Research


New York State Adjutant General's Office War of 1812 Veterans' Certificates of Claim Awards and Related Records


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series consists mostly of affidavits documenting a claimant's right to reimbursement from War of 1812 service in a New York militia or volunteer unit, as well as certificates issued to claimants after the Adjutant General's Office reviewed and adjusted their claims. The bulk of the series documents in-state claimants.
Creator:
Title:
War of 1812 veterans' certificates of claim awards and related records
Quantity:

18 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
circa 1858-1876
Series Number:
A0020

Arrangement

Organized into five subseries: 1. Claims correspondence (ca. 1860-1876), arranged alphabetically by sender's last name; 2. Certificates of claim and supporting documentation (ca. 1860s-1870s, bulk 1869-1875), arranged numerically by claim number; 3. Lists of New York State claimants and related correspondence (ca. 1859-1875), arranged alphabetically by name of town, village, or city; 4. Lists of out-of-state claimants and related correspondence (ca. 1859-1875), arranged alphabetically by state and therein alphabetically by name of town, village, or city; 5. Books of certificates of claim (ca. 1858-1861), arranged by claim number.

Administrative History

New York militiamen and volunteers who served during the War of 1812 became eligible to receive reimbursement for supplies, clothing, and equipment furnished for the war effort by the Laws of 1818, Chapter 270 and Laws of 1819, Chapter 117. It was not until 1857, however, that the State of New York created an administrative "board of commissioners," consisting of the Adjutant General and Inspector General, to examine and approve claims submitted by War of 1812 veterans, their widows, or other legal claimants (L. 1857, Ch. 597). Legislation passed two years later (L. 1859, Ch. 176) amended the previous law, and authorized the board of commissioners to issue certificates to claimants stating "the amount which [the commissioners] shall have found to be due." Under the 1859 law, 17,228 claims were audited and approved, and an additional 44 claims were approved in 1872.

Claims totaling $2,250,000 were eventually reviewed by the board, and certificates for about that amount were issued to the claimants by the State of New York. Despite the large sum of money owed to claimants, the State Legislature was only able to appropriate a total of $250,000 to redeem the certificates (L. 1869, Ch. 470; L. 1870, Ch. 524; L. 1874, Ch. 350), leaving a balance of about $2,000,000 to be paid. Probably as a result of the shortage of funds, the 1869 legislation provided that the Comptroller's Office make payments on certificates held by New York State residents only, pro rata, in the following order, until the federal government appropriated funds to pay off the remaining balance (State statute dating back to 1819 held that the federal government was ultimately liable to appropriate funds to pay these claims.): (1) principal on certificates held by surviving War of 1812 veterans; (2) accumulated interest due upon the certificates held by surviving veterans; (3) principal on certificates held by surviving widows of veterans; (4) accumulated interest due on certificates held by surviving widows of veterans; and (5) certificates held by legal representatives of veterans.

According to two reports, one published by the New York Assembly Ways and Means Committee (1885), cited below, and the other by the State Agent for War of 1812 Claims (1905), the State of New York never received any monies from the federal government to pay the outstanding claims. Research conducted by the Comptroller's Office as late as 1987 also confirms that funds were never received to satisfy these claims.

Citation: New York State Assembly, "Committee of Ways and Means Relative to Contingent Expenses of Volunteers and Militia of the State Called into Service of the U.S. in the War of 1812," Assembly Document No. 146, 1885.

Scope and Content Note

This series is one of two that extensively document the War of 1812 claims application and settlement process. The primary difference between the two is that records in this series (A0020) consist mostly of affidavits documenting a claimant's right to reimbursement from War of 1812 service in a New York militia or volunteer unit, as well as certificates issued to claimants after the Adjutant General's Office reviewed and adjusted their claims. Because of an 1869 law that restricted payment on War of 1812 claims to residents of New York State, the bulk of the series documents in-state claimants. By contrast, records in related series A3352, Claim applications for service in the War of 1812, were submitted to the Adjutant General's Office by, or on behalf of, War of 1812 veterans who served in New York militia or volunteer units as the first step in applying for a claim. These applications, which authenticated a veteran's military service and "expenses incurred" for the war effort (L. 1859, Ch. 176), were submitted by claimants who resided in New York State and in other states before the 1869 law restricted payment to in-state claimants only.

This series consists of claims certificates issued to veterans of the War of 1812, their widows, or other legal representatives by the Adjutant General's Office; supporting documentation pertinent to claims reviewed by the Adjutant General, such as affidavits relating to a veteran's military service; and correspondence and other records concerning the submission and processing of claims. The series is organized into five subseries.

Related Material

A1182 indexes this series.

A3352 Affidavits of Service, and Powers of Attorney contains related records.

