Texas Comptroller's Office: An Inventory of Comptroller's Office Claims Records at the Texas State Archives, 1835-1990, undated


Overview
	Creator:	Texas. Comptroller's Office.
	Title:	Comptroller's Office claims records
	Dates:	1835-1990, undated
	Abstract:	The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and the State of Texas (1845 onwards). These records document the claims (including pensions) that were audited and either accepted or rejected by the government of the Republic of Texas, and by the government of the State of Texas for civil and (especially) military service to the Republic of Texas, as well as for Confederate service, and for service in the Texas Rangers. Types of records include claim files, pension applications files, pension registers and indexes, public debt registers and indexes, drafts for payment, and associated records. They comprise more than 951 cubic ft. of loose records, plus 61 volumes, dating 1835-1990 and undated.
	Quantity:	966.81 cubic ft.
	Language:	These materials are written predominately in English with scattered Spanish throughout.
	Repository:	Texas State Archives

Agency History

The Comptroller first appeared as a constitutional officer in the first state Constitution of Texas (1845), elected for a two-year term by a joint ballot of the House and Senate. A constitutional amendment in 1850 abandoned this method of selection in favor of election by the voters of the state. The term of office was increased to four years by the Constitution of 1866, returned to two years by the present Constitution of 1876, and finally increased once again to four years by a constitutional amendment adopted in 1972. (Article IV, section 1)

On April 11, 1846, the First Legislature of the State of Texas approved an act defining the duties of the Comptroller. These included the following:

to superintend the fiscal concerns of the state;
to perform such official acts as were required of the Secretary of the Treasury under the Republic of Texas, when not otherwise provided for by law;
to report to the Governor annually, giving an exact and complete statement of the funds of the State, of its revenues, and of the public expenditures during the preceding year, with a detailed estimate of the expenditures to be defrayed from the Treasury for the ensuing year, distinguishing between special and general appropriations;
to keep all accounts between Texas and the United States, and all other accounts in which the State has an interest, and to suggest plans for the improvement and management of the public revenue;
to examine and settle the accounts of all persons indebted to the State, to certify the amount or balance to the Treasurer, and to direct the collection of all monies due the State;
to audit the claims of all persons against the State in cases where provisions for the payment thereof have been made by law;
to draw warrants on the Treasurer for the payment of all monies directed by law to be paid out of the treasury;
to number each warrant and to take a receipt for each warrant from the person receiving the same;
to furnish the Treasurer with a monthly report of all warrants drawn;
to prescribe and furnish the forms to be used by all persons in the collection of the public revenue;
to receive and file all liens, mortgages, bonds and other sureties for money given to the State or to any officer thereof for the use of the State;
to close all Comptroller accounts annually, and to allow these accounts to be examined by either house of the legislature, or by any legislative committee;
to examine all disbursements of the Treasurer quarterly, and to cancel those warrants which have been paid;
to preserve the books, records, papers, and other things belonging to his office, and to deliver the same to his successor. ( Gammel's Laws, vol. 2, pp. 1374-1378)

In other words, in the mid-19th century as in the late 20th century, the Comptroller was and is the central accounting officer or chief fiscal officer of the state, and as such is responsible for maintaining effective methods for accounting for the state's funds. He or she is the state's principal tax administrator and collector of tax revenue. The Comptroller must also provide the research and statistics necessary for revenue estimating and certification.

Other duties were added from time to time through specific legislation. These duties will be explained as required in the appropriate series descriptions in this finding aid.

In addition, the Comptroller was made an ex officio member of various other state boards and commissions, as for example the following: the Insurance Department (superintendent, 1875), the Board of Education (1876), the Capitol Building Commission (1879), the East Texas Penitentiary Board (1879), the Board to sell useless State property (1879), the Board of Claims (1883), the Land Board and the Land Fraud Board (1883), the State Tax Board (1905), the Automatic Tax Board (1907), the Texas Bond Commission (1933), etc.

As the business of the office grew in volume and in complexity, the staff of the office increased as well. In 1852 the legislature created the office of Chief Clerk of the Office of Comptroller. Other specialized clerks were added as needed, and as the state budget permitted: tax clerk(s) (about 1859); corresponding clerk(s) (about 1874); an examining clerk (about 1881); delinquent tax clerks, auditing clerks, and warrant clerks (about 1882); a redemption clerk (about 1888); a deposit warrant clerk, a sheriff and witness accountant, a stenographic clerk, and a receiving clerk (all about 1891); a direct tax clerk (about 1893); a special warrant clerk, a bond clerk, mailing and filing clerks, and pension clerks (about 1901); etc. By the turn of the 19th/20th century, the total clerical staff of the office was approximately 44. This had increased to over 400 by 1950. In 1994, the total staff exceeded 2,800.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) and the State of Texas (1845 onwards). These records document the claims (including pensions) that were audited and either accepted or rejected by the government of the Republic of Texas, and by the government of the State of Texas for civil and (especially) military service to the Republic of Texas, as well as for Confederate service, and for service in the Texas Rangers. Types of records include claim files, pension applications files, pension registers and indexes, public debt registers and indexes, drafts for payment, and associated records. They comprise more than 951 cubic ft. of loose records, plus 61 volumes, dating 1835-1990 and undated. This includes the following: audited Republic claims, public debt claims, Republic pension records, unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, Confederate claims, Confederate pension records, and Texas Ranger pensions.

Claims files contain such documents as claim vouchers, official authorization of services or purchases, Auditor's affidavits, War Department pay certificates, discharges, assignments of benefits, powers of attorney, pay accounts, invoices, court dockets, public debt certificates, affidavits concerning service, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual, etc. Pension application files contain such documents as affidavits of service, transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls, powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, additional affidavits and interrogatories relating to any of the requirements for eligibility, correspondence, original discharges, death certificates, printed material (including newspaper clippings), mortuary warrants, etc.

Audited Republic claims (including both civil and military claims) are those that were submitted to the Comptroller or Treasurer of the Republic, and were audited and approved (or allowed) and paid by that government during the Republic period; thus both the services and the payments for these services date between 1835 and 1846. Public debt claims records document the public debt of Texas (which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt--consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army; and the revenue debt--principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas and State of Texas securities), accounted for by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in claims files, registers, and indexes; the settlements of these public debt claims dated 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, and undated. Republic pension records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller; they consist of 15 indexes plus the actual Republic pension files, dating 1870-1920. Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims include records relating to services and losses during the era of the Republic of Texas that were denied, or that simply have no documentation in the records of the Comptroller of Public Accounts of having been settled, or that do not fit easily into an existing series; these date 1836-about 1879.

