Day 2 at NARA - Land Case Files - Part 2 - Scrip Warrants

Box Label for Cash Entries, National Archives, Washington , D.C. October, 21, 2011

In yesterday's post, I discussed how to order the Land Case Files for my ancestors at the National Archives in Washington, D. C. The archivists pulled about 20 records for me yesterday, consisting of Cash Entries (pictured on the left), Military Script Warrants, and Homestead Acts. Today I had another 15 or so records to pull.

This time there was a different archivist showing me how to fill out the forms a little differently. I must have filled them out  incorrectly because I didn't receive 3 boxes and 2 boxes were not the correct ones.

Luckily the archivist who was pulling the records caught me as I was submitting the 2nd request and asked me some questions about my requests and we were able to get them sorted out and he got the records to me finally. I didn't bother with the 2 boxes that were pulled incorrectly because I was land-record'd out!

Let's look at the Military Scrip Warrants. These are land patents that were granted to soldiers for their service in particular wars. The soldiers then had the option to keep or sell the land. My Ancestor, Agrippa Spinks Godwin received one such patent in 1853 from Reuben Clark.

Here is what I pulled up from the Bureau of Land Management website (Agrippa Godwin, Sharp County, Arkansas):

Here is what was in the Land Case Files for document number 27441:

This is document number 27441 and it is a patent for Bounty Land given by the United States of America Department of the Interior Office of the Commissioner of Pensions under the Act of September 28th 1850 entitled "An Act granting Bounty Land to certain officers and soldiers who have been engaged in the military service of the United States."

Patent was granted to Reuben Clark, Private in Capt Elmore's Company, Kentucky Militia, War 1812, Also Private in Capt. Bowyer's Company, Illinois, Volunteers, Black Hawk War, and Private in Capt. Carny's Company, Tennessee Volunteers, Florida War.

Patent was signed the 27th day of January 1852. No where on this patent does it mention my ancestor's name, however it is still pretty cool to look at and to run my fingers over the raised seals. The reverse side of the patent has information written by Reuben Clark in which he is transferring the patent over to my ancestor, Agrippa Godwin. It says the following:

"For value received I Reuben Clark, to whom the written warrant No. 27441 was issued do hereby sell and assign unto Agrippa S. Godwin of the County of Lawrence in the State of Arkansas and to his heirs and assigns forever this said Warrant and authorize him to prorate [?] the same and receive a patent therefore.
Witness my hand and seal this 3rd day of May A. D. 1852. Reuben Clark [with seal].
Attest: E. T Burr & C. B. Magruder"

The middle part of the page says the following:

"State of Arkansas, County of Independence:
On this 3rd day of May in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight hundred and fifty two personally appeared Reuben Clark to me well known and acknowledge the above assignment to be his act and deed: and certify that the said Reuben Clark is the identical person to whom the within warrant issued and who executed the above assignment thereof.
Jesse Pearry Justice of the Peace"

Here is the Warrant that Agrippa had filed with the Batesville, Arkansas land office:

Land Warrant No. 27441
Register and Receiver's No. 238
Land Office, Batesville Arks May 3rd 1852.

"We hereby certify that the attached Military Bounty Land Warrant, No. 27441 was on this day received at this office, from Agrippa S. Godwin, of Lawrence county, state of Arkansas.
J. A. Patterson, Register
C. F. M. Nolond, Receiver.

I, Agrippa S. Godwin, of Lawrence county, State of Arkansas, hereby apply to locate and do locate the Southern half of the North West quarter of Section No. Eight /8/ in Township No. Eighteen (18) N of Range No. Six (6) W in the District of Lands subject to sale at the Land Office at Batesville Arks containing Eighty (80) acres, in satisfaction of the attached Warrant numbered 27441 issued under the act of 28 September, 1850.

Witness my hand this 3rd day of May A. D. 1852
Attest: J. W. Patterson, Register.
C. F. M. Nolond, Receiver

Signed Agripa S. Godwin

I request the patent to be sent to Batesville Arkansas Land Office, Batesville, Arks, May 3rd 1852.
We hereby certify, That the above location is correct, being in accordance with law and instructions.
C. F. M. Nolond, Receiver
J. A. Patterson, Register."

The Scrip Warrants are instances of where additional information will probably be included in the Land Case Files that are stored at the National Archives. The image that I downloaded from the BLM website is the final patent awarded to my ancestor, Agrippa S. Godwin, however the papers I pulled from the Land Case Files were all the documents relating to the land and the warrant/patent itself. In this case, the original patent which was distributed for the 80 acres to Reuben Clark for his military service was included; hand written on the back of that was Reuben's agreement to transfer the patent over to Agrippa Godwin and a Justice of the Peace verifying he did such and he was who he said he was; And then Agrippa's warrant that is transferred to the Batesville, Arkansas land office. You should also be able to see all the folds and creases in the papers. They really are kept and housed folded up in a "shuck" which is really just the outside page folded up around the inside pages and the whole thing is no bigger than about 8.5 x 2 inches. 


In my next posts I will describe the Homestead Acts and show some examples of Cash Entries. Tomorrow we are off to visit the Library of Congress, head back to the National Archives to view the Declaration of Independence and maybe take a tour or two.