A1303Series A1303 Record of Certificates and Affidavits of Veterans of the War of 1812 (1869-1870) contains related records.

A1183Series A1183 Opinion of State Agent for War of 1812 Claims contains related records.

B0810Series B0810 War of 1812 Abstracts of Payrolls for New York State Militia contains related records.

B0811Series B0811 Transcriptions of War of 1812 Payrolls for New York State Militia Units contains related records.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Index of Awards on Claims of the Soldiers of the War of 1812 (Comptroller's Office: 1860; rev. 1969). This work has been digitized and is searchable in Ancestry.com New York.

Folder list available.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.

Access Terms

Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Subseries 1: Claims correspondence

Dates:
circa 1860-1876

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries concerns such subjects as the issuance of certificates of claim, requests for information about laws relating to the claims process, and payment of claims. The bulk of the letters were sent to the Adjutant General's Office and Comptroller's Office by both claimants and claimants' attorneys residing in New York State and outside of the state.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by sender's last name.

  

Contents Box

Accretion: A0020-78
A 1
B 1
C 1
D 1
E 1
F 1
G 1
H 1
I 1
J 1
K 1
L 1
M 1
N 1
O 1
P 1
Q 1
R 1
S 1
T 1
U 1
V 1
W 1
X 1
Y 1
Z 1

Subseries 2: Certificates of claim and supporting documentation

Dates:
circa 1860s-1870s (bulk 1869-1875)

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.

  

Contents Box

Accretion: A0020-78
Jan-43 2
46-79 2
81-160 2
164-249 2
251-315 2
327-366 2
370-418 2
424-462 2
468-500 2
500.5-536 2
538-564 2
566-608 2
609-637 2
638-663 2
665-720 3
732-779 3
780-818 3
822-859 3
866-917 3
918-974 3
976-999 3
1008-1061 3
1062-1151 3
1152-1243 3
1245-1324 3
1327-1429 3
1430-1499 3
1501-1550 3
1554-1620 4
1622-1670 4
1671-1744 4
1756-1820 4
1821-1874 4
1876-1923 4
1927-1997 4
2003-2064 4
2065-2198 4
2207-2299 5
2302-2390 5
2391-2496 5
2502-2580 5
2581-2681 5
2684-2721 5
2722-2750 5
2760-2807 5
2809-2860 5
2863-2946 5
2948-3000 6
3001-3074 6
3079-3112 6
3113-3169 6
3171-3249 6
3254-3332 6
3333-3386 6
3389-3488 6
3506-3659 6
3660-3722 6
3723-3750 7
3754-3852 7
3859-3943 7
3944-3992 7
4001-4081 7
4085-4150 7
4153-4228 7
4233-4330 7
4333-4432 7
4448-4500 7
4504-4600 7
4602-4671 7
4673-4747 8
4753-4863 8
4864-4912 8
4914-4998 8
5001-5095 8
5102-5169 8
5171-5250 8
5252-5342 8
5343-5392 8
5399-5441 8
5443-5500 8
5505-5541 8
5544-5647 8
5649-5750 8
5762-5825 9
5833-5911 9
5923-5996 9
6002-6111 9
6112-6191 9
6212-6276 9
6279-6356 9
6357-6499 9
6501-6674 9
6677-6754 9
6759-6850 9
6853-6994 9
7009-7042 10
7043-7086 10
7110-7183 10
7184-7321 10
7322-7378 10
7383-7495 10
7503-7599 10
7604-7783 10
7784-7903 10
7906-7951 10
7952-7996 10
8002-8087 11
8088-8192 11
8199-8285 11
8287-8410 11
8411-8499 11
8503-8625 11
8631-8747 11
8749-9000 11
9003-9160 11
9161-9288 11
9296-9371 11
9372-9445 12
9450-9496 12
9534-9659 12
9661-9803 12
9813-9991 12
10007-10157 12
10159-10240 12
10246-10313 12
10314-10413 12
10415-10528 12
10529-10600 12
10617-10750 12
10753-10894 13
10895-10993 13
11001-11096 13
11103-11159 13
11167-11252 13
11254-11379 13
11387-11497 13
11502-11557 13
11565-11698 13
11707-11804 13
11805-11881 13
11883-12000 13
12002-12070 13
12072-12201 14
12220-12477 14
12517-12686 14
12689-12881 14
12887-12997 14
13011-13120 14
13121-13367 14
13399-13513 14
13525-13701 14
13703-13828 14
13832-13977 14
14003-14113 14
14124-14499 14
14509-14790 15
14792-14993 15
15004-15099 15
15104-15178 15
15185-15300 15
15307-15400 15
15401-15502 15
15530-15650 15
15653-15777 15
15781-15905 15
15906-15999 15
16003-16173 16
16175-16284 16
16286-16487 16
16504-16636 16
16645-16785 16
16788-16975 16
17011-17308 16
Numbers Not in Our Index Series 16