Confederate audited military claims comprise the claim files for payment for military and military-related services rendered for the defense of Texas during the Civil War, submitted to the Texas Comptroller's office for auditing and approval, some of which were eligible to be submitted for reimbursement by the government of the Confederate States of America, dating 1861-1865. Like military claims, claims for payment for civil services rendered for the State of Texas during the Civil War were submitted to the Texas Comptroller's office for auditing and approval, although it is unclear whether any of these could be submitted to the Confederate States government; these "Confederate" audited civil claims dated 1861-1865. "Confederate" indigent families lists were submitted by the counties and maintained by the Texas Comptroller's Office, designating and enumerating indigent families eligible for relief from the State of Texas during the Civil War, 1863-1865. Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications records created and maintained by the Texas Comptroller's office provide detailed documentation of those persons applying for these pensions, as well as the process itself, dating 1899-1979. The Confederate pension payment records consist of 23 volumes maintained by the Texas Comptroller's office, which document payments of these Confederate pensions, as well as mortuary warrants.

Beginning in 1959, the Texas Legislature authorized the Comptroller's office to pay pensions to qualified former Texas Rangers and their widows. Texas Ranger pension files document both the persons applying for these pensions, and the process itself, consisting mostly of the pension files (applications and other documents) of deceased recipients of Texas Ranger pensions, 1959-1990, but also federal legislation and Texas Attorney General opinions.

This finding aid describes 10 series of records from the Texas Comptroller's Office. If you are reading this electronically, click here for an introduction to the Texas Comptroller's Office records. If you are reading this in paper, the introduction is at the beginning of the first binder labeled Comptroller.

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Organization of the Records
	These records have been organized by State Archives staff into 10 series, and 14 subseries:

		Audited Republic claims, 1835-1846, 127.35 cubic ft.
		Public debt claims records, 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, undated, 57.73 cubic ft. (in 3 subseries) Registers and indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims, 1848-1861, undated, 1.4 cubic ft. (4 volumes) Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860, 55.62 cubic ft. Registers of State of Texas public debt claims, 1860-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, 0.71 cubic ft. (3 volumes)
		Republic pension records, 1870-1920, 38.36 cubic ft. (in 2 subseries) Republic pension indexes, 1870-1920, 1.13 cubic ft. (15 volumes) Republic pension files, 1870-about 1900, 37.23 cubic ft.
		Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, 1836-about 1879, 10.1 cubic ft.
		Confederate audited military claims, 1861-1865, 45.59 cubic ft.
		Confederate audited civil claims, 1861-1865, 24.44 cubic ft.
		Confederate indigent families lists, 1863-1865, 0.94 cubic ft.
		Confederate pension applications records, 1899-1979, 652.71 cubic ft. (in 5 subseries) Confederate pension applications, 1899-1979, 646.74 cubic ft. Miscellaneous material relating to Confederate pension applications, 1903-1934, 2.12 cubic ft. Confederate pension indexes, 1899-1967, 2.36 cubic ft. (12 volumes) Confederate pension registers, 1899-1909, 1915-1917, 1.15 cubic ft. (3 volumes) Affidavits of Confederate military service, 1909-1917, 0.34 cubic ft. (one volume)
		Confederate pension payments records, 1899-1905, 1909-1910, 1915-1966, 8.65 cubic ft. (23 volumes) (in 4 subseries) Quarterly Confederate pension records, 1899-1905, 1915-1916, bulk 1899-1905, 2.71 cubic ft. (6 volumes) Confederate pension affidavit registers, 1900-1901, 1917-1920, 2.02 cubic ft. (5 volumes) Confederate pension warrant registers and stubs, 1900-1903, 1909-1910, 1950-1955, 2.49 cubic ft. (8 volumes) Confederate mortuary warrant registers, 1917-1966, bulk 1917-1943, 1.43 cubic ft. (4 volumes)
		Texas Ranger pensions, 1917-1938, 1959-1990, bulk 1959-1990, 0.94 cubic ft.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Because Republic of Texas claims are fragile, access to these records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow.

Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).

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Index Terms
	The terms listed here were used to catalog the records. The terms can be used to find similar or related records.
	Corporate Names:
		Texas Rangers.
	Subjects:
		Claims--Texas.
		Debts, Public--Texas.
		Expenditures, Public--Texas.
		Military pensions--Texas.
		Military pensions--Texas--Revolution, 1835-1836.
		Military pensions--Texas--Republic, 1836-1846.
		Military pensions--Texas--Civil War, 1861-1865.
		Payment--Texas.
	Places:
		Texas--Appropriations and expenditures.
		Texas--Claims.
		Texas--Politics and government--1836-1846.
		Confederate States of America--History, Military.
		United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
		Texas--History--Republic--1836-1846.
	Document Types:
		Affidavits--Texas--Claims--1835-1846.
		Affidavits--Texas--Military pensions--1870-1979.
		Affidavits--Texas--Public debts--1848-about 1860.
		Applications--Texas--Claims--1836-about 1879.
		Applications--Texas--Military pensions--1836-1990.
		Application forms--Texas--Military pensions--1899-1979.
		Certificates--Texas--Military pensions--1899-1979.
		Correspondence--Texas--Claims--1836-about 1879, 1901-1913.
		Correspondence--Texas--Military pensions--1836-about 1879, 1899-1979.
		Financial records--Texas--Claims--1861-1865.
		Indexes--Texas--Military pensions--1870-1967.
		Indexes--Texas--Public debts--1848-1854, undated.
		Legal documents--Texas--Claims--1835-1846, 1861-1865.
		Legal documents--Texas--Military pensions--1870-about 1900.
		Legal documents--Texas--Public debts--1848-about 1860.
		Letterpress copybooks--Texas--Claims--1901-1913.
		Lists--Texas--Claims--1863-1865.
		Military records--Texas--Claims--1835-1846.
		Military records--Texas--Military pensions--1870-1979.
		Military records--Texas--Public debts--1848-about 1860.
		Opinions--Texas--Military pensions--1928-1938.
		Registers--Texas--Military pensions--1899-1910, 1915-1966.
		Registers--Texas--Public debts--1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873.
	Functions:
		Administering claims.
		Administering expenditures.
		Administering military pensions.
		Issuing pensions.

