The act of the General Assembly passed on June 22, 1779, which established the Virginia Land Office, also provided for the rewarding of lands promised as bounty for specified Revolutionary War military service. In order to qualify for bounty land, a soldier had to serve at least three (3) years continuously in the State or Continental line. Militia service did not count. Servicemen submitted various documents such as affidavits of commanding officers and fellow soldiers and discharge papers in order to substantiate their service record. When the claim was proved, the Governor’s Office issued a certificate to the register of the Land Office authorizing him to issue a warrant. Claims of applicants were rejected if they failed to prove sufficient military service. Many claimants did have significant military service but not enough to qualify for bounty land or, in some cases, additional land.
The papers accumulated as proof of service are now part of the records of the Executive Dept. Office of the Governor (RG#3) and are called "Bounty Warrants" if approved and "Rejected Claims" if disapproved. These records are housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.
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