/i / , . ifil PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS Aa'D BY No. 69, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADELPHIA. % [No. 6y, of Vol. II!.] SECRETARY'S (c° w c OUR last.).. nPHE United States north-weft of the Ohio, is on the f.juth by that river, on the cast, by Penii- , on the north and weft, by the lines which divide ..he , United States from the dominions of Great-Britain and Spain. The part of this territory occupied by Indians, is north <nd weft of the following lines, tlkablilhed with the Wiandots, De laware?, Chippawa*, and On::was by the treaty of fort M'lntolh, and with tli" Shawanefe, by that ot the Great JVliami, to wit : be ginning at the mouth ot the Cayahoga, and running up the river to the portage, between that and the Tufcaroras branch of the Muflungurn, then down the said branch to the forks, at tlecrof {\ng place above fort Lawrence, then weilwardiy, towards the portage of ihe Big Miami, to the main branch of that river, then down the Miatn' 10 the tork of that river next below the old fort, which was taken by the French in 1752 ; thence due veil to the river De la Panfe, und down thatriver to the Wabafh. Solar the lines are preciiely defined, and the whole countiy southward of these lines, and eallward of the Wabafh cleared ot the claim* of thole Indians, as it is also of those of the Poutiwati jna*, and Sacs, by the treaty of Mutkingum. How far on the other fide of the Wabath, the fouihern boundary of the Indiana has been defined, we know not. It is only understood in gene ral, that their title to the lower country, between that river and the Illinois, has been formeily extinguilhed by the French, while in their pofl ffion. As to that countiy then, and what lies Hill bevond the Illinois, it would leem expedient that nothing be gone, until a fair afecrtainment of boundary can t3ke place, by mutual consent, between us and the Indians mteicfted. Tne country within the YVabafn, the Indian line before aef cribed, the Pennfylvanian line, and the Ohio, contains, 011 a loose estimate, about 55,000 iouare miles, or 35 millions of acres, During the Biitifh government, gr<°at numbers of persons had formed themselves in companies under different names, such a & the Ohio, theWabafli, ihe Illinois, the Mifliiippi, or Vaudalia companies, and had covered with their applications, a great part of their territory. Some of them had obtained eiders on certain conditions, which, having never been fulfilled, their luits were never completed by grants. Oiheis were only in a state of mgo ciation when the Biitifti authority was discontinued. Some of these claims being already under a special tcierencc by order of Congress, and all of them probably tailing under the operation of the lame principles, they will not be noticed in the present report. The elaims of citizens to be here stated will be, 1. Those reserved to the States by their deeds of ceflion. 11. Thole which have anien under the government of the United States themselves. Und«r the fir ft head presents itfelf the tract ot country from the completion of the 41ft degree, to 42 deg 2 min. of north latitude, and extending from the Pennlylvania line before mentioned, 120 miles wtftward, not mentioned in the deed of Connecticut, while all the country westward thereof, was mentioned to be ceded ; about two and a half millions of acres of this may perhaps be wiihou: the Indian lines befoie mentioned. 2. A refcivdtion in the deed ot Virginia, of the pofTefiions and titles of the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other fcttlersof the Kaflfcafkias, St. Vincennes, and the neighboring vil lages, who had profeffed themselves citizens of Virginia, which rights have been fettled by an ast ot the last feflion of Congrels, entitled, " An a£t for graining lands to the inhabitants and fu llers ai Vincennes and the Illinois country, in the territory north west of the Ohio, and for confirming them in their poflefiions." Thele lands are in the neighborhood of the fcveral villages. 