and is called, the Western Reserve, or New Connecticut. It extends one hundred and twenty miles from east to west, and on an average is fifty miles in width, from north to south. Its area contains about three million eight hundred thousand acres. Five hundred thousand acres of this tract, off the west end, the state of Connecticut gave to certain sufferers by fire, in the revolutionary war. A part of the ceded lands, lying along the Ohio river, including the mouths of the Muskingum and Hockhocking rivers, was sold by the old congress, to the Ohio Company. This was the first sale of lands before the present constitution of the United States was adopted. It was sold for one dollar an acre, payable in congress notes, at twenty shillings in a pound, whereas the interest on those notes made them worth twentyeight shillings and sixpence on the pound at that time. These securities were funded under the constitution of the United States, and became a part of the national debt, from that time forward until paid off within the few last years. So the Ohio company made a very bad bargain for themselves with congress. John Cleves Symmes, of New Jersey, was the next purchaser of land in Ohio-he bought of the old congress, the land lying between the mouths of the two Miamies, and extending northerly, so as to contain six hundred thousand acres. Symmes gave sixty-six cents an acre for his land.

On the 13th day of July, 1787, congress assumed the jurisdiction of this territory and passed an ordinance for its government, by the provisions of which ordinance, the territory was to be governed by a Governor, Secretary, and three Judges. The President appointed these officers. These persons were to make the laws and execute them. This form of defective government was to continue, until the North Western Territory contained five thousand free white male inhabitants over twenty-one years of age, when the people were authorized to elect a legislative house of assembly. The house of representatives of the United States' congress, were to nominate a legislative council, and this legislative council and the assembly were authorized to appoint a delegate, to congress.

This second grade of colonial government was to continue until the population of each part of the North Western Territory into which it was eventually to be divided, (not less than three nor more than five states) amounted to sixty thousand. Then this colonial government was to cease, and such territory was to become a state, and be admitted into the Union, on the same footing with the original thirteen states. This act of the old congress of 1787 contained other provisions of the greatest value. By that ordinance there was never to be either slavery or involuntary servitude in the territory northwest of the Ohio river. All the larger streams were declared forever to be highways, and remain free from all obstructions, to all who wished to navigate them. They were declared to be highways, and so to remain forever. These are the most material provisions of this ordinance of the old congress.

Virginia had reserved the land lying between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers, which she gave to her soldiers of the revolution, belonging to the continental army, as a reward for their services. This we call the Virginia military tract. And the United States had promised her soldiers who served during the war of the revolution, lands for their services; so congress laid off a tract for that purpose lying south of New Connecticut, extending from the Ohio river on the east, to the Scioto on the west. This is the United States military tract. There were some refugees, during the revolutionary war, from Nova Scotia, to whom congress gave a slip of land extending from the Muskingum opposite Zanesville to the Scioto, at Columbus; it is several miles in width. The remaining part of the state was surveyed by congress and is now mostly sold. That portion of our state, not until then purchased of the Indians, was ceded to us during Mr. Monroe's administration, except some small reservations. In the United States' lands, the Virginia military, and in part of Symmes' purchase, the original owner obtains his patent from the United States' land office. Lands ceded to Ohio, by congress, on condition of making certain canals, our Governor and Secretary of state give deeds to the purchasers of those lands.

FIRST SETTLEMENT OF OHIO.

PERIOD SECOND.

THIS PERIOD COMPRISES THE TIME DURING WHICH THE TERRI

TORIAL GOVERNMENT EXISTED, COMMENCING APRIL 7TH, 1783, AND ENDING ON THE ADMISSION OF OHIO INTO THE UNION, AS A STate, february 19TH, 1803.

THE Ohio company, and John Cleves Symmes, having purchased, the lands, as we have stated, the company having purchased the tract on the Ohio river, including the mouths of the Muskingum and Hockhocking rivers; and Symmes, the country between the Miamies-the Ohio company, early in April, 1788, took possession of their land at the mouth of the Muskingum, and Symmes, in the autumn of the same or next year, settled near the mouth of the Great Miami at the North Bend, where General Harrison, his son-in-law, now resides, on the same farm.