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Related Material


	The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.
	Texas State Archives
		Treasurer's Office records are almost totally unprocessed, but are almost always related to the records of the Comptroller's office. Where appropriate, some specific Treasurer's office records are listed as related material under the corresponding series description.
	Publications
		Annual/Biennial Reports of the Comptroller, 1847-1853, 1855-1861, 1863-1877, 1880-1977 (Note: Published annual/biennial reports from the following time periods are missing: December 26, 1835-October 30, 1847; November 1, 1849-October 30, 1851; November 1, 1853-October 31, 1855; September 1, 1861-August 30, 1863; July 2, 1866-August 31, 1867; September 1, 1870-August 31, 1871; and September 1, 1878-August 31, 1879.)
		Confederate Indigent Families Lists of Texas, 1863-1865, by Linda Mearse, San Marcos, Texas, 1995

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1933/003, 1933/007, 1939/004, 1960/003, 1961/006, 1961/046, 1962/218, 1963/030, 1963/145, 1964/029, 1965/042, 1968/072, 1969/002, 1970/044, 1977/080, 1980/302, 1990/069, 1992/154, and unknown

These records were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office on February 21 and 24, 1934; April 7, 1939; during the September 1, 1960-August 31, 1962 biennium; on October 31, 1961; September 6, 1962; July 19, 1963; October 18, 1963; April 6, 1964; October 21, 1964; November 29, 1965; December 7, 1967; September 5, 1968; November 13, 1969; February 9, 1977; August 18, 1980; January 17, 1990; and May 26, 1992. Dates of many accessions are uncertain.

Processing Information

Jean Young and Eddie Williams, August 1975

Laura K. Saegert, September 1983, July 1990

Tonia J. Wood, November 1995

Tony Black, November 1987, March 1994, October 1994, January 1995

Connie Hoxie, September 1996

Tony Black, August 2000

Other Formats for the Records

Republic of Texas claims have been microfilmed. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html. Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow. Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

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Other Finding Aids

Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are online at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.

The index to Confederate audited military claims in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.

The index to Confederate audited civil claims in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers. Because numbers were duplicated, the letter "A" precedes some voucher numbers in one group to avoid possible confusion. Entries in the index preceded by a dash (-) are missing. Entries that involved some question as to the correct spelling of a name or names are preceded by an asterisk (*).

An index of the names of the Confederate indigent soldiers is in a computer printout in the Texas State Archives search room, and is also available online ( http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/cif/index.html). This is an index only; transcriptions of the records have been published by Linda Mearse. Please note that lists are not extant for every county.

An alphabetical union Confederate pension application name index is available in the Texas State Archives search room, containing the following elements: pension number if accepted, "Rej" if rejected, or "Home" if a Confederate Home pension application; name of the pensioner; county of residence at the time of the application; name of husband if a widow, and husband's pension number if applicable. Researchers should request each pension application by number or (for rejected and Home pension applications) by name of applicant. Archives staff routinely check listings in the index for mail or phone requests, and will copy the records in the files. The Confederate pension application index is also available online at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/pensions/index.html.

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Detailed Description of the Records

Audited Republic claims, 1835-1846,
127.35 cubic ft.

The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, elected by the General Council and commissioned by the Governor, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas. Claims that were submitted to the Comptroller or Treasurer of the Republic, that were audited and approved (or allowed) and paid by that government during the Republic period are considered audited claims. The series includes both civil and military claims. The services and the payments for these services date between 1835 and 1846. These records comprise Republic of Texas audited claims files. Types of documents in this series include the following: claim vouchers, official authorization of services or purchases, Auditor's affidavits, War Department pay certificates, discharges, assignments of benefits, powers of attorney, pay accounts, invoices, and court dockets, dating 1835-1846.

Republic-era claims that were not paid until after Annexation are included in Public debt claims described in a separate series in this finding aid. Additional information on the laws and the procedures relating to audited claims is included below, and may also be found on the online Laws About Republic Claims page: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/replaws.html.

Potentially, audited claim documents can provide such information as the name of the claimant; amount of claim; dates filed, approved, and issued; authorizing official; type of materials or services provided; rank, company and company commander; dates of service; date enlisted and date discharged. Some files have only the endorsement wrapper showing the number of the voucher, the type and amount of the claim, the date approved, the date paid, the authorizing government official, and the signature of the person receiving the warrant.

Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.

Historical Sketch

Two acts of the Texas Consultation determined the manner in which claims would be handled throughout the Republic period: An Ordinance prescribing the manner and form of settling the accounts of the Volunteer Army of Texas (November 24, 1835. Gammels I, 923) and Ordinance and Decree, creating the offices of Auditor and Comptroller of Public Accounts for Texas (December 26, 1835, Gammels I, 1003-8) The first ordinance required that "all bills, accounts, claims, debts, dues or demands, that are now or may hereafter be due or owing by this or a future Government to any person or persons for money, corn, provisions, stores, clothing, medicines, transportation, or any service whatever rendered or furnished, to and for the Volunteer Army of the people of Texas, now in the field, shall, before the same be admitted to audit and liquidation before the Standing Committee on War Affairs, of this House, or the proper department of a future Government, contain the day, date, name and description of the article or sum furnished, and place, and the certificate of the Standing Committee of Safety and Vigilance, or the order or certificate of the commanding officer or Colonel of the Regiment, or company by whose order and at whose requisition the same may have been rendered or furnished: or the receipt of the contractor, commissary or quarter-master to whom the same may have been furnished and delivered, together with the oath or affirmation before any Judge or Alcalde, of the person or persons so presenting the same for liquidation, that the said accounts, debts, dues, demands, or services were at the time and place specified, supplied, furnished, or rendered, made use of, delivered, pressed or taken, lost or killed in the service of the Volunteer Armies of the people of Texas aforesaid." The submission usually included 1) the account or voucher for services or goods, 2) certification of the claim's validity by the authorizing party (usually a department head, company commander, or government official of some sort) either on the account itself or as a separate document, 3) affidavit by the claimant that the claim was just and had not been satisfied heretofore, and 4) receipt for payment signed by the claimant or his representative or assignee and endorsed by the Auditor or Comptroller. The Auditor was required to enter the transaction in his office ledger and to "further number and file all claims, receipts, and other evidences of debts, against the Government, in his office, so that he can at any time refer to them." Even when the claim exceeded four thousand dollars (the largest amount the Auditor was allowed to authorize), the General Council or Governor would authorize the claim, but "the Auditor shall take the same, to his office, and place it on file, with such accompanying evidence as applies to said claim." The Comptroller, in turn, would approve payment of the claim after it had been acted upon and record the information concerning the issuance of the draft "after which he shall return the claim to the Auditor, that he may place it on file, according to the requisitions of the existing laws." In other words, all agencies authorized to approve and to pay claims were required ultimately to return the claim files to the Auditor's Office to be kept as a hedge against fraud. Furthermore, all transactions concerning the payment of claims had to be recorded by both the Auditor and the Comptroller. The Auditor "if said claim is admitted...shall make a record thereof, in a neat and business like manner, setting forth the time when said claim originated, the time it was audited, the name of said claimant, the name of the officer commanding, (if a military claim) to whose company attached, (if to any) by what officer certified, and for what consideration said claim originated." The Comptroller, "when any claim is presented him, approved by the Auditor as set forth in the foregoing, (should) strictly examine it, having previously well informed himself of the existing laws, and if found in all parts consistent and containing all the requisites of the laws, he shall write 'Approved' thereon, with the date, when acted on, and shall also enter the corresponding draft of record in a summary way, setting out in whose favour drawn, date, letter, and amount...." Both the audited claim files and the various ledgers recording the Auditor's and the Comptroller's actions therein were retained in the department's archives.

