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TO THE 
 
 OrFZCBB.3 or TBfi 
 
 LA^M WAm 
 
 SUB FOLLOWING PROCEEDINGS HAD IN REFERENCB 
 TO AN APPLICATION TO 
 
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 Vol Lands, in remuneration for services, arc respe'^tfuMy evib- 
 
 niitted and recommended to their especial attentior by the 
 
 Committee, in the city of Nev/ York, duly appointed by 
 
 a meeting of Officers, held on the 13th 
 
 March, A. D. 1833, 
 
 :Niav7 1 oaK. 
 
 PRINTED BY WILLiAM A. ME^EIN. 
 
 No. 240 Pearl Street. 
 
 1833. 
 

 
GENERAL MEETING. 
 
 At an adjourned General Meeting of the Officers of 
 chelate war, held at the Shakspeare Hotel, in the city 
 of New York ; Gen. Robert Swartwout, late duarter- 
 master General in the chair, and Lieut. W. T. Wil- 
 lard, Secretary, it was Resolved^ That a committee 
 of three be appointed, to whom shall be re-committed 
 the Memorial to Congress, with powers. — Whereupon, 
 Gen. Robert Swartwout, Maj. N. Nye Hall, and Lieut. 
 W. T. Willard, were appointed such corrimittee. 
 
 It was further Resolved, That said committee pre- 
 pare a circular to be transmitted to the late war officers, 
 embracing said Memorial : with a request that they 
 take the earliest and most efficient means to cause the 
 Legislatures of the respective States, to pass approba- 
 tory resolutions in regard to the merits of the Memorial; 
 and also urging upoa the consideration of the Officers 
 the propriety and necessity of sending a delegate or 
 delegates from each State, from their own body, to 
 meet at Washington at the opening of the next session 
 of Congress, to enjoin upon that body the justice and 
 expediency of their claims. 
 
 MEETING OF COMMITTEE. 
 
 At a meeting of the committee as above appointed, 
 on the 15th IVTarch, present all the members, the 
 Memorial was carefully revised, and is now cheerfully 
 recommended to our brethren, as combining all that 
 "an with prt>priety be said on the subject. 
 
4 
 MBMORZAK* 
 
 Ub the Ho7iorable the Senate and House of 
 
 Representatives of the United States j in 
 
 Congress assembled. 
 
 The Memorial of the undersigned, Committee on be 
 half of the Officers of the Army of the United 
 States, during the second war of independence, 
 respectfully represent and sheweth : 
 
 That the Continental Congress, by its resolutions of 
 the sixteenth of September, one thousand seven hundred 
 and seventy-six, did provide, That the officers and sol- 
 diers of the war of independence should receive a bounty 
 in land : That many of the States of the Union, viz : 
 Massachusetts, New Yorlc, Pennsylvania, Maryland^ 
 Virginia, and North Carolina, following the generous 
 impulse, and appreciating alike the services, sacrifices, 
 and sufferings of the officers and soldiers, dia, from 
 time to time, provide liberal bounties in land, for their 
 respective State hues in continental service. That. 
 Congress did, by a resolution of the fourteenth of Au- 
 gust, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, 
 promise a bounty in land to those who should leave 
 the armies of his Britannic Majesty in America, and 
 should choose to become members of any of those 
 States : That by resolutions of the twenty-third of 
 April, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, 
 and the seventh of April, one thousand seven hundred 
 and ninety-eight, Congress did provide, that refugees 
 from Canada and Nova Soctia should receive bounty 
 in land, and has, by various subsequent acts and regu 
 lations, carried into effect the said laws, so passed by 
 its own body : That by an act of the twenty-fourth of 
 December, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, 
 
and the acts supplementary thereto, the same bounty 
 and liberaUty was extended to the soldiers of the late 
 war, in which the undersigned served : That by the 
 second section of the act of the sixth of February, one 
 thousand eight hundred and twelve, the heirs of volun- 
 teer soldiers who were killed in action, or died in actual 
 service of the United States, during the late war, were 
 each promised one hundred and sixty acres of land : 
 That underthe provisions of theactof the fifth of March, 
 one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, citizens of the 
 United States, who were inhabitants of Canada at the 
 commencement of the late war, and who, during the 
 said war, joined the armies of the United States as vo- 
 lunteers, were promised bounty land in the following 
 proportions, viz : To each colonel, nine hundred and 
 sixty acres ; to each major, eight hundred acres ; to 
 each captain, six hundred and forty acres ; to each sub- 
 altern officer, four hundred and eighty acres ; and to 
 the medical and other staff, according to their pay ; 
 and they were authorized to locate their claims, iri 
 quarter sections, on any of the unappropriated lands of 
 the United States. 
 
