New-York tribune., 1896-07-24
OLD COLONIAL RECORDS FOUND.
VALUABLE PAPERS DISCOVERED AT AL
BANY ARRANGED AND CLASSIFIED
ny CONTROLLER pOpEpTS

Albany. July % (SpecaD. D.-Colonel F. c. Aims
worth the Chief Record and Pension Officer under
the war Department OF the United States. will come
TO Albany In few days on important mission.
1t Will be better understood by brief reference to
certain discoveries hat have been made in the
Controllers office through the care and fidelity OF
Mr.. Roberts
Late last fall when II was proposed to move the
Office Of the Controller from the Old State building
where II had been for nearly sixty years to the
Capitol, a search was made among the rooms In the
attic that had seldom been opened. and never thor
oughly investigated that any would know
what there. The search disclosed large guam
tity Of records OF The Revolutionary War; the pres
encs OF which suspected The revelation
stimulated further investigation. which. in turn.
was rewarded most literally. Controller Roberts
then invited Colonel Shepard OF his Office, to ex-
anime. arrange and collats the material Colonel
Shepard was we'll equipped for the work on account
OF his long military service. AS the work proceeded
the field enlarged and the matter increased TIL there
have been found data Of sixty-four military or
ganlzatons in the Colonial and Continental services,
besides record OF four prvateers that had been
fitted out at the expense Of the State and for Its
particular service.
There are among the papers discovered pay-rolls.
muster rolls, receipts FOR pay and orders for pay
all with the original signatures OF the soldiers
There lists Of pensioners. and applications for
pensions with interesting proofs and afidavits The
lists of pensioners a period Of many years
There also many discharges. number Of them
bearing the signature Of General Washington. Many
Of the records concern the famous Green Mountain
Boys" as we'll as the sodiers from the State OF
New-York
There are also many land Bounty Rights" In
one case the purchaser Of such Rights" from the
soldiers had secured enough Of them TO enttie him
TO locate q, 900 acres in the "Chemung Dlstric' ;
and he did 80 locate There are lists and accounts
tord dtCl0 al al
reasonable practices; and also claims IN detail ior
property destroyed By the raids 5e bs a iae
ter were found in their original packages.
The SaHa RePe s whG4 and ase
according 10 their proper groups as outlined apov;
Then begun the tSc wSrs U
to binding There will be aboa; twenty large rye, vol vol
be for some months yet. the Controller is work.
ing within his regular Appropriation, and win a a
system has followed closely upon the preparations
for binding. 1t will be some time before the public
proposed to ask the Legislature FOR Appropriation
that ne b5 1ss eq % be a4 Of m Il a0ad s0d Of Ase the
Mexican War have been discovered: but they will
not be opened TIL the Revolutionary records have
been disposed Of
The Information contained In the newly discov
f5s sntedses 81 or @ Supplies ecences in
records that had been published previously Some
S1rs Vo,ums ssI Of ofs the % stats Areves known
York in the % The wSsk was bi Gary fba1y
wero many deficiencies and omissions for which the
deficiency OF material in hand was 10 blame. and
not Mr Fernow The newly discovered records Will
supply many OF these deficiencies. and they will
also add much to the records already published
In these times Of eager search for ancestors with
Revolutionary record, the new records take on an
especial interest.
In his coming compilation OF the muster rolls OF
all the States In all the wars OF the United States
Colonel Ainsworth s able 10 account for only few
more than sixteen thousand soldiers from the State
Of New.York in the Revolutionary War; But the
newly discovered records IN the Controllers Office
already carry the names Of over thirty thousand
soldiers. Such a serious difference this made
Colonel Ainsworth enter into correspondence With
Controller Roberts TO the loan OF the records
for the Of the United States War Department.
1t explained to Colonel Ainsworth that the
records could go out OF the States possession
without special act Of the Legslature-a thing
difficult 10 secure, and that could not possibly be
secured for at least SIX months So the Controller
sent special messenger to Washington TO make
certain arrangements with Colonel Ainsworth the
result being that the latter will come 10 Albany
soon and examine the records. At that time 1t IS
probable that some understanding will be reached
by which the War Department will have the use
OF the records In Albany fast they can be
prepared for the inspection Of the public.