The audited Republic claims are made up of records submitted to the Texas Comptroller or Treasurer to document or to verify goods or services provided to the government of the Republic of Texas in order to receive payment. Records in the claims document the following:

attendance in an official capacity at any of the conventions, beginning with the Consultation in November 1835, the Convention of 1836, and the Annexation Convention of 1845.
services as an elected or appointed national official or as an employee in the executive, legislative or judicial department--in other words, any government employee or office holder on the national level from a clerk to the president--between November 1835 and February 1846.
military service or association with any military engagement during the period October 1835 through 1845.
any goods or services (other than military) provided to the Republic government.
payments for special services, such as acting as a witness in county court cases, and payments authorized by special relief acts.

Once a person's right to receive a payment for goods or services provided the government during the Republic period (1835-1846) was established by the Comptroller or the Treasurer, a voucher would be issued. The payment could be made to:

The person who performed the service or provided the goods.
That person's assignee--someone designated by the original claimant to receive the payment instead of himself. (Because the Republic government was usually broke, claimants would frequently sell their vouchers at a lower rate to a buyer who could supply immediate cash.)
That person's attorney.
That person's legal heir(s).
An entity rather than an individual. Vouchers were issued to the Steamer Savannah, the Tow Boat Daniel Webster, and the Richmond Telescope.

Arrangement

These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Audited Republic claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: unknown

Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.

Restrictions on Access

Because the actual Republic claims are fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 130 reels of Audited Republic claims.)

Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow.

Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).

Processed by

Connie Hoxie, September 1996

Tony Black, August 2000

Reel

1 thru 130

Audited Republic claims, 1835-1846

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Public debt claims records, 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, undated,
57.73 cubic ft.

The public debt of Texas consisted of two types of debt: the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army, usually no more than a few hundred dollars per claim); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). After the annexation of Texas into the Union, the Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts of Texas continued the task of examining and approving (or rejecting) any monetary claims presented to him by the Auditor. Republic-era claims that were not paid until after annexation are included in public debt claims, as are post-annexation claims. These records comprise the Republic of Texas and State of Texas public debt claims records. Types of documents in this series include the following: public debt certificates (1st, 2nd, or 3rd class), affidavits concerning service, powers of attorney, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual (usually a company commander), invoices, and/or court dockets (all dating 1848-about 1860); two registers and two indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims (1848-1861 and undated); and three registers of State of Texas public debt claims (1860-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873). Although the dates of the services for which the claims are filed include both the Republic era (1835-1846) and the post-Republic era, the dates for the settlement of the public debt claims are 1848-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, and undated.

Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.

Historical Sketch

Public debt claims fall into one of two categories: claims against the Republic of Texas, and claims against the State of Texas. Claims against the Republic were for services rendered or securities purchased between 1836 and 1845. Claims against the State include only those incurred after annexation (1846).

Organization

These records have been organized by State Archives staff into three subseries:

Registers and indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims, 1848-1861, undated, 1.4 cubic ft. (4 volumes)

Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860, 55.62 cubic ft.

Registers of State of Texas public debt claims, 1860-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873, 0.71 cubic ft. (3 volumes)

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1933/007, 1939/004, and unknown others

One register of public debt (erroneously labeled 1838-1840, but actually covering 1848-1861), along with "about 3000 documents" of "Public Debt Papers," was transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Texas Comptroller's office on February 21, 1934. 66 "Public Debt Papers" were transferred on April 7, 1939. Dates of other accessions are uncertain.

Restrictions on Access

Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow.

Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).

Processed by

Tony Black, October 1994, January 1995, August 2000

Connie Hoxie, September 1996

Registers and indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims, 1848-1861, undated,
1.4 cubic ft. (4 volumes)

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of Texas, which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the Republic. This subseries consists of four volumes, including the following: two registers of Republic of Texas public debt claims, 1848-1861; a partial index to public debt claims, 1848-1854; and an index to Republic of Texas audited claims, undated.

One register, covering 1848-1852, gives the following information for each class of the public debt: date of certificate, name, number of certificate/number of warrant, amount, and remarks. Arrangement is by class of debt (2nd Class, 3rd Class, 1st Class Audited Paper, 1st Class Funded Debt, 10% Funded Debt, Miscellaneous Liabilities, and Public Debt audited under Special Act of the Legislature). Order within each class of debt is unknown.

Another register, which covers 1848-1861, includes the following information for most of the classes of debt: file number paid, to whom issued, number of receipt, number of voucher, date of receipt, amounts (under each category of debt), and remarks. Other information occasionally given in this register (depending on the class of claim) includes: nature or description of claim, ostensible value and par value, or under what act issued. The amounts are given for each of the following categories of First Class claims (1848-1856):

10% consolidated stock (Act of June 7, 1837),
10% stock (Act of February 5, 1840),
8% stock (Act of February 5, 1840),
8% Treasury bonds (Act of February 2, 1840),
10% Treasury notes,
Treasury notes without interest,
audited paper and
miscellaneous liabilities.

Also given for First Class claims are value, rate of interest, date to which interest is calculated, ostensible interest, par principal, par interest, ostensible principal and interest, par principal and interest. Arrangement within this register is by class of debt: First Class, Second Class, Third Class, Funded Debt of June 1837 (reported as “Document C--Hard cases” and audited February 6, 1856), certificates issued by Comptroller and countersigned by Treasurer under Special Acts of the Legislature (February 1848-September 1851), etc. Then within that class, arrangement is numerical (which is to say, chronological).