 The undersigned have in vain sought for reasons 
 which should deprive the officers of the second war of 
 independence of the i^me munificence which was 
 extended by the United States, and by several of the 
 States, to those of the first. They held the same stake, 
 they exhibited the same valor and love of liberty, and 
 although they may not, as a body, have suffered as 
 much, yet their zeal was not less,, nor their exertions 
 less willing If the soldiers of the late war, and the 
 heirs of volunteers who were killed, or died, had claims 
 on the bounty of the nation, why have not the officers 
 whose skill and industry, by daily toil and sleepless 
 nights, brought them into the field, and drilled them 
 
 1* 
 
6 
 
 lato efficiency ; or those who ministered to their vvantSi 
 m' watched over their health, claims equally strong ? 
 
 If citizens who abandoned the enemy of their coun- 
 try, and arrayed themselves in her ranks, have met 
 favor in your halls, will you be deaf to the appeal of 
 '!hose who sought the enemy on his own soil, foiled the 
 discipline which conquered that first of warriors who 
 sleeps on a distant rock ? The undersigned presume 
 t-o answer for your honorable body in the negative. 
 
 Again, the officers of the late war entered the service 
 of their country under many appalling circumstances: 
 they left their several employments, which were lucra- 
 tive, to commence a new career — a life fraught with 
 uncertainty and peril ; in short, the life of a patriotic sol- 
 (fier. They knew no motive but their country's good, 
 3cknpwledged no criterion but success, and with a stern 
 devotion, followed up the example left by their fore^ 
 fathers, and to protect the sacred legacy that they had 
 bequeathed — which had been won, and nobly won by 
 men who fought in the days that tried men's souls. 
 
 The last war, was of a different character from the 
 former: every voice from Georgia to Maine in our 
 revolutionary struggle, resounded with the battle cry 
 of Liberty or Death. In the war of 1812, it was 
 pronounced an unrighteous an unholy war, even from 
 the sacred desk, it was condemned by a large and 
 powerful minority; it required and called into action, 
 moral courage for a man to wear the livery of his coun- 
 try. The officers composing that army, were followed 
 with contempt, until the battles of Bridge water, Erie, 
 ^nd New-Orleans, showed to the nj^tion that the same 
 spirit that warmed the heroes of '76, had not departed 
 /rora them, — and that they had left sons worthy of 
 :heir fathers. 
 
 Another fact, relative to this subject j the payment 
 
of the officers at the close of the war, were made iu 
 Treasury notes with a loss of in most instances, from 
 15 to 20 per cent. 
 
 The justice of their claim, and encouraged by the 
 many precedents in their favor, and the further con* 
 sideration that the laws did not allow them to share 
 in the capture of munitions of war, and other valu- 
 able public stores, they appeal with confidence to your 
 liberality, and to the gratitude of the nation at this 
 auspicious period of their country's history, and pray 
 that lands may be granted to those officers of the late 
 war who served to ils close, and to the heirs of those 
 who were killed or died in service in proportions at 
 least equal to the quantites allowed to the Canadian 
 volunteers, and that they be permitted to locate theu 
 claims on any of the unappropriated lands of the Uni- 
 ted States, or to file their warrants in payment of any 
 lands which have hitherto been purchased from the 
 United States and now remain unpaid for. 
 
 And your memorialists furth; r beg leave respectfully 
 to suggest, that many of the officers of the late war 
 were entitled to promotion long previous to the close of 
 the war ; but, although in many cases they discharged 
 duties in a higher grade than they received pay for, yet 
 inconsequence of the numerous vacancies not having 
 been filled up by promotions, they left the army in 
 many cases in the same grade in which they enter- 
 ed it, arising, in part, from a consolidation of the old 
 peace establishment with the army of twenty-five 
 thousand, raised in one thousand eight hundred and 
 twelve, contraiy to the expectations of the officers of 
 that army. 
 
 And your memorialists conceive, that if the foregoing 
 prayer be granted, it would not be unreasonable to ask 
 f\ proportion of land for each officer according to the 
 
8 
 
 grade he of right was entitled to, had the vacancies 
 been filled up at the close of the late war. 
 As in duty bound, your memorialists will ever pray. 
 
 ROBT. SWARTWOUT, ) committee in he^ 
 N. NYE HALL. * \ half of the officers 
 
 W. T. WILLARD, ) ^-^ ^^'^ ^'""^^ ^"""^'-i' 
 
 March 15 18;>3. 
 
 CIRCULAR. 
 
 Your attention is called particularly to that part of 
 die resolution, urging the passageof approbatory re- 
 solves by the various State Legislatures, and also the ap- 
 pointment of one of your own body from each state to 
 meet at Washington city to prosecute the matter to a 
 close. Upon these two points the conmiittee are ur- 
 gent as a last means of sure success. Congress are as 
 willing as they are able to do us justice, when we shall 
 present our claims in a proper form before them. 
 
