The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 225

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Texas Bounty Land Grants, 1835-z888

were somewhat confusing, an act was passed on December 4, 1837,
providing 32o acres for each three months of service up to 1,280
acres for one year.20 This was essentially the Texas bounty land
policy. Some men received 2,560 acres for serving two one-year en-
listments.
In addition to the regular bounty grants mentioned above
there was one special bounty. The act as restated in 1840 gave 320
acres to all those who entered Bexar between December 5 and
1o, 1835, and remained until the surrender.21 In the records of
the General Land Office of Texas these grants are classified as
"Special Bounties" because they granted 32o acres of land for less
than three months service.22
All the above bounty grants were made to veterans of the Texas
Revolution. On December 21, 1838, "An Act to provide for the
protection of the Northern and Western Frontier," which created
a frontier army, was approved. For serving a three-year enlist-
ment each man was to be settled on 16o acres of land. The vol-
unteers were to be part-time farmers and part-time soldiers.23
This grant was the one exception to the practice of permitting
the grantees to assign their titles; for it provided that the land
was not subject to sale, forced or voluntary, for a period of five
years.24 When the military authorities found that the desired land
was already private property and they could not grant the 16o
acre tracts, Congress provided that the men should receive 240
acre bounty warrants to be located elsewhere.25 This was the last
bounty grant by general law under which men actually received
land. There was an attempt by the state government during Re-
construction in Texas to give land to Union soldiers from Texas.2B
No records have been found, however, of any actual grants under
the so-called "Carpetbag Act."
The first bounty warrants in Texas were issued by George W.
2O0bid., 1367.
21Ibid., II, 478.
22Texas also granted a 64o acre donation to the participants in the siege of Bexar.
Thus a soldier could have received 960 acres of land for six days service.
231bid., 15, 16, 17.
24Ibid., 17.
2sIbid., 236.
2eIbid., VI, 45-46.

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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963, periodical, 1963; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101196/m1/245/ocr/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.

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