Public Land Index's of 1789--1837

Land records are another good source for finding information on a ancestor, a lot of people forget about the land office, today we call it the Register of Deeds, these offices can be found at the county court house, in the county seat of each county.

Note: In some larger cities, they maybe housed in another county office so you may need to look it up in a city directory under land, or county offices.

A person can find out a lot about his or hers ancestor at the deeds office. The deeds office is not only for rural areas such as farm land, but land within a large or small city. You will be able to find where the land was how much there was, how much they paid for it, and if you wanted to follow the deeds you could find out if the land is still in the family. Some times there will be another family names on the deeds and this will start you on a new search. Now your wondering what good it will do to know where the land is. Lets say you have a ancester that you know lived within a county but don't know what city they live in, by going to the deeds office at the county seat of that county, you will be able to find out what city he or she lives, that is if they own the land. You say he or she didn't own land, they just rented, but you know he or she own a little shop of some kind, this will be register. Now you say but they didn't live in a city or own a business,they just own a fram. This is where a book called a Range book comes in.

Range books

The range book is where all rural land is recorded, a county is divided into range numbers and section numbers. You will need these numbers to know what book to look in, to help find the right book it will help to know the township their farm is in or the nearest town they live by. At the top & bottom of a county map you will find the range numbers and also you will see other numbers on the map these numbers will be within a circle these will be the section numbers. If you can't find the right book don't worry just ask someone in the office for help they will be happy to help.

Note: A lot people think the Register of Deeds office is for the recording of land, that's far from the truth, below is some information on what type of documents are housed and recorded at this office. Just keep in mind some of the documents recorded is not by law but voluntary for the safe keeping of ones family legal papers. Just about any legal document can be recorded at the deeds office.

These offices are responsible for filing financing states and security agreements on personal property according to the regulations of the Uniform Commercial Code, federal and state tax liens, powers of attorney, military discharges, corporation papers and county school records, wills, birth records, death records. They also record hundreds of different types of documents.

I have eight volumes of land records from 1789 to 1837 they cover all the states within this time frame. Within thses volumes there are thousands of names, If you would like a look up I would be happy to do so, but keep in mind I don't have all the names of the United States, but still there are thousands of names. You can E. mail me at: dsegelquist1@cox.net

Below you will find two examples of information you may receive.

Example 1.

Detroit Michigan

No. 325
Samuel Abbott, esq. The board took into consideration the claim of Samuel Abbott, esq. to a lot of ground at Michillimackinack, which was entered with the former commissioners of the land office at Detroit in Vol. 2 page 33, under the date of December 26, 1805 .

This lot contanains forty-six feet in front by fifty-one in depth, bounded in front by main street, in rear by the house and concerns of Joseph Gui, southwest by widow Solomon, and northeast by one Petit.

Whereupon Daniel Daly was brought forward as a winess in behalf of the claimant, who being duly sworn, deposed and said, that previous to the 1st july 1796, James Aird was in possession and occupancy of the premises, and continued so untill he sold to Bartholmew Noble, from whom the claimant has purchased and has possessed and occupied the same to this day.

Example 2.

Louisiana

On june 25, 1811, Roger West sold to David T. Sacket on order of survey in the county of Rapides on the waters of Bayou Chactos, 338.51 acres, with a front of 400 acres. In the remarks, on both sides of the Bayou.

Revolutionary Soldiers Disabilities Claims

There were thousands of soldiers who put in for a claim, many would receive it and many would not. Before 1778, only the soldiers of the Army and Navy would receive a pension or a disability claim. Then on May 28th, 1778, a bill passed Congress that give the rights to the widows and children of the soldier to put in a claim for his disability claim or his pension. Providing the soldier was killed while in the service of the United States, died as a result of wounds received, or died of any illness while in active duty. Many people knew nothing about this bill and because of this, it would be years after 1778 before they would put in a claim.

Note: I have hundreds of names for these claims and pensions. If you have a name, I will be happy to look it up. But keep in mind, that even though I have hundreds of names, I may not have yours and many claims were not put in for. Below there are three claim reports to show the information you may receive.

Ebenezer Tinkham of Lyme, New Hampshire, Private, station Warren frigate, was disabled July, 1779, at Penobscot. His disability was the following: Wounded by a musket ball, which entered his right should, went through a joint of the neck, and came out by the collar bone. His pension is to be one-third.

Wiliam Proctor, Massachusetts, Sgt. Major of the 2nd. Rhode Island, his disability was the following: Ruptured in his belly, occasioned by a stick thrown at him by one Kelly, because he refused to play at cudgels with him.