 A favorable report with a bill accompanying was 
 made to Congress in 1816, by Col. R. M. Johnson 
 Chairman of committee, also another favourable report 
 and resolution in^>l826, by Col. D. P. Cook, Chairman 
 of a select committee appointed for that purpose as fol 
 lows : 
 
 "May 17, 1826, Mr. Cook, from the select committee 
 to which was referred the petition of sundry officers of 
 the armj?^ of the late war; made a report accompanied 
 with the following resolution. Resolved, That it i^ 
 expedient to make provisions by law for granting to 
 each of the officers of the army, who served during the 
 late war, a quantity of land according to their rank, as 
 a remuneration for their sacrifices, suflferings and faith 
 fill services." 
 
9 
 
 ^I'hat it is expedient that the officers of the late war. 
 whether in or out of service, co-operate with all theii 
 influence, in the object of the petitions presented to 
 Congress in their behalf : and that it be recommend- 
 ed to them to hold meetings at their respective posts, 
 or in their respective congressional districts, and to 
 forward to the seat of government concurrent memori- 
 als, and letters to members of Congress, and to such 
 distinguished officers as are residents or may be at the 
 seat of goverment during the next session of Congress. 
 Committees may be appointed to correspond with this 
 Committee. 
 
 That the officers interested in the result of the claim^ 
 being all those who served to the close of the late 
 war, whether of the staff or line, or whether now in 
 07' out of the service, be requested to pay into the hands 
 of, or remit to the Treasurer of this association, such sum 
 as they can appropriate towards defraying the expenses 
 of printing", postages, and other necessary incidental 
 charges. 
 
 The Secretary (who is also Treasurer) will prompt- 
 ly at all times give any information, requested relating 
 to the doings of the association or the progress of our 
 
 cause. 
 
 tt 
 
 All which is respectfully submitted, 
 
 ROBT. SWARTWOVT,) CommiUee of 
 
 N. NYE HALL, S^^fz.^ 
 
 W. T. WILLARD, ) War officers. 
 
 New York City, ) :; 
 MarcA 15j?/i, 1833. ^ 
 
10 
 
 Schedule of allowances of lands heretofore made 
 by Congress and several of the States, to their troops. 
 
 Resolutions of the lAth and 27th Aug. 1776. 
 
 To a colonel, 1,000 
 
 a lieutenant colonel; 800 
 
 a major, 60D 
 
 a captain, 400 
 
 a lieutenant, 300 
 
 an ensign, 200 
 
 Resolutions of the I6th Sept. 1776. 
 
 To a major general, ^ 1,100 
 
 a brigad'er general, 850 
 
 a director of hospital, 500 
 
 a colonel, 500 
 
 a chief physician and purveyor-general; 450 
 
 a lieutenant colonel. 450 
 
 a physician, surgeon, and apothecary. 400 
 
 a major, 400 
 
 a reg. sur. ass. to purv. and apothecary, 300 
 
 a captain, 300 
 
 a hospital reg. surgeon's mate, 200 
 
 a lieutenant, 200 
 
 an ensign, 150 
 
 Massachusetts. 
 Quantities not ascertained with precision. 
 
 Ne7v York. 
 
 To a major general, 5,500 
 
 a brigadier general, 4,250 
 
 a colonel, 2,500 
 
 a lieutenant colonel^ 2,350 
 
11 
 
 a major, 
 
 a captain or regimental surgeon, 
 
 every subaltern and surgeon's ir 
 
 late, 
 each 
 
 2,oC^ 
 1,500 
 1,000 
 
 Pennsylvania. 
 Vo a major general, 
 a brigadier general, 
 a colonel, 
 
 a lieutenant colonel, 
 surgeons, majors, and chaplains, 
 a captain, 
 a lieutenant. 
 
 2,000 
 1,500 
 1,000 
 750 
 600 
 500 
 300 
 
 Maryland, 
 Alike to officers of all grades, 200 
 
 Virginia. 
 
 To a major general, 15,000 
 
 a brigadier general, 10,000 
 
 a colonel, 5,000 
 
 a lieutenant colonel, 4,500 
 
 a major, 4,000 
 
 a captain, 3,000 
 
 a subaltern, 2,000 
 By an act of October, 1778, owe third was added to 
 
 those quantities, and by another act one sixth more. 
 
 North-Carolina. 
 
 To a brigadier general 12,000 
 
 a colonel, lieut. col. com't. or chaplain, 7,2()0 
 
 a lieutenant colonel, 5,760 
 
 a major or surgeon, 4,800 
 
 a captain, 3,840 
 
 a surgeon's niate, ^ 2,560 
 
 a subaltern, 2,500 
 

 
 
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