There is a partial index to the second register, covering 1848-1851 for 1st Class Claims and 1848-1854 for 2nd Class Claims. Next to each name--arranged by letter of the alphabet and then roughly numerical by claim--are listed each claim, consisting of two numbers: the class of claim (1, 2, or 3) over the number of the voucher. Thus, for example:

Hardin, Wm. B. 2/69
Hoya, F. Vander 2/70, 3/49, 2/762
Hart, Nathaniel 2/74 etc.

Finally, there is an Index to Republic of Texas audited claims, giving the name of the claimant (arranged alphabetically), followed by one or more file numbers. Included separately under each letter of the alphabet are lists of claims audited by Charles Mason and payments made by James W. Scott, Paymaster, usually with brief descriptions (e.g., Secretary Legation to U.S., pay as witness, military services 1836, Captain of Rangers, etc).

Historical Sketch

When Texas was annexed into the Union in 1845, the public debt of the Republic of Texas amounted to nearly $10 million, consisting of two major types of obligations:

the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army, usually no more than a few hundred dollars per claim); and
the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). The United States considered the revenue debt to be preferred obligations, secured by the import duties of the Republic.

According to the joint resolution of annexation, the public lands of Texas (retained by the state) were to be used to settle the public debt.

In March 1848, the 2nd Legislature of the State of Texas passed "an Act to provide for ascertaining the debt of the late Republic of Texas." This act ordered the Auditor and the Comptroller of Public Accounts to do the following:

to publish notices in weekly newspapers in the cities of Austin, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and New York (later adding Philadelphia and Louisville), requiring all persons having any claim for money against the former Republic of Texas to present those claims by November 1849 (the filing deadline was subsequently extended several times, ultimately to August 1, 1855);
to receipt jointly all these claims, setting forth the par value (i.e., face value), the name of the person to whom the debt accrued, the date, and the amount; and
each to keep "a correct list in books, kept for that purpose separately," of the three classes of claims:
- First: "the audited or ascertained claims" (e.g. bonds, Treasury notes, military scrip, etc.);
- Second: "all claims with sufficient evidences and vouchers to authorize them to audit;"
- Third: "such claims as are not sufficiently authenticated by vouchers."

In February 1850, the 3rd Texas Legislature proposed that holders of public debt liabilities surrender them to the Commissioner of the General Land Office, in exchange for land certificates at the scaled-down rate of 50 cents per acre. It also proposed that interest on all liabilities cease after July 1, 1850. This plan was rejected by the creditors who held the debt.

In September 1850, the U.S. Congress passed that part of the Compromise of 1850 which established the present northern and western boundary of Texas; in return for the 67 million acres of land which was ceded to the newly-created New Mexico Territory, the U.S. government would pay Texas $10 million in 5% U.S. bonds. Half of this sum was delivered and used to pay the ordinary (nonrevenue) debt, with $3.75 million in bonds left over. The remaining half of the settlement was retained by the U.S. government to assure the payment of the revenue debt; the U.S. refused to pay any of these claims until all claims were filed.

The U.S. Congress finally settled the controversy in an Act passed February 1855 (accepted by the Texas legislature in February 1856). The federal government appropriated $7,750,000 in cash to be prorated among the holders of the revenue debt (amounting to a payment to each creditor of about 77 cents on the dollar).

Arrangement

These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff in two groups: registers, and indexes, and roughly chronologically within each group. The creator arranged each of the two registers by class of debt; the second register is then arranged numerically (which is also chronologically) within each class. The creator arranged each of the indexes alphabetically by name of claimant.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Registers and indexes of Republic of Texas public debt claims, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Volume

304-2574

(also account ledger of assessors/ collectors and sheriffs, 1837-1839)

Volume

304-2575

Volume

304-2576

Index to public debt papers, 1848-1854

Volume

304-2577

Index to Republic of Texas audited claims, undated

Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860,
55.62 cubic ft.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of Texas, which included both the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army); and the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the Republic, especially the first kind. Types of documents found in this subseries include the following: public debt certificates (1st, 2nd, or 3rd class), affidavits concerning service, powers of attorney, petitions to the legislature, acts for the relief of an individual, partial or complete lists of soldiers for whom payment was being collected by a single individual (usually a company commander), invoices, and/or court dockets. They comprise the Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860.

Claims for services or goods provided between 1835 and 1846 that could not be paid before Annexation in 1845 were eventually paid as public debt claims, mainly from the 1850 Boundary Compromise money awarded Texas in exchange for the territory it lost. The chief difference--apart from the payment date--between the audited and public debt claims is that many of the claims were settled by issuing one voucher to cover the separate claims of a large number of persons who had performed the same service. For example, Public Debt voucher 1634 covers payment for "Balance of Pay for Service as Minute Man in 1841." The voucher pays the debt described in certificates #3396 (John Anderson) through #3569 (Patrick Quinn)--173 certificates. The voucher and the entry in the Public Debt Warrant Register are in the name of the first certificate issued: John Anderson. All the information regarding the 173 men and their service as Minute Men, as well as documentation of attorneys and heirs, will be found in this one record. Additional information on the laws relating to Public debt is given below, and may also be found on the online Laws About Republic Claims page: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/replaws.html.

These records, in turn, can give some or all of the following information: name, nature of service or type of debt, amount owed by Republic of Texas, amount allowed by State of Texas, endorsement (which could include supporting information concerning the claim or claimant), and amount of interest.

Where multiple claimants are paid with a single voucher, the typical file arrangement is: (1) a muster roll, company list, list of claimants, etc., that gives all the names associated with the claim. Often these lists include the signature of the claimant or his attorney or his heir, indicating receipt of the person's money. (2) the Public Debt Certificates and related matter, arranged in the order of the muster roll/list of claimants. All documents relating to an individual (affidavits of service, powers of attorney, probate information, etc.) are filed immediately in front of his public debt certificate.

Some Public Debt files, because of their size, are filmed on two reels. File 1634, for example covers payment for "Balance of Pay for Service as Minute Man in 1841." The voucher includes certificates #3396 (John Anderson) through #3569 (Patrick Quinn)-173 certificates. The initial list of claimants is filmed on Reel 132 Frames 528-534. The entire claim includes Frames 527 - 718 on Reel 132 and Frames 7 - 141 on Reel 133.

Historical Sketch

When Texas was annexed into the Union in 1845, the public debt of the Republic of Texas amounted to nearly $10 million, consisting of two major types of obligations:

the ordinary or non-revenue debt (consisting of the claims of participants in the Texas Revolution or suppliers of the Texas army, usually no more than a few hundred dollars per claim); and
the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of Republic of Texas securities). The United States considered the revenue debt to be preferred obligations, secured by the import duties of the Republic.