Subseries 3: Lists of New York State claimants and related correspondence

Dates:
circa 1859-1875

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries includes various lists of claimants submitted to the Adjutant General's Office, often grouped by a specific attorney, as well as correspondence written by claimants and their attorneys to the Comptroller and Adjutant General, most often to inquire when certificates will be mailed and claims paid. The amount of information on the lists varies, but most lists include the claimant's name, claim number, and claim amount. Box 17, Folder 4 is noteworthy, as it contains lists of military claims of Indians who fought in the War of 1812-for the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Tonawanda Reservations of the Seneca Nation; Cornplanter's Reservation; Onondaga Nation; Oneida Nation; and Tuscarora Nation. Each chart includes the warrior's name, claim number, and claimant's name.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by name of town, village, or city.

  

Contents Box

Accretion: A0020-78
Adams 17
Akron [includes records of Indian Soldiers] 17
Alabama [includes records of Indian Soldiers] 17
Albany [includes records of Indian Soldiers] 17
Albion 17
Alexandria Bay 17
Allegany 17
Altay 17
Alton 17
Amber 17
Auburn 17
Aurora 17
Ballston Spa 17
Bath 17
Belfast 17
Bellona 17
Bellsville 17
Bereson 17
Binghamton 17
Bloomingburgh-Sullivan County 17
Bloomville-Delaware County 17
Boonville 17
Breesport-Chemung County 17
Brewerton-Onondaga County 17
Bridgeport (Madison County) 17
Briar Hill 17
Brisbane 17
Bristol (Herkimer County) 17
Broadalbin 17
Brookfield 17
Brooklyn 17
Buffalo 17
Byron 17
Cairo 17
Camden 17
Canajoharie 17
Canandaigua 17
Canton 17
Carmel 17
Castleton 17
Catskill 17
Cayuga 17
Cazenovia 17
Central Square 17
Charleston 17
Charlton 17
Chateauquay 17
Cherry Creek 17
Chittenango 17
Clarence 17
Claredon 17
Clayton 17
Clayville 17
Clifton Park 17
Clyde 17
Cold Spring 17
Columbia 17
Constantia 17
Coxsackie 17
Crescent 17
Cuba 17
Dannemora 17
Decatur 17
Delhi 17
Depauville 17
Deposit 17
East Aurora 18
East Evans 18
Easton 18
East Salem 18
East Schuyler 18
East Watertown 18
Edmeston 18
Elbridge 18
Elgin 18
Ellenville 18
Ellisburgh 18
Elmira 18
Ephratah 18
Farmingdale 18
Flat Creek 18
Fly Creek 18
Fonda 18
Fort Plain 18
Franklin 18
Fridonia 18
Friendship 18
Fulton 18
Gallupville 18
Galway 18
Geneseo 18
Geneva 18
Glen Cove 18
Glen Head 18
Goshen 18
Gouverneur 18
Gowanda 18
Granville 18
Greenville 18
Griffins Corners 18
Hamilton 18
Harpersfield 18
Hempstead 18
Hermon 18
Herkimer 18
Hilton 18
Hinsdale 18
Holland 18
Homer 18
Honeaye 18
Hoosick Falls 18
Hornelsville 18
Hudson 18
Hynelsville 18
Ilion 18
Ithaca 18
Jamestown 18
Jordan 18
Keeseville 18
Kingston 18
Kirkville 18
Knowlesville 18
Lafargeville 18
Lansingburgh 18
Leeds 18
LeRoy 18
Little Falls 18
Little Utica 18
Lloyd 18
Locke 18
Lockport 18
Louisville 18
Lowville 18
Lyons 18
Marbletown 18
Masonville 18
Mayfield 18
Mayville 18
McConnellsville 18
McGrawville 18
Meridian 18
Mexico 18
Middlefield 18
Middletown 18
Millers Mills 18
Montgomery 18
Morristown 18
Morrisville 18
Mount Vision 18
Nanuet 18
Newark 18
New Berlin 18
Newburgh 18
New Lisbon 18
Newport 18
New York City 18
North Huron 18
Northville 18
Norwich 18
Nunda 18
Nyack 18
Olean 18
Oneonta 18
Orange 18
Oswego 18
Ovid 19
Owasco 19
Oxford 19
Palmyra 19
Peekskill 19
Penn Yan 19
Philadelphia 19
Pierrepont 19
Pike 19
Plattsburgh 19
Port Byron 19
Port Henry 19
Potsdam 19
Poughkeepsie 19
Pound Ridge 19
Prattsville 19
Pulaski 19
Pultneyville 19
Reading Centre 19
Redwood 19
Rhinebeck 19
Richfield Springs 19
Rochester 19
Rome 19
Root 19
Rosendale 19
Rural Grove 19
Russia 19
Sackett’s Harbor 19
Sag Harbor 19
St. Johnsville 19
Salamanca 19
Salem 19
Sandy Creek 19
Sandy Ridge 19
Saratoga Springs 19
Sardinia 19
Saugerties 19
Schuyler's Lake 19
Seneca Falls 19
Shokam 19
Silver Creek 19
Sincklaem 19
Skaneateles 19
Somerset 19
Somerville 19
South Butler 19
Southold 19
South Rutland 19
South Westerlo 19
Spencerport 19
Springfield Centre 19
Springville 19
Springwater 19
Starkville 19
Stephens’ Mills 19
Stone Ridge 19
Sugar Loaf 19
Syracuse 19
Taburg 19
Three Mile Bay 19
Townsendville 19
Troy 19
Trumansburgh 19
Turin 19
Union Springs 19
Valatie 19
Van Homesville 19
Vernon 19
Versailles 19
Volney 19
Walden 19
Walton 19
Warsaw 19
Waterloo 19
Watertown 19
Watson 19
Weavertown 19
Webster 19
Weedsport 19
West Chazy 19
West Fort Ann 19
West Groton 19
West Walworth 19
West Winfield 19
Westfield 19
Wilsboro 19
Windham Centre 19
Wolcott 19
Woodhull 19

