MORE LAND AND GOLD LOTTERY QUESTIONS: Allen Pendergraft, Box 1079, Sedona, Az 85336 asks if the names found on list of Georgia Land Lotteries are only persons who won land. The lotteries awarded land in more than one county. How can you locate the land won by a winner. Is the index to the 1830 Georgia Census, the best way to locate a winner in the 1827 Land Lottery?

Editor’s Note: Examining the process of a land lottery dis-closes that all persons who met the requirements of citizen-ship, residence in Georgia, and marital status were entitled to put their names on an enrollment being taken in their

county of residence. These lists were compiled by GEORGIA MILITIA DISTRICT, which is a sun-division found in each and every Georgia county. Thus neighbors will be seen on the list, but not necessarily enrolled in order of residence. The first land lottery enrollment began in 1803, continued in 1804, and the entire list of persons who ENROLLED has survived and is published in its entirety by Mrs Virginia Wood --1805 GEORGIA LAND LOTTERY, The Greenewood Press, Cambridge, Ma 1964.

No other land lottery taken in Georgia has surviving lists of all those who enrolled. Every other published list now available is for only those persons whose names were drawn as WINNERS of "Fortunate Drawers" of land in that particular lottery.

SURVEYOR GENERAL DEPARTMENT, GEORGIA ARCHIVES, Atlanta, Ga 30334 is the repository for plats, grant book, forfeited draws, fraudulent draws, and other records for all these lotteries. They have maps drawn by the surveyors as the lots were laid off. Most of these maps are "one of a kind" and not available for research or copying.

Consulting with John Southerland, Map Librarian for the University of Georgia, it was his suggestion that possible alternate maps to locate these land lots in the areas where distribution was by the various Land Lotteries would be the maps published by the U.S. Geologic Survey Distribution Sec-tion, 1200 South Eads St, Arlington, Va 22202, copies of quadrangle maps are $1.25 postpaid. Provide them the Sec-tion, District, and Lot Number and ask that the appropriate quadrangle map be sent to you.

The published winners lists provide the district, section, and lot number of the land which was won. Thus you can go to maps such as these of the Geologic Survey and find exact locations.

Winners of land lottery were NOT required to live on or send someone to settle the land they won. They might pay the registration fee, receive the grant and bide their time until someone came along who wanted to purchase the property.

Thus a winner might never even see the land in question. But someone ultimately occupied it. The winners list for 1827 Land Lottery was first published by Grantland and Orme in 1828, reprinted by M. L. Houston with an index in 1928, and reprinted more recently. These earlier publications included maps showing locations of the land by section and district.

Recent publications of the 1807, 1820, 1821 lotteries lack these detailed maps.

The 1830 census would show the place of residence of all heads of families in the state, winners and losers alike. And since winners did not have to occupy the land they won, you will not see a vast migration after the 1827 Lottery.

MORE THAN TWO DRAWS? Asked Floreda Varick, 116 Glenhaven Terrace, Tallahassee, Fl 32303. Could an individual register in more than one category in the Land Lotteries, particu-larly those 1820 onward when special eligibility was allowed for veterans of the Revolution, Indian Wars of the 1790s, and War of 1812, their widows and orphans.

In the 1820 Land Lottery could a woman register as a widow, and also a widow husband killed in Revolution, War of 1812, Indian War and this receive three draws?

Or JOHN DUCK, Revolutionary soldier of Walker’s Militia District, Morgan Co., Ga who drew 3 lots. According to Hitz’s list Duck was granted only the first two lots.

In the 1832 Land and Gold Lottery, did the individual register twice, take his choice, or register once and take pot luck? For example, Robert Little of Colquhoun’s Militia District, Henry Co., Ga drew 1 land Lot and 2 gold lots.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The lotteries from 1820 onward allowed EXTRA ELIGIBILITY, so that a widow who was ALSO widow of a Revolu-tionary soldier enrolled for both categories. Examining the actual enrollments for several counties show that this in fact the way it was done. Her name, widow 2 1 draw, followed by her name, widow of Revolutionary soldier - 2 draws. It seems possible that a man who served in the Revolution, Indian Wars, and the War of 1812, as a few did, might also have registered for extra eligibility and have as many as eight chances to win land! Don’t know of a single example where a veteran registered as an extra eligible for more than one war, plus his eligibility because of marital status. I’ve seen the married man - 2 draws, married man, Revolutionary soldier - 2 draws. But the way the law reads, it is possible someone had his name down eight times!