Under the act of congress of July 13th 1787, Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor of the North Western Territory. Samuel H. Parsons, James M. Varnum and John Armstrong were appointed Judges. The latter not accepting the office, John Cleves Symmes was appointed in his place. Winthrop Sargeant was appointed Secretary.

The Governor and Secretary, and Messrs. Parsons and Varnum followed Rufus Putnam and associates, to the mouth of the Muskingum where they had settled on the 7th of April preceding. These officers landed at Marietta on the 9th of July 1788. Judge Symmes joined them soon after their arrival.

It was on Wednesday morning July 9th 1788, that Arthur St. Clair, governor of the North Western Territory, arrived at Fort Harmar. This fort had been previously erected by General Harmar, on an elevated piece of ground, opposite, and west of the mouth of the Muskingum river. On the 15th day of July, the governor published the ordinance, of congress for the gov ernment of the Territory. He published also the commissions of himself, of the secretary, and those of the Judges, Samuel H. Parsons and James M. Varnum.

Having assembled the people of Marietta, he addressed them in a speech of some length, explaining to them, the ordinance of congress under which they had settled down in a vast wilderness. Three days after the delivery of this speech, St. Clair sent a letter to the judges, calling their attention to the subject of organizing the militia. Instead of attending to this all important matter, and without even answering the governor's letter, these Judges on the 27th of July, sent St. Clair, what they called "a projet" of a law for dividing real estate. This bill was so loosely drawn up that had it become a law, the non-resident owners of land, would have been swindled out of all their lands, by the resident proprietors. This projet was rejected by the governor. On the 26th day of July, St. Clair by proclamation, created the county of Washington, having within its limits. about one half of the present state of Ohio. He erected a court of probate about this time. He divided the militia into two classes "senior" and "junior" and organized them, by appointing their officers.

In the senior class, Nathan Cushing, captain; George Ingersol, lieutenant; James Backus, ensign.

In the junior class, Nathan Goodale, Charles Knowls, captains; Wanton Casey, Samual Stebbins, lieutenants; Joseph Lincoln, Arnold Colt, ensigns.

The governor proceeded to appoint civil officers, to wit: Rufus Putnam, Benjamin Tupper, and Winthrop Sargeant, justices of the peace. On the 30th of August, the governor established a court of Quarter Sessions, and appointed several

other justices of the peace, viz: Archibald Cary, Isaac Pierce, and Thomas Lord, Esquires, giving them power to hold the court of Quarter Sessions. They were in fact, judges of a court of common pleas. Return Jonathan Meigs, (our late governor) was appointed clerk of this court of Quarter Sessions. Ebenezer Sproat was appointed sheriff of the county of Washington.

illiam Callis was appointed clerk, of the supreme court, Ebenezer Sproat was appointed colonel of the militia. Rufus Putnam was appointed Judge of Probate, and R. J. Meigs, junior, clerk of that court.

St. Clair by his proclamation, ordered the 25th of December 1788 to be kept as a day of thanksgiving.

On the 2d day of January 1790, St. Clair, at Fort Washington, now Cincinnati, organized the county of Hamilton, containing within its limits, the western half of this state.

He created the same offices at Cincinnati, that he had at Marietta; and he filled them as follows, viz.

William Goforth, William Wells, William McMillian, Judges of the common pleas and Quarter Sessions; Jacob Topping, Benjamin Stites, John S. Gano, justices of the peace; John Brown, sheriff; Israel Ludlow, clerk of the court of common pleas. Israel Ludlow, James Flinn, John S. Gano, Gershom Gard, captains of the militia. Francis Kennedy, John Ferris, Luke Foster, Brice Virgin, lieutenants. Scott Traverse,

Ephraim Kibby, Elijah Stites, John Dunlap, ensigns.

On the 5th January 1790, a law was enacted ordaining, that the courts should be held four times in the year; on the first Tuesdays in February, May, August and November.

From Fort Washington St. Clair and Winthrop Sargeant, his secetary, descended the Ohio, and on the 8th day of January they were at the falls of that river, commissioning officers there, and proceeding as they had done, in the two counties of Washington and Hamilton. From Clarksville, they proceeded westward, and at Cahokia, erected the county of St. Clair, and created and filled all the necessary military and civil offices, in that county. The dangers of those times may be learned from an ordinance of the territorial government en