The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-09-20
The Homestead Law.
important to returned soldiers

Important to Returned Soldiers.
We have heard number of returned
soldiers, inquiriDg upon what terms they
can secure farms upon the public lands.
AS the most satisfactory answer, we pub
| lish the homestead law entire. 1t is as
| follows:
Be IL enacted .by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
| Anserica in Congress assembled, That any
person who is the head of family, or
who has arrived at the age of twenty-one
years, and is citizen of the United States
or who shall have filed his declaration of
| intention to become such, as required by
the naturalization law of the United States
and who has never bore arms against the
United States Government or given aid
and comfort to its enemies, shall, from
and after the first Of January, eighteen
hundred aud sixty-three, be entitled to
enter one quarter section, or a less quan
tity of unappropriated public lands, upon
which said person may have fled pre-
emption claim, or which may, at the time
the application is made, be subject to pre-
emption at one dollar and twenty five cents
or less, per acre; or eighty acres, or less
of such unappropriated lands, at two doll
ars and fifty cents per acre, to be located
in body, in conformity to the legal sub
divisions of the public lands, and after
the same shall have been surveyed Pro-
vided, That any person owning and re-
siding on land may, under the provisions
4 .l.a Al L., L.,
tiguous to his or her said land, which
shall rot, with the land SO already owned
and occupied, exceed inlthe aggregate one
hundred, and sixty acres.
Sec. 2 And be It further enacted, That
the person applying for the benefit of this
act shall, upon application to the register
of the land Office in which he or she is
about to make such entry, make affidavit
before the said register or receiver that
he or she is the head of family, or is
twenty one years or more of age, or shall
have performed service in the army or
navy of the United States, and that he
has never borne arms against the Govern
ment of the United States, or given aid
and comfort to its enemies, and that such
duplication is made for his or her exclusive
use or benefit, and that said entry is made
for the purpose of actual settlement and
Icultivation, and not either directly or in
directly for the use or benefit of any other
person or persons whomsoever, and upon
filing the said affidavit with the register
or receiver, ,,.and on payment of ten dollars
he or she shall therefrom be permitted to
enter the quantity of land specified: Pro
vided, however, That no certificate be Civ.
en- or patent issued therefor until the ex
piration of five years from the date O
such entry; and if, at the expiration o
such time, or at..any time within two years
thereafter, the person making such entry
! or, if he be dead, his widow; or in case o
her death, his heirs or devisce, or in cas-,
of widow making such entry, her heir
or devisee, in case of her death and prov,
lby two credible witnesses, that he, she O
they, have resided upon or cultivated tn
: same for the term of Ave years Immediate
ly succeeding the time of filing the affidavit
aforesaid, and shall make affidavit that nj
part of said land has been alienated, ant
that he has borne true faith and allegiance
to the Government of the United States
/. then in such case, he, she, or they, if a
that time citizen of the United States
4 shall be entitled to patent, as in othe
cases provided for by law; And provide,
! further, That in case of the death o
+, both father and mother, leaving an in
fant child, or children under twenty on,
! years of age, the right aud free shall inur,
to the benefit of said infant child or ehil