According to the joint resolution of annexation, the public lands of Texas (retained by the state) were to be used to settle the public debt.

to publish notices in weekly newspapers in the cities of Austin, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and New York (later adding Philadelphia and Louisville), requiring all persons having any claim for money against the former Republic of Texas to present those claims by November 1849 (the filing deadline was subsequently extended several times, ultimately to August 1, 1855);
to receipt jointly all these claims, setting forth the par value (i.e., face value), the name of the person to whom the debt accrued, the date, and the amount; and
each to keep "a correct list in books, kept for that purpose separately," of the three classes of claims:
- First: "the audited or ascertained claims" (e.g. bonds, Treasury notes, military scrip, etc.);
- Second: "all claims with sufficient evidences and vouchers to authorize them to audit;"
- Third: "such claims as are not sufficiently authenticated by vouchers."

Arrangement

These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Public debt claims files, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Because the actual Republic claims are extremely fragile, access to the records is restricted to high-quality microfilmed copies of the documents. An online database provides the reel and frame location of more than 48,500 indexed names. Digital images from the microfilm are being linked to the database. The 35mm microfilm reels are available through interlibrary loan and, to view in person, at the Genealogy Collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (There are 69 reels of Republic of Texas public debt claims files.)

Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

Reel

131 thru 199

Republic of Texas public debt claims files, 1848-about 1860

Registers of State of Texas public debt claims 1860-1863, 1866-1867, 1871-1873,
0.71 cubic ft. (3 volumes)

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts was responsible for accounting for the public debt of the State of Texas, which included the revenue debt (principal and interest owed to holders of State of Texas securities). These records help document that public debt of the State. This subseries consists of three registers of claims against the State of Texas, 1860-1863, 1866-1867, and 1871-1873.

There is a Register of cancelled funds, reissued in 8% Bonds (One Million Loan) under Act of April 8, 1861 (February 1862-February 1863), which provides the following information: date of cancelling, numbers of warrants cancelled, class of warrants (amount military, amount civil), total amount, and description of bond (number, date, amount).

Another register contains two lists: a Register of 10% Treasury Warrants received (December 22, 1860-September 8, 1862); and a Register of 10% Warrants funded (under Act of November 9, 1866) (June 1860-December 1861). Information provided by each list varies, but usually includes the following: date of warrant, number of warrant, number of file, to whom payable, in whose favor, on what account, date of payment, period of interest, amount of principal, amount of interest, total, and remarks.

The final register contains the following ten lists or documents:

Register of certificates of Public Debt issued by the Auditorial Board and description of claims for which they were issued (November-December 1866);
Register of public debt certificates bearing 8% interest (January-February 1867);
Alphabetical list of pay rolls of companies serving in defense of frontier prior to January 28, 1861, also called out by Governor Houston prior to March 2, 1861;
Register of claims presented and certificates of public debt issued, under Act approved November 9, 1866 (November 1866-August 1867);
Audit of 8% bonds issued under Acts of March 20 and April 8, 1861;
Memorandum of public debt certificates issued... Act approved November 13, 1871;
Memorandum of fractional certificates...;
Memorandum of 8% debt certificates (January-February 1871);
Register of Claims acted on by Auditorial Board (August 1871-April 1873); and
Reports of Auditorial Board to Governor (August 1, 1867; September 1, 1867; September 1, 1871; September 20, 1871; and January 9, 1873)

Information provided in this volume varies from list to list, but normally includes the following: date of filing, date of certificate, number of file and certificate, by whom filed, owner's name/to whom issued, nature of claim, amount of unaudited claims, total amount of audited claims, total amount of rejected claims.

Historical Sketch

The 8th Texas Legislature (at the beginning of the Civil War) passed an act which was approved on April 8, 1861, authorizing the issuance of $1 million in 8% bonds (the One Million Loan), in order to retire the debt previously accumulated for the defense of the frontier, and to meet appropriations to pay the expenses of the Secession Convention.

The 11th Texas Legislature (the first one after the end of the Civil War) passed "an Act to ascertain the amount of, and adjusting and funding the State Debt," approved November 9, 1866. This act created an Auditorial Board, consisting of the State Comptroller and the State Treasurer, to audit all claims for money against the State, and to reaudit all audited liabilities of the State not voided by the Constitution of 1866. (Any war debts incurred by the state between March 2, 1861 and September 6, 1865 had been repudiated by Ordinance Number 2 of the Constitutional Convention, March 15, 1866.) The Governor would decide all differences of opinion between the Comptroller and the Treasurer. The Attorney General was later added to the Auditorial Board, as president and legal adviser (May 2, 1871).

The 12th Texas Legislature, in an act approved November 13, 1871, confirmed the actions of the Auditorial Board in issuing bonds and certificates of indebtedness; it also extended the time within which claims could be presented to the Auditorial Board, to January 1, 1873, after which deadline claims not presented were declared forever invalid.

Arrangement

These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically by date of legislation. Within each register, arrangement by the creator is first by type of record, then chronological.

Related Material

The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives

Texas State Treasurer, Money claims for service 1835-1843, settled 1856-1859 (There is no finding aid available for this unprocessed volume. Call number is 2-1/293.)

Treasury Department, Auditor's Office: Register of claims audited, 1842-1846 (There is no finding aid available for this unprocessed volume. Call number is 2-7/912.)

2nd Auditor's Office, Journal, January 1840-January 1842 (There is no finding aid available for this unprocessed volume. Call number is 2-7/620.)

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Registers of State of Texas public debt claims, Public debt claims records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Volume

304-2578

Volume

304-2579

Volume

304-2580

Register of public debt certificates issued by the Auditorial Board, Register of claims presented and acted on, etc., 1866-1867, 1871-1873

Return to the Table of Contents

Republic pension records, 1870-1920,
38.36 cubic ft.

The Texas State Legislature authorized pensions for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. These records document those pensions, consisting of claims files and indexes. The types of records in this series include the following: affidavits of service (usually handwritten, detailed accounts), transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls (occasional), powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, and/or widow's applications (1883 or later), plus 15 indexes and/or lists of pensioners. Although the service for which the pensions were granted included 1832-1837 and 1842, the pensions themselves date 1870-1920.

Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.