1832 GOLD AND LAND LOTTERIES: THE 1832 LAND LOTTERY was passed and signed by the governor George R. Gilmer on 21 December 1830, and provided that lists "of persons entitled to draws under this act shall be made out by the Inferior Court of each County—within 4 months of the date of such proclamation." The person named by the Inferior Court to take the names would appear at each "Captain’s District" (Georgia Militia District) at least twice, giving 10 days notice each time. Names of persons entitled "shall be entered by the receivers in a books to be kept for that purpose. A TRANSCRIPT OF WHICH BOOK, FAIRLY MADE OUT, SHALL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE (Governor), and THE ORIGINAL DEPOSITED WITH THE CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE RE-SPECTIVE COUNTIES." The person who is making the enrollment "shall receive .25 from each of said applicants for each draw" as payment for the enrollment.

When the 1832 GOLD LOTTERY act was passed 24 December 1831, and signed by governor Wilson Lumpkin a slightly different list of qualifications was appended. No extra eligibilities were offered. White males 18 and upward, 3 years in Ga., U.S. Citizens - 1 draw

ALL widows, 3 years residence in Ga. - 1 draw

ALL families of orphans, 3 years residence - 1 draw

ALL heads of families ONE ADDITIONAL DRAW IN CONSIDERATION OF THEIR FAMILIES (i.e., 2 draws).

But the awards lists show that in spite of the act’s limiting extra eligibility, winners show the same qualifica-tions as those found in the 1832 Land Lottery.

Section 3. "And be it further enacted, THAT SEPARATE LIST OF PERSONS ENTITLED TO A DRAW UNDER THIS ACT SHALL BE MADE OUT AND RETURNED BY THE SAME PERSONS AUTHORISED TO TAKE IN NAMES OF PERSONS ENTITLED TO DRAWS" in the Cherokee Land Lottery.

This provided that the same enrolling officer would adminis-ter a new oath to persons enrolling, not use the old list! These officers were to receive .25 per application.

Since the 1831 act required re-enrollment, but the winners lists show old categories typical only of the 1832 Land Lottery, it is my opinion that many of the 1832 Gold Lists were nothing more than re-copies of the 1832 Land Lottery lists. In Oglethorpe County the eligibles list has survived and is simply entitled 1832 Cherokee Lottery List. It shows the Land Lottery eligibility categories.

HEADRIGHT AND BOUNTY GRANTS- Mr R. Francis Carroll, Box 13, Cloudcroft, NM 88317 asks if maps exist showing the location of headright and bounty grants in Washington and Wilkes Cos from 1784-90? Or for Greene County 1798- and Hancock Co 1800-1808. If so, where can copies be obtained?

EDITOR’S NOTE: If the PLAT of a headright or bounty grant has survived, it will be found in the collection of the Surveyor General Dept., Georgia Archives, Atlanta, Ga 30334. There is no composite map of these grants by county, as there is in the land lottery area.

Provide the name of the land grantee, county, date of grant, book number given in the index, and ask for a copy of the plat if extant.

GEORGIA MILITIA DISTRICTS - Mr Carroll also asks if the militia districts were stable and numbered, as they are now. In tax digests and other records they are named as "Capt. X’s District". Is there any way to correlate the district number to the man who might have been captain of a district at a particular time? Are any maps available that show these districts as they existed 1785 - 1820?

EDITOR’S NOTE: The late Alex Hitz, writing in a bar journal, contended that it was impossible to prove which district came from one of a known number converting from Captain’s name to numbered district. While he worked for many years with the state records, I tend to disagree. For example, the district lines could be altered, but no district was abolished without legislative action. The captain was elected by the men who were liable for militia service within that district, so every captain had to be a legal resident of that district.

The tax digests provide the name of watercourses of land owned by men resident in each militia district. This, ob-viously, does identify an area, if not the exact boundary of the district.

The newspapers carry advertisements for militia elections, name the men offering for election, and ultimately the winner’s name who is commissioned "in the room of" the former Captain.

Frank Parker Hudson in his reconstructed census for 1790 of Elbert County, and Lincoln County in 1800 has prepared maps showing the locations of the militia district lines of these areas using the acts, minutes of the Superior Court, and tax digests. It can be done!