Peter Charlont, under the command of General Hazen, is a native of Canada, was at the commencement of the late war and was a volunteer in the service of the United States, and continued in that service in various characters till he was wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. And after his return, he again engaged in that service and was disabled. His disability is the following: Peter Charlont was employed to carry letters to and from Canada, and that on one of these errands, he was wounded by having a ball pass into his body, another through his left hand,and a third off his skull fracturing it, thereby deprived the use of his left eye. " We have considered he is entitled to half-pay of a sergeant, and to two hundred dollars as arrears of pay."
From the Circuit Court, Boston, Massachusetts, May, 1792.

The Riots & Massacres of Memphis Tennessee 1866

Note: Some of the language maybe offensive to some, but I feel this document shouldn't be changed to be politically correct as this is a historical document and part of our heritage.

Fort Pickering, Memphis, Tennessee, 1866

A few months before the riots the citizens of Memphis asked Major General Stoneman, of Fort Pickering, to take his troops back to the fort, as the citizens were boasting that they were perfectly competent to take care of themselves. The General stated he would turn the city and county over to the civil authorities, as long as they showed they could keep the order of peace.

When the riots broke out on Tuesday, May 1, 1866, the General was called upon by the sheriff and some of the good citizens of the city, asking the General for help to stop the rioting.

As the citizens had so urgently demanded that the troops leave, Genreal Stoneman desired to know what means the city authorities had taken to quell the disturbances. He further desired that the question should be tested whether the civil authorities could take care of themselves, as they claimed they could and would, before sending out any troops. Shortly, the Mayor came and reqested the use of the troops, to cooperate with the Constabulary force of the city, in case of any further lawlessness. General Stoneman stated that he had only one hundred and fifty troops at the fort, (16th United States infantry) and would not order them out unless he felt the necessity for the safety of the city.

On May 2, 1866, Judge Leonard, Judge of the county came to General Stoneman, saying that was skimishes in the South Memphis, and wanted arms for a posse of citizens being formed. The General stated that no military arms could be used unless he knew they would be put in the proper hands. General Stoneman later that day viewed the men of the posse. After seeing the men, he found them to be the low lives of the city and some not of the city but from Arkansas, he would not let the arms leave the fort.

The mob continuing it's outrages through Wednesday and Wednesday night. This compelled General Stoneman to send a communication to the Mayor of Memphis, that he would take over the civil affairs of the city and forbidding any persons without his authority to assemble together, nor any posse, armed or unarmed, white or colored. This did not include the police force, so long as they showed they were trying to preserving the peace.

On Tuesday May 1, 1866, a crowd of about a hundred negros had congregated on South Street, when the police came the colored soldiers who were there were cheering for "Abe Lincoln", to which a policeman replied; "Your old father, Abe Lincolin, is dead and damed." One of the colored men who was arrested a week before saw the policeman that arrested him in the crowd of policemen and became excited. The colored soldiers of the colored crowd began to gather around the policeman, threatening in a excited manner, calling out "Club them, shoot them." As the policemen marched off with two men they had arrested the soldiers began firing into the air, thinking they were being fired on the policeman returned fire. It could be heard from the crowd "A policemen is shot, so is one of ours." After the firing stopped, each crowd went their own way.

The riots went on and through out the city you could hear the calling, "Kill them all, the God d-d niggers, they ought to be killed, no matter whether if big or small." By the time the riots were over, hundreds of people were killed or wounded, white and colored, many business were destroyed, white and colored.

After the riots, there was a special committee from the House of Congress, that was sent to Memphis, to make a report (twelve hundred pages) on the matter. The committee took testimonies from hundreds of witnesses. Below I have put some of those testimonies.

Note: I have the index of those that gave testimony, (white and colored) if you think or know your family was there and would like to see if they were a wintness and gave testimony, you can E. mail me at, dsegelquist1@cox.net I will be happy to take a look.

Fred. Toles:

"On the evening of the 1st. May, 1866, as I was going home from work, I met a number of policemen who were after some colored man, firing at him with revolvers. They all passed me but one. He stopped when he came up to me and shot me through the arm and then passed on. I hid under a pile of lumber near by, and remained until night before I went home."

Coleman Default:

"On the evening of the 1st. of May, 1866, David Roach, policeman, and several other policemen, came to where I was on South street, and fired the house, shot me twice, beat me on the head with pistols, and robbed me of what money I had and my discharge from the Army. David Roach shot me the first time, in the thigh, but could not tell who shot me the second time. After Roach shot me, I begged of him not to kill me; He said, " Yes, God dam you, I will! You and all the balance of you." I think they left me for dead. That night I rented another house from Captain Barns, and a party of men burned it that night. They shot and wounded a man who was trying to stop the fires, the loss will amount to thirty ( 30 ) dollars."

Theodore Peterson:

"I keep the Cosmopoliton saloon, corner of Jefferson and Second streets. On Tuesday evening about nine o' clock, May 2, 1866, I saw a crowd of forty or fifty white men on Adams street, some of them were beating a negro; did not know the negro, or any one in the crowd; I heard expressions that " all Negroes ought to be killed or run out of town," or words to that effect."