Historical Sketch

On August 13, 1870, the 12th Texas Legislature, Called Session, passed "An Act granting pensions to the surviving veterans of the revolution which separated Texas from Mexico," including the Mier prisoners; this pension was to amount to $250 annually, or $500 annually for those wounded either in battle or as a prisoner of war. The Comptroller was to investigate all such claims and issue the resulting certificates. (Gammel's Laws, vi, 292-293).

On April 21, 1874, the 14th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, passed a new pension law which made the following changes:

it extended the list of those eligible for pensions to include all who had served between January 1, 1832 and October 15, 1836, plus all veterans of the various campaigns of 1842 (including survivors of Dawson's Massacre, Santa Fe Expedition, Deaf Smith's Spy Company, etc.);
it reduced the amount of the Republic pension to $150 annually ($300 to the permanently disabled);
it defined what would be accepted as proof of service and of disability;
it arranged for all arrearages of pension since the first pension law to be payable in 10 percent bonds of $100 denominations, payable 20 years after the date but redeemable at the pleasure of the state after 5 years; and
it authorized the continued payment of these pensions after the pensioner's death, to widows or surviving descendents. (Gammel's Laws, viii, 116-120).

Further changes were made by the 15th Texas Legislature on July 28, 1876: extending eligibility to all surviving soldiers serving between October 1835 and January 1, 1837, to all signers of the Declaration of Independence, and to unmarried widows of these men; requiring proof of indigence; and shifting the duty of consideration of the pension applications from the Comptroller to the county courts. (Gammel's Laws, viii, 897-899).

The 18th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, on March 28, 1883, limited eligibility to residents of Texas, and specified the information to be included in the application presented to the county judge. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 342-344).

On March 5, 1885, the 19th Texas Legislature, Regular Session further refined the qualifications to include only those surviving indigent soldiers who were in actual military service at the time of the siege of Bexar (December 1835) or the battle of San Jacinto (April 1836), or who served at least six weeks between October 1835 and July 1836, plus surviving indigent signers of the Declaration of Independence, plus their surviving indigent unmarried widows. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 714-718). On April 4, 1889, the 21st Texas Legislature, Regular Session amended the law to include also anyone who actually participated in any battle in Texas in 1836. (Gammel's Laws, ix, 1071-1072).

Organization

These records have been organized by State Archives staff into two subseries:

Republic pension indexes, 1870-1920, 1.13 cubic ft. (15 volumes)

Republic pension files, 1870-about 1900, 37.23 cubic ft.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the subseries), Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: unknown

Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.

Restrictions on Access

Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow.

Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).

Processed by

Tony Black, March 1994

Connie Hoxie, September 1996

Tony Black, August 2000

Republic pension indexes, 1870-1920
1.13 cubic ft. (15 volumes)

These records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. This series consists of 15 indexes concerning Republic of Texas pensions, dating 1870-1920. The first index is a list of pensioners under four Acts of the Texas Legislature, 1870-1883. The lists of pensioners under the Acts of August 13, 1870 and April 21, 1874 are combined, and include certificate number, name, county, and amount per annum. The lists of pensioners under the Acts of July 28, 1876 and March 28, 1883 are listed separately, and include number of warrant, year (1876-1879), name, and county.

The second index is to pension bonds issued between August 1, 1874 and September 17, 1878, and includes the following items: name of pensioner, (serial?) number and amount of fractional bond, (serial?) numbers of $100 bonds, date of issue, and to whom delivered.

The other 13 indexes cover 1888 through 1920, with each volume covering two or three years (i.e., seven to twelve quarters). The information given varies somewhat, including name of pensioner, husband's name if a widow (until 1905), county, town or city (1901-1920, listed as “address”), occasional notations as to date of death, dates of service (1888-1889 only), and warrant numbers for each quarterly payment (this is sometimes omitted for a given quarter, and is replaced by a simple check-mark for most quarters after 1908).

Arrangement

These volumes have been arranged by State Archives staff chronologically. Arrangement by the creator within each index is roughly alphabetical by last name of pensioner. The first index is further arranged by Act within the letter of the alphabet. The second index is further arranged chronologically within each letter of the alphabet.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Republic pension indexes, Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Volume

304-2581

List of (Republic) pensioners under Acts of 1870, 1874, 1876, 1883

Volume

304-2582

(Republic) Pension bonds index, 1874-1878

(Republic) Pension indexes:

Volume

304-2583

1888-1889

Volume

304-2584

1890-1892

Volume

304-2585

1893-1894

Volume

304-2586

1895-1896

Volume

304-2587

1897-1898

Volume

304-2588

1899-1900

Volume

304-2589

1901-1902

Volume

304-2590

1902-1905

Volume

304-2591

1905-1908

Volume

304-2592

1908-1911

Volume

304-2593

1911-1914

Volume

304-2594

1914-1917

Volume

304-2595

1917-1920

Republic pension files, 1870-about 1900,
37.23 cubic ft.

These records document the pensions authorized by the Texas State Legislature for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. They comprise the pension files, including the following types of documents: affidavits of service (usually handwritten, detailed accounts), transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls (occasional), powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, and/or widow's applications (1883 or later). They date 1870-about 1900.

Pensions for service to the Republic were not generally awarded before the 1870s, although the congress or the legislature might, in an act passed during a legislative session, authorize a special pension for an individual. At first pensions were confined to "Each and every surviving veteran of the revolution which separated Texas and Mexico, including the Mier prisoners." Beginning in 1874, pension acts added later military services that would qualify pension applicants, but these acts required that the pensioner be indigent to qualify. More information on the pension laws and their different requirements and payments follows; information is also found on the online Laws About Republic Claims page: http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/replaws.html.

Statements of military service found in these files are among the most detailed in the Republic records. Affidavits testifying to the applicant's worthiness also provide considerable personal information. These records can provide name of claimant, date filed, by whom filed, disposition, amount of pension, company commander, service information, age, residence, heir's name, husband's name (for widow's pension), date of death, widow's age, widow's residence (county). The fact that a person has a Republic Pension file does not guarantee that he or she received a Republic pension.

Arrangement

These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Republic pension files, Republic pension records, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Restrictions on Access

Restrictions on Use

None.

Reel

200 thru 247

Republic pension files, 1870-about 1900

Return to the Table of Contents

Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, 1836-about 1879,
10.1 cubic ft.

Some of the claims relating to services and losses during the era of the Republic of Texas were denied. Many others, however, simply have no documentation in the records of the Comptroller of Public Accounts of having been settled. Other records do not fit easily into an existing series. These files include those kinds of records. The types of documentation in this series include the following: cover letters for inquiries addressed to the Court or Commissioner of Claims about the validity of land certificates issued to veterans, claims for compensation for Indian or Mexican depredations, applications for veteran's pensions, and/or claims for military service pay. Although the services for which these claims were filed date from the years of the Republic of Texas, 1836-1845, the documents themselves date 1836-about 1879.

