottery, as also in the later ones, every bachelor with three years residence in Georgia was allowed on draw and every married man with like residence was allowed two draws. If such bachelor or married man was an invalid or indigent veteran of the War of the Revolution, he was allowed two additional draws. His military record was not limited to service in or under the State of Georgia: his name for two veteran�s draws in the Land Lottery, the applicant was required to take the following oath, in addition to the oath as to three years residence, namely

"I (A. B.) do further swear that I was an officer or soldier (as the case may be) during the Revolutionary war, that I was engaged in the service of the United States, and that I am an invalid or indigent officer or soldier (as the case may be) of the Revolutionary War".

Belated recognition of the services of all Revolutionary veterans was made by the Act of June 9, 1825, establishing the Fifth Land Lottery of 1827. Every veteran with three years residence in Georgia was allowed three draws if unmarried or four draws if married, regardless of where he had enlisted or in what regiment he had fought. The two additional draws, less any fortunate draw in the Third Land Lottery, were available to every veteran who could take the following prescribed oath before the registering officials, namely:

"I do solemnly sear (or affirm) that I served as a soldier in the armies of the United States during the Revolutionary War a tour or tours of duty, and am entitled to draw or draws according to the provisions of this Act; so help me God".

Exactly the same preference was given to all Revolutionary veterans by the Act of December 21, 1820, setting up the Sixth (Cherokee) Land Lottery of 1832. Service in the United States armies was the criterion � the State of enlistment and place of service was not material. However, a veteran was denied any additional draws if he had drawn two Land Lots (as a veteran) in the Land Lotteries of 1820 and 1827, and he was allowed only additional draw if he had previously drawn one Land Lot. At the time of entering his name he was required to take the following oath, namely:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I served as a soldier in the armies of the United states during the Revolutionary War a tour or tours of duty, and that I did not any time during the said war bear arms or act as a spy or emissary against the United States, or in any manner aid or abet the enemy thereof, and am entitled to a draw or draws according to the provisions of this Act, so help me God".

Inasmuch as every person claiming Revolutionary service was required to swear to his claim before fit and proper persons appointed for that purpose by the Inferior Court of the county of his residence, and inasmuch as those neighbors would know the truth or falsity of every claim, there can be but little doubt that every man styled or identified as "Rev. Sol." or "Rev. S." or "R. Sol." or "R. S." on the Land Lottery lists and records was actually a veteran and former soldier of the Untied States army in the War of the American Revolution.

The following list includes all of those veterans (2069 in number) who were "fortunate drawers" in the Third (1820), Fifth (1827) and Sixth (1832) Land Lotteries. The spelling of first and last names has been carefully checked against three places, those spellings which were in agreement have been accepted as the veteran�s correct name. The name of a county following a veteran�s name shows his residence as of the date of the indicated Land Lottery.

The office of the Secretary of State does not have, in either the Surveyor General Department or the Department of Archives and History, any record of other Revolutionary veterans who may have entered their names for draws but were not "fortunate drawers".

Revolutionary veterans did not received any preference, nor were they designated as such, in the First (1805), Second (1807) or Fourth (1821) Land Lotteries.

Under the words "Fortunate Draw" the first column indicates the Land Lot number the second column indicates the District number and the occasional number found in the third column indicates the Section.

On the last page the book has been certified by: Ben W. Fortson, Jr., Secretary of State

* denotes more than one person listed with that surname, but from different county.

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