3 A refervution in the lame deed, of a quantity, not exceeding 150,000 acres of land for General George Rogers Clarke, and the officers and soldiers of h:s regiment, who were at the reduc tion ot Kaikaikias, and St. Vincennes, to be laid off in such place on the northwest fide ot the Ohio, as a majority of the orticers Ibouid choofThey chole they ihould be laid off on the river adjacent to the rapids, which accordingly has been done. 4. A refervauon in the fame deed, ot lands between the Sciota and Little Miami, to make up to the Virginia troops on conti nental establishment, the quantity which the good lands, in their southern allotment, might tall Ihort of the bounties given them by the laws ot that Slate. By a statement ot the i6h Sept. 1788, it appears, that 724,045 acres had been furveytd tor them on ihe south eaftcrn fide of the Ohio; that 1 acres had been farv.vedon the northweitern fide; th,jt warrants lor 649,649 acre* more, to be laid off on the fame fide of the river, were in tbe flands of the furvcyor, and it was supposed there might iiill be iome tew warrants not yet piefented ; io that this refervauon may Deflated ai 2,045,034 £ acies ur perhaps some Imall matter more. If. The claims of individual citizens, derived from the United States thcmleives, are the following : 1. Thole of the continental army, founded on the resolutions of Congrelsof Sept. 16, 1776, August 12, and Sept. 30, 1780, and fix».d by the ordinance of May 20, 1785. The resolution of O&ober 22, 1787, and tl»e fupplenaentary ordinance of July 9, 3788, in the feveu ranges of townlhips, beginning at a point on the Ohio, due north from the western termination of a line then lately run, as the southern boundaiy of Pennsylvania : 01 in a fc cond trad of a million ol acres, bounded eaii, by the 7 h range of the laid townlhips, fouih by }he lands ot Cutler and Sargent ; *orth, by an extension of the northern boundary ot the said town &»ps ; and going towards the weft io far as to include the above quantity, or, lastly, in a third tra& of country, beginningat the mouth ot the Ohio, and running up the river Miffifxppi to the ri ver An Vaule, thence up the lame till it meets a welt line from the mouth of the little Wabalh ; thence along that line to ttie Great Wabafh ; thence down the fame and the Ohio, to the beginning. The ftim iota! of the said military claims i* 1,851,800 acres. 2. Those of the individuals who mads pgrchafes of land a.. New-York, wi:hin the laid fevco rangetof townships, according to the resolutions of Congrek ot Apnl 2tft, 1787, and the i <p p»ernentary Ordinance ot J uly 9, 1788, which claims amount tc acres. 3. Tlie purchase of one million and a half acres of land by Cut ler ai»d Sargent, on behalf of certain individuals, aflociatrd under name ol the Ohio Company. This begins w here the Ohio is interfered by the weflcrn boundary of the 7th range ol town ftipy, and runs due nonh oil thai boundary 1306 chains and 25 Ji&ks ; thence due Weft to the western boundaryof the 17th range w» townfiitps ; thence due south to the Ohio, and up that nvi to the beginning; the whole area containing 1:781,760 acres &• December 17, 170 1. R T, l*nd, whereof 281,760 acres, contifting of various lots and town- Ihips, are teferved to the United States. 4. The purchase by the fame Cutler and Sargent on'behalf also of themselves and_others ; This begins at the tiortheaftem angle oft oTtheir purchase before described, and runs due north -ttTthe northern boundary of the 10th townlhip from the Ohio ; rhene<? due weft, to the Scioto; thence down the fame, and up the Ohio 10 Ihe South western angle of the said purchase before dcfcr.- bed, and along the wefterp and northern boundaries thereof to the beginning ; the whole area containing 4,901,480 acres of land, out of which, however, five lots, to wit, No. 8, 11, 16, 26, and 29 q.t every township, of fix miles square, are retained by the United States, and out of the whole are retained the three town-, (hips of Gna enhuuen, Schoenbrun, and Salem ; and certain lci;os aroumi them, as will be hereafter mentioned. 5. The purchairof John CI eves Symmes, bounded on the weft by the G»eat Miami; en the south by the Ohio; on the eafl by a line which is to bgin on the bank of the Ohio, 20 miles from the mouth of the great Miami, as measured along the fev ral couifes of the O'iio, and to run parallel with the general courfeof the laid Great Miami ; and on the north by an eait and weft liner, 10 lun as io include a mil! on of acres in 'he whole area, whereof live lots, numbered as before mentioned, aie reserved out of eve ry townllnp by the United States. It is fuggefV d that this purchaser, under colour of a firft and larger proportion to.the board of ireafury, which wds never clo sed (but pending that proportion) fold sundry parcels of land, between his eastern boundary before mentioned, and the Little Miami; and that the purchafeis have fettled thereon. If these luggefhons prove true, the fettlcrs will, perhaps, be thought to meut th. favor of the*legiflature, as purchafert for valuable con federation, and without notice of the defe£l of title. The contra As. for lands, which were at one time under confi dcration with MeilYs. Flint and Parker, and with Colonel Mor gan, were never so tar orofecutcd as to biinj either party under any obligation. All proceedings thereon were dil'continued at a very early stage, and it 'S supposed that no further view's cxiit with any other party These, therefore, are not to be enumerated a mong t xtftmg claims. 