INDIAN BOUNDARY LINE.

W. S. HANNA, MILLERSBURG.

The Indian Boundary Line, sometimes known as the Greenville Treaty Line, or Wayne's Treaty Line, had its origin in the closing events of the Revolutionary War. As an historical land mark it has no equal in the early history of this country. Around its history cling many of the most stubborn and sanguinary conflicts and border outrages, that so distinctly marked the closing of the eighteenth century.

On every good map of Ohio it will be noticed that a line starts on the northern boundary of Tuscarawas county, and passes in a south of west direction through the county of Holmes and on across the State to the counties of Shelby and Mercer. What is this line? Why is it there? Who established it, and when, are the frequent inquiries made, and which have not been heretofore answered in such form as to come within reach of the general reading public. To briefly answer these questions, in such form as will reach the general public, is the sole apology for the preparation of this article.

At the close of the Revolution, by the treaty of Paris completed on September 3, 1783, Great Britain relinquished all her rights to the territory claimed by the thirteen original colonies, and recognized the sovereignty of the United States of America. The treaty of Paris did not extinguish whatever title the Indians claimed to have within the colonies. And in order to establish perpetual peace with the Indian tribes the Continental Congress appointed Oliver Wolcott, Richard Butler and Arthur Lee as commissioners to make such treaty with the Indians as would extinguish their title to the lands in the Northwest Territory. The commissioners proceeded to Fort Stanwix, New York, and there met the representatives of the Iroquois or Six Nations, who claimed to have conquered all the western tribes and on October 22, 1784, entered into a treaty whereby the Iroquois relinquished

all their pretended claims and titles to the lands north and west of the river Ohio. This treaty was approved by the Continental Congress, but it was learned soon thereafter that the Iroquois had falsely made claim to title to lands in the Northwest Territory, and that their intrusion into said country had proved fruitless to them.

Thereupon the Continental Congress appointed George Rogers Clark, Richard Butler and Arthur Lee as commissioners to meet the Indians claiming title to the lands in the western country, and make, if possible, a treaty extinguishing their title. to the same. The commissioners at once proceeded to Fort McIntosh, at the mouth of Big Beaver Creek, in western Pennsylvania. Here they met representatives of the Delawares, Wyandots and other tribes, who, on January 31, 1785, entered into a treaty with said commissioners whereby said Indian tribes relinquished all their right and title to all the lands situated south and east of a line commencing at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, thence up said river to the portage between the Cuyahoga and the Tuscarawas, thence across said portage and down the Tuscarawas to the "Crossing Place" above Fort Laurens, near where Bolivar now stands; thence in a westerly direction to the portage between the Great Miami and Auglaize, near where stood Loramie's store; thence down the Auglaize and Maumee to Lake Erie.

This treaty was afterward confirmed by the Continental Congress under the mistaken belief that the Indian title to the lands had been completely extinguished, to the territory covered by the treaty. In pursuance to this belief, on May 20, 1785, Congress passed an act providing for the survey and sale of the lands northwest of the Ohio river, to which the Indian title had been extinguished. As soon as this work was commenced, the powerful Shawnee tribes appeared on the scene and contested the right of Congress to lay claim to the lands in which they had an interest. This resistance by the Shawnees caused Congress to appoint another commission consisting of George Rogers Clark. Richard Butler and Samuel H. Parsons, who met the Shawnee chiefs at Fort Finney near the mouth of the Great Miami, where, on January 31, 1786, a treaty was signed by the terms of which the Shawnees relinquished their title to all their lands lying east

and south of the line established by the treaty of Fort McIntosh with the Delawares and Wyandots.

Again it was believed that peace had been permanently established between the western tribes and the United States. Emigration commenced to move rapidly toward the Ohio country, only to be again annoyed by Indian resistance and merciless butcheries. As an excuse for these depredations, the confederate tribes of the northwest joined in a powerful remonstrance to Congress in December, 1786, wherein it was claimed that the treaties above named were only partial treaties and did not bind the several tribes which took no part in the several conventions, and sought to justify their right to the whole country northwest of the Ohio, by virtue of the old treaty of Fort Stanwix, made in 1768 with the British Government.