Subseries 4: Lists of out-of-state claimants and related correspondence

Dates:
circa 1859-1875

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries is virtually identical to subseries 3, but this subseries contains lists of claimants and related correspondence sent by non-New York State claimants and their attorneys to the Comptroller and Adjutant General. Documents were sent to the New York State government from individuals residing in the following states: Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Arrangement:

Alphabetical by state and therein alphabetical by name of town, village, or city.

  

Contents Box

Accretion: A0020-78
Lawyers' Lists 20
Amboy, Illinios 20
Thorndike, Massachusetts 20
Adrian, Michigan 20
Albion, Michigan 20
Algansee, Michigan 20
Ann Arbor, Michigan 20
Caro, Michigan 20
Charlotte, Michigan 20
Climax Prairie, Michigan 20
DeCatur, Michigan 20
Detroit, Michigan 20
Fentonville, Michigan 20
Grand Rapids, Michigan 20
Jackson, Michigan 20
Lapier, Michigan 20
Marshall, Michigan 20
Metamora, Michigan 20
Northville, Michigan 20
Paw Paw, Michigan 20
Romeo, Michigan 20
New York State 20
Akron, Ohio 20
Cardington, Ohio 20
Domestic, Ohio 20
Granger, Ohio 20
Painsville, Ohio 20
Plymouth, Ohio 20
Gerard, Pennsylvania 20
Towanda, Pennsylvania 20
Parkersburg, Virginia 20
Albany, Wisconsin 20
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin 20
Box 20 20

Subseries 5: Books of certificates of claim

Dates:
circa 1858-1861

Scope and Content Note:

This subseries consists of bound volumes containing claims certificates, copies of claims certificates, and stubs. These volumes seemingly document the processing and mailing of certificates to claimants by the Adjutant General's Office. Stubs generally include the claim number, claimant's name, amount of claim, date, and often the claimant's residence.

Arrangement:

Arranged by claim number.

  

Contents Box

Accretion: A0020-78
Books of Certificates: Volume 1 1-1000, Volume 2 1001-2000 21
Books of Certificates: Volume 3 2001-3000, Volume 4 3001-4000 22
Books of Certificates: Volume 5 4001-5000, Volume 6 5001-6000 23
Books of Certificates: Volume 7 6001-7000, Volume 8 7001-8000 24
Books of Certificates: Volume 9 8001-9000, Volume 10 9001-10,000 25
Books of Certificates: Volume 11 10,001-11,000, Volume 12 11,001-12,000 26
Books of Certificates: Volume 13 12,001-13,000, Volume 14 13,001-14,000 27
Books of Certificates: Volume 15 14,001-15,000, Volume 16, 15,001-16,000 28
Books of Certificates: Volume 17 16,001-17,224, Related Material File 29
Claim Certificates: Volume 1, Stub book and Stub book index 30
Claim Certificates: Volume 2 2797-6445, Volume 3 4341-5386 31
Claim Certificates: Volume 4 244-4367, Volume 5 6446-7795 32
Claim Certificates: Volume 6 5928-8030, Volume 7 33