6. Three townihips were reserved by the ordinance of May 20, 1785, adjacent to Ljke Erie, for refugees from Canada and No- and for other purposes according to lefolutiom ot Coiigrefs, made or to be m -de on that fubjc&. Theie would oi couiie contain 60,120 acrcs. 7. The lame ordinance of May 20th, 1785, appropriated the, ihicr. towns of Gnadenhuitcn, Sthoenbrun, and Salem, on the Mufkingum, tor the christian Indians formesly fettled there, or the remains of that society, with the grounds round about them, and the quantity of the said circumjacent grounds, for each ot th ia:d towns, was determined by the relolution of Congress of Sep tember 3d, 1788, to be so much as, with the plat of us iefpe£tive town, would make up 4000 acre*; lo that three towns aud theii circumjacent lands were to amount to 12,000 acres. This refei vation was accoidmgiy made out of the large purchase of Cutlet and Sargent, which comprehended them. The Indians,however, tor whom the lefervation was made, have chosen to emigraic be yond tliv limits of the United States, so that the lands icferved tor them, ftiil remain to the United States. On the whole, it appears that the United States may rightfully difpofeof the lands between the Wabafh, and the Ohio, Penn sylvania, the torty-fii ft parallel of latitude, and the Indian hues defci ibed in the treaties of the Great Miami, and fort M'lntolh, with excepnons only of the rights saved by the deed of ceflion oi Virg. and of all rights legally derived trom the government ot the United States, and supposing the part south ot the Indian lines, to contain as before conje&ured about 35 millions of acres, and that the claims of citizens before enumerated may amount to be tween thirteen and fourteen millions, there remain at the difpofai of the United States upwards of twenty-one millions of actes, in thi& northwestern quarter. And though the want of a&ual surveys of fomc parts, and of a general delineation of the whole on paper, so as to exhibit to the eye the locations, forms, andielative portions of the rights betoie dcfcribcd, may prevent our forming a well defined idea ot them at this difUuce, yet, on the spot th.fe difficulties exilt but in a small degree. The individuals theie employed in the details of buying, felling and locating, possess local informations ot th, parts which concern them, to as to be able to keep clear ot eacn others rights ; or, it in some lnftances a confltft ot clauns (houlu arise, from any want of certainty in their definition, a ucal juug'. wil! doubtless be provided to decide them without delay, at Icaii provisionally. Time, instead of clearing up these uncertainties, will cloud them the more, by the death or removal ol witneiic, the difappearanee ot lines aad masks, change oi parties, and other cafualtics. Nov. 8, 1791 [The following letters accompanied the msi fage of the 12th in It. troiu the I'refideiit.of the United Status, to Cougrefs, and were omitted in the li»ii Gazette lor want oi room.] Fert-ff'ajhingion, Ocl. 6, 1 79 1. Sir, ... I HAVE now the farisfaifhon to inform you that the army moved from iort HflnHi[i'ii f thc name I have given to the fort on the Miami, on the 4th at "iglu in the morning, under the command cf General Butler. The 01 der of march and en cam pmerit I had regulated before, and on the 3d returned to 1 his place to get up the militia. 1 hey marched yesterday, and conlilt of but about 300 !;>en, as you will fee by the enclosed ab!tratf of the mutter. 1 have reason to believe, however, that at least an.equal number will be up here by the ioih, and I have left ordeis for their follow ing us The monthly return Ihould have accom panied this letter, but it was not ready v.hen I left camp, and has not been forwarded fmce. I have hitherto found it impofiible to reduce the officers commanding corps to punctuality with rcfied. to their returns, but they are meading. 