Daily AncestorBounty
A bounty was a cash payment, sometimes with land, offered to a man for enlisting; service records often note the bounty paid and the amount still due.
Governments raised bounties when volunteers ran short. In the War of 1812 a Regular Army recruit was first offered $31 and 160 acres, later $124 and 320 acres. In the Civil War the federal bounty could reach $300, and states, counties and towns added their own, so a total of $1,000 was possible.
Compiled service record cards and descriptive lists may record the bounty paid and the amount due. Do not confuse a cash bounty with a bounty land warrant, which was a right to claim public land.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Bounty." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/enlistment-bounty. Last checked 2026-10-03.