PRIMARY SOURCES

Homesteads & Land Patents of the First Three Bullert Ancestors Arriving in America

Sibley County, Minnesota

The first of our Bullert ancestors to arrive in America came from the villages of Vandsburg and Zempelburg, Kreis Flatow, West Prussia. They arrived in Sibley County, Minnesota Territory in 1853, 1856, and 1857. (Minnesota did not become a state until May 11, 1858.) The Bullerts were farmers and landowners.

Not surprisingly, many other families from Zempelburg also settled in Sibley County and farmed in the area near the Bullerts, including family surnames Abraham, Behnke, Blumke, Boettcher, Brockhoff, Bruch, Dupsloff, Erdmann, Fenske, Jahr, Jahnke, Kornig, Kirschbaum, Kriese, Lucht, Miehlke, Milbrandt, Moskop, Mueller, Neubauer, Rathke, Ristau, Rucks, Schauer, Schmidt, Tuchtenhagen, Wegner, Wendlandt, Wentzlaff, Winter, and many more who left West Prussia for a new life in America.

Gottlieb Emanuel Bullert (1809-1870)

Arrived in America: 1853

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Military Bounty Land Warrant

120 acres — October 1, 1860

Sibley County, Minnesota

Certificate No.: 60712
President: James Buchanan
Legal Desc.: East half of the South West quarter and the North West quarter of the South West quarter of Section Seventy-nine in Township One Hundred and Thirteen North of Range Twenty-six West in the District of lands subject to sale at Henderson, Minnesota, containing One Hundred and Twenty acres.

Warrant No. 60712 for 120 acres, in favor of Caleb Stansbury, Private, Captain Blizzard's Company, Maryland Militia, War of 1812. The warrant was assigned by Caleb Stansbury to Gottlieb Bullert. Signed by President James Buchanan, October 1, 1860. Act of Congress approved March 3, 1855.

Military Bounty Land Warrant

40 acres — July 3, 1860

Sibley County, Minnesota

Certificate No.: 574019
President: James Buchanan
Legal Desc.: South West quarter of the South West quarter of Section Twenty-nine in Township One Hundred and Thirteen North of Range Twenty-five West, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Henderson, Minnesota, containing forty acres.

Warrant No. 574,019 for 40 acres, issued in favor of Stephen Cumbrelling, Private, Captain Swartwout's Company, New York Militia, War of 1812. The warrant was assigned to Gottlieb Bullert. Signed by President James Buchanan, July 3, 1860. Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850.

Gottfried Bullert (1808-1885)

Arrived in America: 1856

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Land Patent

160 acres — August 1, 1861

Sibley County, Minnesota

Certificate No.: 367
President: Abraham Lincoln
Legal Desc.: South East quarter of Section Thirty-five in Township One Hundred and Fourteen North of Range Twenty-seven West in the District of lands subject to sale at Henderson, Minnesota, containing One Hundred and Sixty acres.

Certificate No. 367. Signed by President Abraham Lincoln. Recorded at the Land Office at Henderson, Minnesota. Act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820.

David Wilhelm Erdmann Bullert (1820-1887)

Arrived in America: 1857

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Homestead Certificate

160 acres — September 1, 1869

Sibley County, Minnesota

Certificate No.: 75
President: Ulysses S. Grant
Legal Desc.: North West quarter of Section Twenty-two in Township One Hundred and Fourteen, North of Range Twenty-seven West, in the District of lands subject to sale at St. Peter, Minnesota, containing One Hundred and Sixty acres.

Homestead Certificate No. 75. Signed by President Ulysses S. Grant. Recorded at the Land Office at St. Peter, Minnesota.

About U.S. Military Bounty Land Warrants

In July and October of 1860, Gottlieb Bullert purchased military bounty land warrants from War of 1812 veterans Stephen Cumbrelling (New York Militia) and Caleb Stansbury (Maryland Militia). U.S. Military Bounty Land Warrants were certificates given to eligible War of 1812 veterans granting them free land as a way to encourage them to enlist in the military. Only a few soldiers actually received title to the bounty land or settled on it. Most veterans sold or exchanged their warrants.

1914 Sibley County, Minnesota — Green Isle Township

1914 plat map of Green Isle Township, Sibley County, Minnesota showing Gottlieb Bullert land — 1914 plat map of Green Isle Township, Sibley County, Minnesota, showing Gottlieb Bullert's land holdings.