The Continental Congress had now become exasperated at the unfaithfulness and treachery of the confederate tribes, and in order to meet the remonstrances squarely, determined to establish civil government in the Northwest Territory at the earliest time possible. The ordinance of 1787 was passed and Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor. He arrived at Marietta on July 9, 1788, and on July 27 issued his proclamation establishing Washington county with the following boundaries: Beginning at the Ohio river where the western boundary of Pennsylvania crosses the same; thence north to Lake Erie; west to the mouth of the Cuyahoga river; thence up said river, across the portage to the Tuscarawas and down that river to the crossing place above Fort Laurens; thence west to that branch of the Great Miami on which stood the fort taken by the French in 1752; thence south to the Scioto river; thence with said river and up the Ohio to the place of beginning. Officers were appointed by the governor and an attempt to establish civil government in the county was made.

This attempt to establish civil government seemed to incite rather than allay the infractions by the Indians. And Governor St. Clair found it necessary to make a further attempt to establish peace, and called the chiefs of the various confederate tribes together at Fort Harmar, where on January 9, 1789, he succeeded

in obtaining separate treaties confirming the treaties made at Fort McIntosh and Fort Finney.

These separate compacts were no more effective than those that preceded them. Indian depredations continued, even more cruel than before. Congress now realized that the only means. left by which peace could be secured and the settlers protected, was by force of arms. An expedition was sent against the treacherous savages in 1790 under General Harmar which met with defeat; and another was sent out in 1791 under Governor St. Clair which met the same fate. General Wayne was then placed in command, and in August, 1794, at the "Battle of Fallen Timbers," he administered such a stinging rebuke to the Indian Confederacy and its British allies that they never recovered, and Indian conspiracy in the northwest came to an end.

As a direct result of the victory of General Wayne, he repaired to Fort Greenville in what is now Darke county. There the principal chiefs of the confederate tribes assembled, and on August 5, 1795, a treaty was consummated which extinguished forever the Indian title to the lands in the Northwest Territory situated south and east of the boundary line described as follows: Beginning at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river; thence up said river to the portage; thence across said portage and down the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum to the crossing place above Fort Laurens; thence in a westerly direction to that branch of the Great Miami at or near which stood Loramie's store; thence northwest to Fort Recovery; thence in a southerly direction to the mouth of the Kentucky river.

President Washington, on December 9, 1795, reported Wayne's Treaty by special message to the United States Senate, which afterward confirmed the same.

The gateway to the northwest was now open, and on May 18. 1796, Congress enacted a law providing for the survey of the outlines of the territory recently acquired from the Indians, and among other things provided for the appointment of a surveyor general, who was given power to appoint the necessary number of deputy surveyors and administer the oath to them. Another provision in said law was that the cost of surveying said outlines should not exceed three dollars per mile.

Vol. XIV - 11.

The surveyor general appointed one Israel Ludlow a deputy surveyor under said law, and he was assigned the task of surveying the line agreed upon by Wayne's Treaty, and which had been the subject of contention for so many years.

How Ludlow performed this task is herewith given, much of which has been taken from his report of the survey to the gov

ernment.

The survey was under the personal direction of Israel Ludlow, Deputy Surveyor of the United States. The chain carriers were William C. Schenck and Israel Shreeve, both of whom were duly sworn by the deputy surveyor.

A random line was first surveyed in order to ascertain the true course of the Indian Boundary. This random line was commenced on Sunday, June 18, 1797, at a sycamore tree four feet in diameter standing at the fork of that branch of the Great Miami river near which stood Loramie's store, with the magnetic bearing of N. 4 degrees and 5 minutes E.; thence due east 131 miles and 50 chains to the Muskingum river, which was 8 chains wide; thence up said Muskingum river with the meanderings thereof 4 miles, 56 chains and 50 links to the confluence of the White Woman and the Tuscarawas; thence up the Tuscarawas branch with the meanderings thereof to a point opposite Fort Laurens; thence across said river to said fort; thence up said river about two miles to the "crossing place," above said fort, "which was the place named in the late treaty by General Wayne as a place from where a line is to run to that fork of the north branch of the Great Miami at or near where stood Loramie's store."

The courses and distances up the Muskingum and the Tuscarawas are given in Ludlow's notes. From the survey of this random line, Ludlow determined that the bearing of the line connecting the crossing place above Fort Laurens with that branch of the Great Miami at or near which stood Loramie's store and which is near the western line of what is now Shelby county was S. 78 degrees and 50 minutes W.

From Ludlow's report of the actual survey of the Indian Boundary Line the following quotation is made: "Sunday, 9th July, 1797, began a survey of Indian Boundary Line according