Research

• Full Finding Aid
• Overview
• Arrangement
• Administrative History
• Scope and Contents
• Related Material
• Other Finding Aids
• Access Restrictions
• Access Terms
• Detailed Description
• subseries 1
• subseries 2
• subseries 3
• subseries 4
• subseries 5

Print PDF  

Subseries 2: Certificates of claim and supporting documentation

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries contains certificates, affidavits, and related documentation pertinent to each claim submitted to the Adjutant General's Office. The certificates provide the claim number, name of claimant, claimant's attorney, and amount of claim, while the affidavits provide the following information about the claimant: name, residence (town, county, and state), length of time claimant has resided in town and in New York State, age, certificate number, length of service in War of 1812, location where soldier served during the war, and name of commanding officer during the war. The affidavits also include the claimant's signature, attesting to the validity of the information provided; statement of the justice of the peace, indicating that the claimant has testified before him; and sometimes a statement by the county clerk, attesting to the genuineness of the justice of the peace. Affidavits in this subseries exclusively document claimants who were residents of New York State, likely because Chapter 470 of the Laws of 1869 (and subsequent claims legislation of 1872 and 1874) restricted payment on claims certificates to New York State residents only. Documentation of out-of-state claimants generally takes the form of handwritten correspondence to the New York State government without any accompanying certificate or affidavit. Most of the correspondence, both from in-state and out-of-state claimants, is written by War of 1812 veterans, veterans' widows, administrators of estates, or attorneys representing the claimants.

Arrangement:

Numerical by claim number.