Although claims submitted to the government that were not audited or allowed may be found in the Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, the "unpaid" designation in this series usually refers to the absence in the file of any record of the final disposition of the claim or the inquiry. The series also includes records that do not fit into the Audited Republic claims, Public debt, or Republic pension records series. The most noteworthy of these are letters received by the Commissioner/Court of Claims between 1856 and 1861.

The letters to the Court or Commissioner of Claims do not contain personal information: they note that certain numbered land scrip certificates were being forwarded to the Claims Court. Neither the land script certificates nor information about the outcome of these inquiries are in the holdings of the Texas State Library. A few files have nothing in them but the "wrapper" once used to enclose documentation. When that occurs, the "Claim Number" field will show "Wrapper #xxx." The wrapper has only a name or names and a file number: it has little or no research value.

Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.

Arrangement

These records have been arranged by State Archives staff alphabetically by name of claimant.

Related Material

The following materials are offered as possible sources of further information on the agencies and subjects covered by the records. The listing is not exhaustive.

Texas State Archives

Texas General Land Office, Inventory of copies of county and district clerk returns (reports of headright certificates), 1857 (originals date from 1836 to 1855), 8.46 cubic ft. (used by Court of Claims to review legitimacy of land claims)

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: unknown

Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.

Restrictions on Access

Microfilming and indexing for the Republic claims project were made possible by two generous grants from the Summerlee Foundation.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Technical Requirements

Instructions on how to borrow or view the microfilm for Republic claims are at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html#borrow.

Microfilm readers are available in the Genealogy Section, Room 110 (which is closed on Mondays), and also in Room 300 of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building (Monday-Friday).

Processed by

Connie Hoxie, September 1996

Tony Black, August 2000

Reel

248 thru 259

Unpaid and miscellaneous Republic claims, 1836-about 1879

Return to the Table of Contents

Confederate audited military claims, 1861-1865,
45.59 cubic ft.

During the Civil War, the Texas Legislature authorized and required the Comptroller of Public Accounts to audit and settle claims for military supplies and services, some of which were eligible to be submitted for reimbursement by the government of the Confederate States of America. Therefore the Comptroller maintained these audited military claims files, which have been labeled (rightly or wrongly) "Confederate" claims. These records comprise the claims for payment for military and military-related services rendered for the defense of Texas during the Civil War, submitted to the Texas Comptroller's office for auditing and approval. This series includes vouchers, accounts, powers-of-attorney, warrants, and claim jackets, dating 1861-1865. The majority of the claims were submitted by the men serving in the various volunteer companies ordered out by the Governor or Committee of Safety of Texas. There were also individual claims for quartermaster or commissary supplies, for munitions, for construction of fortifications and defenses, and for monies advanced for and use by any of the Texas State Troops. In addition, payments of claims for services and supplies furnished to the Adjutant General's office were made out of military appropriations as well.

Only 2,787 claims were submitted, but this included over 11,000 persons (whose names appear in the index in the computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives). Frequently groups of individuals, in some case entire companies of soldiers, would file a joint claim through an agent; thus, many of the claims contain individual powers-of-attorney, authorizing an agent to receive any monies due the claimants. These powers-of-attorney usually indicate the company or regiment, rank held, and term of service, or the amount and types of supplies provided.

All claims for goods and supplies were required to be authenticated by vouchers and accounts approved by the Acting Quartermaster or Commissary of a particular regiment, battalion, or company. These vouchers usually indicate dates, types, and amounts of goods provided. Accounts and vouchers specifying amounts due for pay, clothing, forage, and subsistence for an individual, and in some instances for his servant, were often included to support claims for military or military-related services.

However, not all the claims files provide such specific information. Approximately one-fifth of the claims consist of little more than the claim jacket and one or more Ten Per-Cent Treasury Warrants. These cancelled warrants provide basic but valuable information, such as name of claimant, amount, number and title of appropriation from which payment was drawn, service provided, and rank and company if military service. Claims comprised of these cancelled warrants have been so indicated by the use of the letter "A" preceding the entry number. In a few instances no cancelled warrants accompany the claim jacket. In such cases, only general information regarding the service performed and amount paid may be obtained by searching the various appropriation and warrant registers maintained by the Comptroller's office, described elsewhere in this finding aid (see especially Special appropriations ledgers: other, Frontier defense, 1860-1865 (Volume 304-2440).)

The index in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.

Historical Sketch

On January 4, 1862, the 9th Texas Legislature approved "An Act to provide for auditing and settling all claims against the State on account of Volunteer Companies called out by the Governor or Committee of Safety, and for the defense of the State, and providing payment for the officers and men thereof." The Comptroller of Public Accounts was authorized and required to audit and settle these claims "for and during the term of service actually rendered the State according to the rules and regulations of the Confederate States for the government of the army thereof, upon the return of the muster-roll of each company to the Comptroller, duly authenticated; and also to audit and allow all claims and accounts brought against the State by any individual for Quartermaster or Commissary supplies, for munitions of war, for the construction of fortifications and all defences, and moneys advanced for the same...provided all such claims and accounts are authenticated and approved by the Acting Quartermaster or Commisary of the regiment, battalion or company." This law also provided "that the Comptroller shall keep a separate register of all claims presented under this act, and properly chargeable to the Government of the Confederate States, and arrange the vouchers and accounts as directed by the laws of the said Government for presentation thereto." $300,000 was appropriated at the time, plus an additional $200,000 on March 6, 1863, "to carry out the provisions of this act."

Note that although the legislation was approved in January 1862, the claims covered would begin in 1861.

Another piece of legislation that applied to this type of claim was approved by the 8th Texas Legislature on February 14, 1860, whereby warrants unable to be redeemed immediately were allowed to draw 10 percent interest per annum until paid. Once the warrant had been re-submitted for payment, it was cancelled and a new warrant for the initial amount plus interest was then issued.

Arrangement

These records have been arranged--probably by the creator--numerically by claim number. The index in a computer printout in the search room of the Texas State Archives matches the names of claimants with claim numbers.

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Confederate audited military claims, Texas Comptroller's Office claims records. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: unknown

Accession records are too incomplete to determine when these records were transferred.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

None.

Processed by

Jean Young and Eddie Williams, August 1975

Confederate audited military claims

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TABLE OF CONTENTS