Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-04-04
From the Washington Republic.
OFFICIAL.
nty Land LaVv-InstructIons.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.
Pension Office. March 90. 1851.

1850 and of the rules and regulations hereto
fore prescribed either msinterpreted disregarded,
the following Instructions approved by the Secrea-
ry of the Interior issued for the benefit of all
persons Interested
l. The act of 18th February 1S47. having restrc=
ted land bounty for services in the Mexican to
the non-commssioned officers, musicians and privates
of the regular army, the claims Of commissioned uS
in that service are for the first time, recognised
by the act of 28th September 1850. 1t not the
intention of that act to bestow bounty land the
acote army Of the United States rererer located but
only on those whose service was connected with or
had direct reference to that Nor can the act
be properly construed to embrace the officers and
employees attached to the War Department in Wash
ngtOn, their services not being of that kind which
was contemplated. 1t is not necessary that officers
should have been actually within the limits of Mex
leo or the borders thereof provided they were ac-
lively engaged in the and directly connected
with its operations.
9. In the of 1912, troops were frequently call
ed out by State authority and not Immediately mus
tered in the service of the United States If the Fed
eral Government paid such troops from the time of
their enrolment and before they actually mus
tered in the service of the United States that pay
ment is equivalent to recognition of their service
from the date of the enrolment. The time for which
they were paid by the United States furnishes
yenlent and practical standard for estimating the pc
riOd of service
3. The conflicts with the Creek Indians which
commenced about 5th May. 1886, and ended Goth
September, 1887, are considered as embraced by the
act of 1850 large bodies of troops having been
tered in the United States service, and several
gagements having occurred attended by the loss of
many lives in battle, within that period. The dis
turbance on the southwestern frontier in lS36-iu
the Cherokee country in 1886 and lo37-and the
NewYork disturbances in 1888 and in 1882 are not
considered embraced by the provision of the act
of September, 1850.
1t has been settled that Indians who were regu-
arly mustered in the service of the United States
and formed a competent part of the line OF the army
were entitled to the benefit of the act. Ia the
OF the Cherokees, who have organized govern
ment and judicial system in operation the affidavit
in support of application for land bounty must be
made before one of their judges, whose official char
acter shall be certified by their principal chief The
Creeks having no judicial officers the United States
agent in that nation authorized to administer the
necessary oaths
5. 1t has been heretofore stated that teamsters
and artcers not entitled to land bounty y but
this is not to be understood if such teamsters ar
GERS belonged to the line of the army, and were reg
ularly detailed for that particular kind of service.
| 6. Surgeons employed by commanding officer at
stipulated rate OF compensation, but not commits
stoned belonging to the line of the army, are not
entitled to land bounty.
7. 1t has been decided by the Department that
the substitute performing the military service and
not the employer is entitled to the land bounty but
when the engagement is partly performed by both,
each is entitled to his SHARE according to the period
of service.
s. Where the declaration of the claimant on OATH
supported by regular and authentic discharge, is
in conflict with the military rolls, the former,
general rule, will be preferred and where the rolls
are altogether silent to the claimant. the positive
testimony of officers and soldiers with whom he
we'd, and whose the rolls, will be receiV
ed as evidence.
9. The act of September, 1880 excludes all per-
sons who have received, are entitled to receive
land bounty under any act of Congress Heretofore
passed In all applications hereafter presented rea-
sonabe time being allowed for these instructions to
circulate, it will be required that the claimant should
state in his declaration that he has not received,
is entitled to receive such bounty.
10. The Department has decided that widows are
entitled to the land bounty of deceased soldiers, if
they widows at the passages of the act Of 2Sth
September, 1850. This is the law in its general APP
plicaon but the widow of officer soldier killed
in battle is entitled to the maximum allowance of
one hundred and sixty acres, without reference to
the period Ct her husbands service, and although
married woman at the passage of the act, if unmar
red at the date of her application, her claim is valid
H. The death of officer soldier may be
proved by satisfactory evidence and if such officer
soldier should die after the declaration filed at the
Pension Office, but before the issuing of the warrant
it shall be competent for the widow if there be
no widow for the minor children, to apply for the
said warrant and receive the same on filing the
cessary proof of title.
Considerable anxiety prevails in some quarters in
regard to the execution of this law, and much lmpa
tience manifested as to whether applications forwar
ded have been received, and when the warrants are
likely to be issued. few explanations will proba
bly, suffice. Up to the time the present Commission
entered upon the discharge of his duties (the LIST
of December 1850 between thirty and forty thou
sand applications were received; but as the force
employed had been engaged upon other branches of
the business. no special acknowledgements had been
made to claimants. Early in December printed
circular prepared and dispatched by every mail
acknowledging the receipt of claims but as it was
impossible for obvious reasons, that this circular
could be forwarded to previous applicants, it was ne
cessarily confined to the future Hundreds, without
a knowledge of these facts, have been surprised
that their own applications neglected, when
others subsequently forwarded have been acknowl-
edged by mail If those who sent their claims prior
to the 10th of December will wait patiently, they
will in due time be advised, either in the form of
warrant or by letter assigning the reasons of sus-
pension or rejection. Up to this period the Office,
with all its force faithfully applied, has only been
able to issue between and eight thousands
rants declarations received in October and early
in November. Sometime therefore must elapse be-
fore the numerous claims which arrived in Novem.
Der and early in December can be finally acted on
or of which the claimants can be informed by the
usual printed acknowledgment Up to the present
time about one hundred thousand applictions have
been received, and every days mail brings an in
crease, varying from five hundred to thousand
The office is now issuing between thousand and
!, twelve hundred warrants week; but more than
eighteen months must elapse before the claims now
on hand can be disposed of matured into the form
of warrants. The number of applications having in
creased so far beyond what anticipated in order
to satisfy the public demand additional force was