William B. McCorkle to Thomas Jefferson, 2 December 1821
From William B. McCorkle
Wadesboro NC December 21–1821—
Dear sir
I take the Liberty of addressing a letter2 on a Subject which I wish some information hoping you will condesend so for as to furnish me with it The Subject is Revolutionary claims for Bounty Lands for Service Rendered the state of Virginia in the Continental3 Line provision was made by several acts of the Legislature of Virginia for the Continental Troops. A Citizen4 of this place who rendered Service for Virginia in the Revolutionary war under several enlistments claims for his toil and Labour in this arduous Strougle for Liberty the Bounty of Virginia and the Gratitude of its Citizens: he is a poore old man and wishes me to interceed in his Behalf to get his Bounty Land as allowed by act of the state of Virginia: will you be so good as to state to me the several act of the State of Virginia granting Bounties of Land to thir enlisted Troops durring the Revolutiony war and what kind of evidence will be wanting to prove his enlistments and what form of Deposition will be wanting to make good his claim in the Land office of Virginia I presume that in the Session act of Virginia to the General Goverment the state Reserveed such Tract of Land as would sattisfy these Revolutionary claims If you cannot furnish me with the acts of Assembley of Virginia you will give me such information in writing as will afford me such light on the subject that will enable me to proceed5 in this old mans Claim so that I can get it for him
By the act of Congress last session6 the time of Locating Virginia Land warrants is extended to two years I wish to get the warant before this time expires in Complying with the above request you will do a service that is wanting much
| Wm B McCorkle |
| Post master |
RC (MoSHi: TJC-BC); adjacent to closing: “his Excellency Thomas Jefferson”; endorsed by TJ as received 13 Dec. 1821 and so recorded in SJL.
William B. McCorkle (ca. 1795–1868), merchant, was born in Iredell County, North Carolina. He pursued mercantile business for nearly forty years in Wadesboro, Anson County, and was a postmaster at various locations in that county into the 1850s. In 1830 McCorkle owned eight slaves. By 1850 he had twenty slaves and real estate worth $7,300. Ten years later he was a farmer in Rowan County with eight slaves, and real estate and personal property valued at a combined total of $10,287. He died in Rowan County (History of North Carolina [1919], 4:206; Jethro Rumple, A History of Rowan County, North Carolina [1881], 212–3; Hamilton C. Jones, Reports of Cases at Law argued and determined in the Supreme Court of North Carolina, from December term, 1854, to August term, 1855, both inclusive [1855], 444–50; A Register of Officers and Agents, civil, military, and naval, in the Service of the United States, on the 30th of September, 1831 [1831], 175; Mary L. Medley, History of Anson County, North Carolina, 1750–1976 [1976], 340; Table of Post Offices in the United States on the first day of January, 1851 [1851], 285; DNA: RG 29, CS, N.C., Anson Co., 1830–50, 1850 slave schedules, Rowan Co., 1860, 1860 slave schedules; Salisbury, N.C., Old North State, 21 Nov. 1868).
The act of congress last session was a 9 Feb. 1821 “Act to extend the time for locating Virginia military land warrants, and returning surveys thereon to the general land office” (, 3:612).
1. Reworked from “3.”
2. Manuscript: “lette.”
3. Manuscript: “Continal.”
4. Manuscript: “Citzen.”
5. Manuscript: “proceeed.”
6. Manuscript: “sission.”
Index Entries
- American Revolution; and Va. land warrants search
- An Act to extend the time for locating Virginia military land warrants, and returning surveys thereon to the general land office (1821) search
- Congress, U.S.; and Va. land warrants search
- McCorkle, William B.; and Va. land warrants search
- McCorkle, William B.; identified search
- McCorkle, William B.; letter from search
- Virginia; General Assembly search
- Virginia; land claims of veterans from search