can be obtained) to cause to be surveyed, marked and designated, so much of the western and northern boundaries of the State of Ohio, which have not been already ascertained, as divides said State from the territories of Indiana and Michigan agreeably to the act, entitled an act * * ** passed April 30, 1802, and to cause to be made a plat of so much of the boundary line as runs from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan to Lake Erie, particularly noting the place where said line intersects the margin of Lake Erie, and to return the same to Congress." Under this act steps were taken to ascertain the northern boundary. Josiah Meigs, the Land Commissioner, under date of April 18, 1815, writes as follows to Edward Tiffin, the SurveyorGeneral, regarding this question: GENERAL LAND OFFICE, April 18, 1815. SIR: Your letter of the 8th inst. has been received. You have misunderstood me in relation to the boundary line between the State of Ohio and Michigan territory. I had not made any determination that it should not be run. On the contrary, in my letter of the 23d ulto., I wrote, "The act of May 20, 1812, does not require astronomical observations for designating the northern and western boundaries of the State of Ohio, but it would be desirable that the geographic latitude of the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan should be known. You have two good sextants (the old one is much the best of the two), if your surveyor could take that with him, with a good watch and the nautical almanac, he might ascertain the latitude of that point with sufficient accuracy for the purpose at least of serving as a check on any error that might be made by the surveyor, who shall run and mark the northern line, for if by astronomical observations on the shore of Erie, made with the same instrument and by the same person, the surveyor and astronomer shall agree, we may have considerable confidence that the work is well executed." If you have persons competent to the business, and the Indians consent to have those boundaries marked, the sooner it is done the better. I am, very respectfully, sir, your obedient servant, JOSIAH MEIGS. EDWARD TIFFIN, Surveyor-General, CHILLICOTHE. During the summer of 1815, observations were taken by Benjamin Hough, a surveyor, under the direction of Edward · Tiffin, of the latitude and longitude of the chief points in the proposed boundary, especially the north cape of the Maumee Bay. The letter and observations of Mr. Hough are as follows: CHILLICOTHE, June 30, 1815. SIR: Enclosed you have the result of an observation made by me on the 27th day of May last (apparent time, or the 25th astronomical time), at the most northerly cape of the Miami Bay. In making the observations, I used the sextant belonging to your office, which you sent out with me for that purpose. Previous to the observation I adjusted the instrument with great care and precision, by various observations from eight o'clock in the morning, until near noon. And in order to remove any doubts which might entertain in making the necessary adjustments, or in making the observation at the instant the sun was at its meridian height, I took out an excellent quadrant which was used by Mr. William Stephenson at the same time I used your sextant, which uniformly produced nearly the same result upon various trials and observations. BENJ. Hough, Deputy Surveyor. EDWARD TIFFIN, ESQ., Surveyor-General. May 27, 1815, (apparent time) at noon, being at the most northerly cape of Miami Bay, of Lake Erie, and by observation with a sextant belonging to the Surveyor-General's office, carried out for that purpose, I found the apparent altitude of the sun's lower limb to be 69° 10′ 0′′, from which I made the following calculations, viz.: Apparent altitude of the sun's lower limb... Subtract the dip of the horizon, being five feet above the surface of the water, and at five miles distance... Correction for refraction, 32'; subtract ditto for parallax, 3'; difference. Subtract the index error... 69° 19′ 00′′ 00° 15′ 50′′ 69° 34′ 50′′ 0° 02′ 00′′ 69° 32′ 50′′ 0° 00′ 19′′ 69° 32′ 31′′ 0° 2′ 15′′ The report bears the following indorsement: "Calculation. defective, as Mr. Hough applied no correction for sun's declination in longitude, and sun's declination is taken on the 28th of May instead of 27th, the day of observation. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, September 16, 1815. SIR: In my letter of the 8th of August I acknowledged the receipt of Mr. Hough's observations and calculations for the latitude of the northern cape of the Miami of Lake Erie. I find that Mr. Hough has not said whether the Index Error was or, nor mentioned the longitude on which his calculation of the Sun's declination was founded. I have caused a rigid calculation to be made from the data furnished by Mr. Hough, and find that if the longitude he assumed, 82° west, which is near the truth, and if the Index Error be + 2′ 15′′ the latitude is 41° 39′ 47′′; and if the Index Error be-2' 15" the latitude is 41° 44′ 17′′, which makes the latitude in the first supposition 12′ 3′′ less, and on the second 7′ 33′′ less; which in the first is equal to 13m 957 and in the second 8m 745 English miles, without allowing for the spheroidal figure of the earth. You will receive with this, plats of T. 3, S. R. 7, E. 3, meridian. T. 3, S. R. 6, E. 3, meridian. The draftsman observes that these townships do not agree with those adjoining. The north tier of sections appears to have a vacant space. Please to explain and rectify the error. I have sent to Philadelphia for a case of instruments for your use. I wish you to use every exertion to canvass the survey of the Military Bounty Lands to be completed as soon as possible. I am, very respectfully, yours, EDWARD TIFFIN, ESQ., Surveyor-General. JOSIAH MEIGS. During the next year as has been noticed in this report, one of the members of Congress from Ohio, on August 9th, 1816, called the attention of the Commissioner of the General Land Office to this act of 1812 and urged the necessity of action, heretofore held in abeyance by the unsettled condition of the Indian affairs in that part of the country. On the 22d of the same, month the Land Commissioner, General Meigs, directed the Surveyor-General, Edward Tiffin, at Chillicothe, to engage a "faithful and skilled deputy to survey and mark the said northern boundary." The Surveyor-General employed William Harris, "an experienced, skillful, practical surveyor, and in December, 1816, gave him special instructions how to *** tween Ohio and Michigan Territory." run the line be On December 31, Mr. Harris replied as follows: VINCENNES, December 31, 1816. DEAR SIR: At the time I wrote to you last, which was in the latter part of September, I had engaged to lay out a town a few miles below Fort Harrison, which has taken me considerably longer than what I expected. It has been but three or four days since I returned to this place. I have been sorry since I wrote that I had not have been more explicit in my answer respecting running the boundary line between Lakes Michigan and Erie. I believe that I informed you that I did not know but what I would engage in this business which implies an uncertainty. My reasons for answering that part of your letter which relates to this business, in this way, was this: I did not altogether understand what you wanted to have done - whether you wanted a line run from one lake to the other or only the boundary line established between the State of Ohio and the Michigan Territory, or whether you would have the line run between the States of Indiana and Ohio, or not. As the mail leaves to-day, and it will be inconvenient for me to leave this place for two or three days, and perhaps may meet with some delays on the road to Chillicothe, I have thought it best to write and give you a more explicit answer. If the line can be established between the States of Ohio and Indiana at this time, I should be glad to undertake the job. If not, I wish you to employ some other surveyor, for it will be impossible for me to travel so great a distance and establish a line of few miles in length for the compensation allowed. There appears to be a treaty on foot with the Indians, for which purpose a part of the Commissioners are here at this time, and it is said their object is to make another purchase of land. Should this be effected I will survey as great a proportion of this as you will please to give me. With the greatest respect, I am your obedient servant, MR. EDWARD TIFFIN, Surveyor - General. WILLIAM HARRIS. Also in January, 1817, he writes: CINCINNATI, January 12, 1817. DEAR SIR: Your instructions for running and establishing the line between the States of Indiana, Ohio and Michigan Territory I have received. On examination of which I find that I am instructed to commence the line which is to divide the State of Indiana from the Michigan Territory at the south boundary of Lake Michigan and run east to Lake Erie. |