The Military Tract in central NY as told by
The Balloting Book and other documents relating to Military Bounty lands in th State of NY. Printed by Packhard and VanBenthuysen, Albany (NY) 1825- book is online, free and searchable
In 1792, the state created in Central NY from 11 million acres the lands used to compensate military people who served the state during the Revolutionary War. Lands were given thru a balloting system, to eligible soldiers in the newly created tract. In conjunction to doing this, the land was surveyed by Dewitt Clinton. at the finish of his work, 27 townships (not counties) were created. The newly created towns were surveyed into 100 sections, and l;and given to eligible soldiers. Each town had lots dedicated to schools and Churches, and other lots were given to the surveyors who laid out the townships.
The book had the number and name each township was given.Townships then had a list of 100 eligible soldiers whose land allotment was based an service and final rank attained
The book has an extensive list that covers the act that created the concept, military information the criteria for land by rank attained and whether certain civilan officals pressed in to duty to oversee the project. There is also and index of the 27 townships that were created and given numbers and then names that were picked that honor certain Roman leaders.
There is quite a bit of information pertaining to the laws and acts written to varry out the intent of the creation of the Military Tract.
There are pages dedicated to the individual towns, who recieved the lots in each town, and how many lots were set aside for schools, Churches and other civil functions.
Please bear in mind that the distribution of the lands was done remotely (Albany etc) and the lands were usually unimproved and in very sparsely populated places as a rule wilderness. Having been given land in a remote place and sight unseen, meat that the natural urge to conver land into money meant that not all who were awarded lots actually settled on them and they were sold many times in some cases to those who adventure spirit would make them strong enough to go from soldering to pioneers. That in itself wold make them a rare breed…
On to the towns created when the tract became law in 12792-
Lysander originally township number 1, Hannibal township number 2, Cato township number 3, Brutus township number 4, Camillus township number 5, Cicero township number 6, Manlius township number 7, Aurelius township number 8, Marcellus township number 9, Pompey number 10, Romulus township number 11, Scipio township 12, Sempronius township number 13, Tully township number 14, Fabius township number 15, Ovid township number 16, Milton township number 17, Locke township number 18, Homer township number 19, Solon township number 20, Hector township number 21, Ulysses township number 22, Dryden township number 23. Virgil township number 24, Cincinnatus township number 25, Junius township number 26 and Galen township number 27
Created as township number 5 the name was changed to Camillus and this how the distribution of the towns 100 lots looked like:
To Charles Christian. Lot 1. John Ogden. Lot 51
Capt. Abraham Swartout Lot 2. John Storms Lot 52
William Noyes. Lot.3. Col. Peter Gansevoort Lot 53
James Scaits. Lot 4. Capt. Anthony Fells Lot 54
John Welch. Lot 5. Genl Alexander McDougall Lot 55
John Johnston. Lot 6. James Ready. Lot 56
Benjamin Epton. Lot. 7. Issac Coggleshoudt. Lot 57
Ensign Benjamin Haring Lot 8. John Holmes. Lot 58
Patrick Davis. Lot 9. Lt Prentice Bowen. Lot 59
Lt Abraham Ten Eyck. Lot 10. Capt. Abraham Livingston Lot 60
Reserved for gospel &c Lot 11. Robert Battersby Lot 61
William Lee. Lot 12. Richard Dermott. Lot 62
Patrick Downs. Lot 13. Capt. Charles Graham Lot.63
William Gurtley. Lot 14. Lodowick Bunt. Lot 64
Reserved for Gospel &c. Lot 15 Cornelius Blank. Lot 65
William Ackerman. Lot 16. Robert Shannon. Lot 66
Lt. Michael Connoly. Lot 17. Surgeon John F Vacher. Lot 67
Capt. Henry Pawling. Lot 18 Lt. Col. Jacobus S Bruya. Lot 68
Peter Davis. Lot. 19. Henry Stringham. Lot 69
John House. Lot 20 Moses Diamond. Lot 70
Nathan Whipple. Lot 21. Lt. Michael Witzell. Lot 71
Abel Jacob. Lot.22 Reserved for Gospel &c. Lot 72
Major James Rosekrans. Lot 23 Mark Kerr. Lot 73
James Luvis. Lot 24. Lt. John Miles. Lot 74
Francis Horner. Lot 25 Lt. Col. Robert Cochran. Lot 75
George Houseman. Lot 26 Abraham De Clarke. Lot 76
Lt. Henry Swartout. Lot 27. Benjamin Holley. Lot 77
Jacob Haring. Lot 28 Col. William Malcom. Lot 78
John Corter. Lot 29. Prince Danford. Lot 79
Lt. Issac Guion. Lot 30. Francis Ackling. Lot 80
Nathan Sherwood. Lot 31. William Harrick. Lot 81
Reserved for Gospel &c. Lot 32. Henry Buyford Lot 82
James Russell. Lot 33 Surgeon Ebenezer Haviland Lot 83
David Grigg. Lot 34. Lt. Anthony Maxwell. Lot 84
Stephen Flyharty. Lot 35. Reserved for Gospel &c. Lot 85
Capt. Benjamin Pelton. Lot 36. Elisha Parker. Lot 86
Joseph Collins Lot 37 George De Rotter. Lot 87
John Cunningham. Lot 38. Lt. Col. Fredrk Weissenfels Lot 88
Daniel Tappen Lot 39 Deliverance Martling. Lot 89
James Scott or Scoot. Lot 40. Mortecai Hale Surg(mate). Lot 90
Surgeon John F Vacher. Lot 41. Conrad Conite. Lot 91
John Williams. Lot 42 Lt. Alex McArthur. Lot 92
Surgeon Daniel Minema. Lot 43 James Collins. Lot 93
William Thornton. Lot 44. Surgeon Samuel Cook. Lot 94
Col. James Livingston. Lot 45 Jasper Stagg Lot 95
Elisha Shell. Lot 46. Doctor John Mason. Lot 96
Ezekiel Gee Lot 47. Robert Gibson. Lot 97
John Parks. Lot 48. Reserved for Gospel &c Lot 98
George Clarke Lot 49. Richard Dodge Lot 99
Lt. Anthony Maxwell. Lot 50 Peter Saltman. Lot 100
updated 06/18/2024
The above list is an example of towns created. Each town as listed below was divided up into 100 lots of 600 acres each. They were given by eligible soldiers, lots were given to the surveyors who worked on each town.Lot in each town were set aside for Churches, Schools and other Government requirements..
The towns created were in order of there creation: Lysander, Hannibal, Cato,Brutus,Camillus,Cicero, Manlius,Aurelius,Marcellus,Pompey,Romulus, Scipio, Sempronius.Tully,Fabius, Ovid,Milton,Locke,Homer,Solon,Hector,Ulysses,Dryden,Virgil,Cincinnatus,Junius,Galen and Sterling