Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-27

Bounty Land Law-Instrucsion
DEPARTMENT or rms INTrRroR,

and regulations hcrctoiercprescribed either
misintcrprctcd or disregarded, the follow
ing instructions, approved by the Secretary
OF the Interior, are issued for the benefit Of
all persons Interested
l. The act of the llth February, 1917,
having restricted land bounty for services
IN the Mexican war to the non-commis-
stoned officers, musicians and privates of
the regular army, the claims OF commits
stoned officers IN that service are, for tho
first time, recognised by the act OF eSth
September, 1850. II was no, the inten.
ton of that act to bcsiow bounty land on
Tie aehoie army Of The Unaed States. mAerc-
erer located, but only on those whose SER
vice was connected with or had a direct
reference to that war. Nor can the act bo
properly construed to embrace the officers
and employees attached to the War De-
parmcnt in Washington, their service not
being Of that kind which was contempla-
ted. II is not necessary that officers should
have been actually within the limits OF
Mexico or on the borders thereof provi-
ded they were actively engaged ~ tho
war and directly connected with its opera
tons.
2. In the war Of 1872 troops were frc-
quently called out by State authority, and
not immediately mustered in the service of
the United States. II the Federal Govern
ment paid such troops from the time of
their cnrollncit and before they were ac-
tually mustered into the service of the U.
States, that payment is equivalent to re
cognition OF their service from the date Of
the enrolment. The time for which they
were paid by the IT, States furnishes con
venientand practcalstandard forcstimatinc
the period of service.
3. The conflicts with the Creek Indiana
which commenced about 9Th May. 1886.
and ended 2oth September, 1887, arc con
sidered as embraced by tho act Of 1850;
large bodies Of troops having been muster
cd in the United States service, and scyc-
raj engagements having occurred, attended
by the loss fmany lives in battle, within
that period. The disturbances on tho
southwestern frontier in lS36--in the Cher.
okec country in 1886 and ls37-and tho
New York disturbances in 1888 and 1889,
are not considered as embraced by the
provisions Of the act Of September, 1850.
q. IL hns been settled that Indians who
We're regularly mustered in the service of
the United States, and formed component
part of the line of the army, were entitlo
to the benefit Of the act. In the case oftho
Chcrokces, who have an organized goy-
eminent, and judicial system in operation.
the affidavit in support of an application
for land bounty must be made before one
OF their judges. whose oGicinl character
shall be certified by their principal chief
he Creeks, having no judicial officers.
the United States agent in that nation /.
authorized to administer the necessary
oaths.
D. 1t has been heretofore stated that
"teamsters and artifcers were not entitled
to land bounty )" but this is not to be so
understood ifsuch teamsters or arlifccrs
belonged to the line of the army. and were
regularly detailed for that particular kind
OF service.
O. Surgeons employed bya commanding
officer at stipulated rate ofcompensation,
but not commissioned or belonging to tho
line OF the army, are not entitled to land
bounty.
T. It has been decided by the Depart
ment that the substitute performing the mil
itary service, and not the employer, is en-
titled to the land bounty; but when the en-
gagement is partly performed by both, each
is entitled to his share, according to the pc
ROD Of service.
3. Where the declaration Of the claimant
on oath, supported by regular and au
thcntic discharge, is in conflict with Tho
military rolls, the former, as general
rule, will be preferred and. where the
rolls are altogether silent as 10 the claim
ant, the positive testimony of officers and
soldiers with whom he served and whose
names are found on the rolls, will bc re-
ceived as evidence.
Q. The act Of September, 1850, excludes
all pesons who have received, or are cnti-
tied to receive land bounty under any act
OF Congress heretofore passed In all ap-
plications hereafter presented, reasonable
time being allowed for these instructions to
circulate, it will berequircd that the clam-
ant should state in bis declaration that he
has not received, nor is entitled to receive
such bounty.
10. The Department has decided that
widows are entitled to the land bounty OF
deceased soldiers, if they were widows ut
Me passage ofMe act Of 2sth September;
1850. This Is the law in its general appli.
cation; but the widow Of an officer or SOL
dicrkillcd in 5dttlciscntitlcd to tothcmarimuu
allowance of one bundled and sixty acres,
without reference to the period Of her hus-
bands service, and, although married
woman at the passage ofthe act, if unmay-
ried a Me datcofher application, her claim
is valid.
IL. The death of an officer and soldier
may be proved by satisfactory evidence;
and ifsuch officer or soldier should die az
ter the declaration filed at the Pension or
fec, but before the issuing Of the warrant,
IT shall be competent for tho widow, or il
there be no widow, for the minor children,
to apply for the said warrant, and receive
the same, on filling the necessary proofs Of
title.
Considerable anxiety prevails in some
quarters in regard to the execution Of this
law, and much impatiencc manifested as 10
whether applications forwarded have been
received, and when the warrants are likely
to be issued. A few explanations viii
probably suffice. Up to the time the pre-
sent Commissioner entered upon the dis-
charge ofhis duties (the lst Of December,
1850 between thirty and forty thousand
applications were received; but as the force
employed had been engaged upon other
branches ofthe business, nospocialacknow-
Judgments had been made 10 claimants
Early in December printed circular was
prepared and despatched by every mail ac-
knowledging the receipt ofclaims; but as it
was impossible,for obvious reasons, that this
.,rcI,la ccnld be Essa r<I u s,s6.,1i<,saa m.