265 TH. JEFFERSON, Stc'ry cf Slate. 13 /| /( j It [Whole No. 275.] Our numbers, :ifter deducting the garrisons of rliis plat e and Fort-Hamilton,are about two thou • find, exclusive of the militia. I trust I shall find tiicui fufficient and ihould the reft of the mili tia come on, it will make the matter pretty cer tain. But the season is now so far advanced/that I fear the intermediate polls, which would in» deed have been highly neceflary, it will be iin poflible to eitabliih : in that, however, 1 niuft be governed by circumstances, of which 1 will take care that you fliall be apprized fn due time. Should the enemy coine to meet us, which seems to be expecfted, and be difconifited, there will be no difficulties ; but if they exped; us at the Mia mi villages, the business will wear another face, and the intermediate polls become more eflen tial. 1 am this moment felting out for the army, which I hope to overtake to-morrow evening,and will write to you again as soon afier as may be. With great regard and refpedt, 1 have the honor to be. Sir, your very humble fevant, The Hon. Maj. Gen. Knox, Secretary of War. Camp, 81 ?/ulcs advanced, of Fort-Wajhingion f Nov. i, 1789. Sir, SINCK I had the honor 10 write to you 011 the 2111 lilt, nothing very material has happened, and indeed I am at present so unwell (ami luve been so for foine time pall) that I coulti ill detail ir, if it had happened,—not that that (pace of time has been entirely barren of incidents ; but as few of them have been of the agreeable kind, I beg you to accept a fort of journal account of them, which will be the eafielt for me. On the asd, the ,indifpofirion that had hung about me for some time, funietiines appearing as a billious cholic, and sometimes as a rheumatic alllnna, to my gr eat faiisfadtion changed to the gout in the left arm and hand, leaving the brealt and (tomach perfectly relieved, and the cough which had been exceifive, entirely gone. This day Mr. Ellis, with sixty militia from Kentucky, joined the army, and brought up a quantity of flour and beef. 23d, two men, taken in the atft of deserting to the enemy, and one for (hooting another soldier and threatning to kill an officer, were hanged upon the grand parade, the whole army being drawn out. Since the army have halted, the country around this and ahead for fifteen mileschas been well examined: it is a country, which had we arrived a month foonet in it; and with three times the number oi ani mals, they would have been all fat now. 24th, named the foxijcfferfon (it lies in lat. 40. 4.^2.N.) and marched, the fame Indian path serving to conduift us about fix miles, and encamped on good ground and an excellent pofitien— in fi oi»«, and a very large prarie, which would at the proper season afford forage for a thousand horses, on the left. So ill this day that I had much difficulty in keeping with the army. 2jtb, very hard rains last night—obliged to halt to day, on account of provisions ; for though the foltliersmay be kept pretty easily in camp under the expedtotion of provisions arriving, they can not bear ro march in advance, and take none a long with them. Received a letter from Mr. Hodgdon, by express ; 13000 cwt. of flour will arrive on the 27th. 26th, a party of militia sent to reconnoitre, fell in with fivelndiansj and fuf fered them to flip through their finger* : in their camp, articles tothe valueof twenty-two dollars were found and divided. The Virginia battali on is melting down v£ry fact ; not withstanding the promises of the men to the officers, thirteen have been discharged by Col. Dark to-day. 27fh, gave orders for inlifting the levies, with thecon dition of serving out their time in their present corps. Pyamingo, arrived incampwith his war riors : I was so unwell, could only fee him and bid him welcome, but entered on no bufu.efi. Considerable diflatisfatflion among the levies a baut their enlistments. 28th, some clothing sent for to Kort-Wafhington for the recruits arrived, was begun to be diltributed, and will have a good effe<ft ; but the inlifling the levies does not meet with the encouragement that might have been exDetfeo : it is not openly complained of by the officers, but it is certainly piivately by some of high rank, and the measure of tempvrg 'hem with warm clothing condemned. M:. hodgdon ARTHUR St. CLAIR.
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