Are Revolutionary War veterans who served out of states other than Virginia listed on this database?
No. This database is limited to Virginia veterans of the Revolutionary War.
Are Virginia veterans who applied for Revolutionary War bounty land warrants after 1792 listed on this database?
No. When Kentucky separated from Virginia on June 1, 1792, Revolutionary War warrants could no longer be used to obtain land in the Kentucky Military District unless the patent was already in the process of being issued. In 1795, the Kentucky Military District was closed, and the area was open for settlement under the South of Green River Patent Series. The only exceptions were the West of Tennessee River Military Patents, issued in the 1820s, authorized by Virginia Revolutionary War warrants that had been "issued" prior to the closure of the Military District.
What is the difference between a warrant from the Revolutionary War Warrants Registry and a Veteran's Warrant?
The Virginia Land Office maintained a listing of warrants issued for Revolutionary War service, including the number of the warrant, name of the veteran or assignee, and date of issuance. Those listings comprise the Warrants Register. The actual warrant given to the veteran or his assignee, i.e., the Veteran's Warrant, was embossed with wax and had the phrase "Military Warrant" at the top of the page. Veterans' Warrants, if located, are included with the patent files.
Where was the Kentucky Military District located?
In May 1779, the Virginia General Assembly approved a subcommittee's resolution that the Military District be "bounded by the Green River and a southeast course from the head thereof to the Cumberland mountains, with the said mountains to the Carolina line, with the Carolina line to the Cherokee or Tennessee River, with the said river to the Ohio River, and with the Ohio to the said Green River, until the farther order of the general assembly."
Why would an Virginia Revolutionary War veteran who received a bounty land warrant not be listed on this database?
The Revolutionary War Warrant Database is limited to those Revolutionary War warrants issued from August 8, 1782, to October 29, 1793. Unlisted warrants may be have been used in the Virginia Military District, located along the Little Miami River in Ohio.
Where can I find information regarding the Ohio Military District for Virginia veterans of the Revolutionary War?
Contact the Ohio State Archives at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Where can I find additional information regarding Virginia's Revolutionary War warrants?
Willard R. Jillson's Old Kentucky Entries & Deeds, ISBN 0-8063-0193-7 lists Virginians who received Revolutionary War warrants prior to October 29, 1793 and certain Military Entries filed with the Principal Surveyor of the Military District. Revolutionary War Records: Virginia by Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh, ISBN 0-8063-0060-4, lists Virginia Revolutionary War veterans and their warrant numbers and includes other vital information regarding warrants used in the Ohio Military District or never formally issued.
Where can I find information regarding Revolutionary War Military Districts for other colonies/states?
The Land Office recommends the book Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants Awarded by State Governments by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, ISBN 0-8-63-1511-3, which provides information regarding Revolutionary War veterans and offers research suggestions for accessing warrant files.
Were Revolutionary War soldiers subject to state revenue taxes?
Yes. The Kentucky General Assembly establishes the tax structure. The Military District was taxed under the same structure as the rest of the Commonwealth. There were, however, exclusions in local county and city levies and poll taxes.
Are tax lists available for counties within the Revolutionary War Military District?
Yes. Tax lists begin with the year the county was formed. Tax lists can be researched through the Department for Libraries and Archives or the Kentucky History Center, both in Frankfort.
Where can I find subsequent conveyances of the land my ancestor patented within the Revolutionary War Military District?
Subsequent conveyances are filed with the county clerk's office in the form of deeds and wills; they are not filed with the Land Office. Contact the county clerk's office or the Department of Libraries and Archives in Frankfort for copies of county records.