which however ardent and devoted, is equally destitute of experience or instruction. For those reasons I earnestly wish to decline the appointment, while I cheerfully accept the proposal of immediate service. The Executive has already honored me far, very far beyond my merits, by promotion in the Cavalry. Not wholly uninstructed in that service, though I dare not aspire at distinction, I may hope to be not entirely unserviceable. I beg, therefore, that my services may be accepted in that situation where they may be employed most usefully to the State and most satisfactorily to me. In such an arrangement I do not ask such a force as is suited to my rank, but any, however inferior, which the Executive may bestow. I will not, however, conceal the embarrassment which the office of immediate service as Brigadier has occasioned me. Should the Executive consent to accept my services in the Cavalry, I decline, without hesitation, the Commission now proffered. But if the offer of service be inseparably connected with the new appointment, if I am to be excluded from the field except in this new office, I have no alternative but to accept it. My Country may have cause to regret my inadequacy, but she shall never doubt my readiness to devote my life to her defence. In this last event, I hope it will not be deemed arrogant if I solicit of the Executive the selection of some officers who are willing to accompany me into service, and on whose talents, activity, and skill I should greatly rely to sustain me in my command. I would beg too that as much time should be allowed me for previous arrangements as the publick good may seem to authorize. I am, &c. 1812. Dec. 23, WM. TATHAM TO THE GOVERNOR. Dec. 27, I do myself the honor to request that you will be pleased to make known to the authorities or persons to whom it may belong, to provide Washington City for the safety of your ports, harbours, or rivers, or to any respectable body of our citizens who may be associated for such purpose, that I am prepared to demonstrate by such drawings or models as may be reasonably required of me, the means of securely fortifying any point or position suitable for defending such places against a maritime enemy, by means of certain works which can be rendered shot, shell, and fire proof, and which can be placed in deep water if necessary. By other contrivances wholly my own patent-right inventions. I am further prepared to demonstrate and to direct the construction of means of greatly annoying or defeating the most powerful squadron or fleet of any maritime power 1812. Dec. 27, Washington City which may venture to invade us. The materials for such undertaking being very cheap and general throughout our coasts, and our maritime Militia the select force to be employed chiefly at or within reach of their respective habitations. Knowing several hundred miles of our least known inland coastwise navigation intimately as well as the resources of the adjacent maritime countries, and possessing authentic charts, surveys and manuscripts of the whole, I am in a condition to open a correspondence on any particular of these designs on which it behooves me to be acquainted as directing Engineer. I am, &c. Dec. 30, Richmond JOHN H. RICE TO THE GOVERNOR. Your note of the 10th inst. was handed me this morning at the Hall by my excellent friend Major Quarles, and I cannot but hasten to give expression to those emotions which it is so well calculated to excite. It affords no small pleasure that the motives which prompted my address were fully appreciated by the Executive, and the expression of your approbation of them was received with peculiar sensibility; but what is most of all gratifying, is the sanction given by the Governor and Council to the measures which are deemed to be of all others best calculated to reclaim our unhappy fellow creatures confined in the Penitentiary; to recall those lost sheep into the fold of the Great Shepherd, and to make even the gloomy walls of the prison to resound with the voice of joy and gladness. It is superflous to say that it will afford me very great pleasure to comply with the requests contained in your note, but I may be permitted to say that I do exceedingly rejoice that the Governor of Virginia, a State of which I have always been proud that I am a native citizen, entertains and expresses such sentiments concerning religion as I have received from you. I hail it as an omen for good to my country, for "when the righteous are in power the people rejoice." It is my prayer that you as our chief Magistrate may be plentifully endued with heavenly wisdom, that in this time of trial your efforts for the common good may be crowned with complete success, and that under your administration Virginia may maintain that lofty character which she acquired in the days of the revolution. Pardon me also for observing that, while I feel it my duty to pray "for the ruler of my people," I can not but most earnestly beg of God to bestow on you personally every blessing of his bounty, and especially to give you that happiness (the best in life), which the religion of Jesus Christ when felt in its influences as well as acknowledged in its truth, can not fail to produce. I am, &c. RETURN I. MEIGS TO THE GOVERNOR. 1813. I have the honor to transmit the accompanying Resolution and request your Excellency to communicate the same to the Legislature of the January 8 State of Virginia. I am, &c. Resolutions relative to the Jurisdictional right of the State of Ohio over the Ohio River. Whereas great difficulties and inconveniences are experienced in the punishment of offences committed on that part of the Ohio river bordering this State, requiring in the opinion of this General Assembly such specific arrangements with the States possessing concurrent Jurisdiction with this State on that part of the said river, as will remove all hazard of collisions of Authority, such as will secure the proper punishment of all crimes thereon committed, within the Jurisdiction to which it may most properly belong; Therefore, Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That the Legislatures of the Commonwealths of Virginia and Kentucky be and they are hereby respectfully solicited to provide for the appointment. of Commissioners on their respective parts to meet such Commissioners as may be appointed on the part of this State, at such time and place as the Executive of Virginia may appoint, to arrange and define by compact the extent and objects of their several concurring Jurisdictions on said river, subject however to the approval of the Legislatures of said Commonwealth and of this State and the consent of the Congress of the United States. Resolved, That the Governor of this State be and he is hereby authorized to appoint three Commissioners on the part of this State to meet such Commissioners as may be appointed by the Commonwealths of Virginia and Kentucky, for the purposes set out in the first Resolution, and that he be requested to communicate the foregoing preamble and Resolutions to the Executive Authorities of Virginia and Kentucky, with the request that they be laid before their respective Legislatures. WILLIAM SLORRETT, Speaker pro tem of the house of Rep. THOMAS KEIKER, Chilicothe, 1813. Norfolk J. P. DEITRICH TO THE GOVERNOR. By some means or other, the Company of Artillery to which I formerly January 10, belonged (Capt. Ott's) has been reported to the Executive as disbanded. Whether this has been right or wrong, I know not. However, I have re-enlisted of the old company and others, thirty-five men who are ready to march, at a moment's warning, as Volunteers. The desire to retain their former name, to-wit: "The Norfolk Volunteer flying Artillery Company," and to be commanded by me as their Captain, Mathew Hubbard, jun'r, as First Lieutenant, and Benjamin Gautier as second Lieutenant. Should the Executive think proper to accept of us, you will be pleased to cover the commissions to me. I am, &c. ABRAM TRIGG TO THE GOVERNOR. January 12, I have now the honor to enclose the report of my transactions as one Richmond of the Commissioners for running the line between the Sciota and Little Miami Rivers in the State of Ohio. I regret exceedingly that it should have been made unaided by the views of General Porterfield the other commissioner. This step has however been unavoidable. On our return to Virginia the General's leg was fractured by a fall from his horse, and his recovery cannot be expected for some considerable time. I am, &c. To His Excellency Governor Barbour: The undersigned, one of the Commissioners appointed in pursuance of an Act of the General Assembly of this Commonwealth, passed the 13th day of February, 1811, entitled an act authorizing the Executive to appoint Commissioners to unite with Commissioners to be appointed, on the part of the United States, in running a line between the lands reserved by and the lands ceded by this Commonwealth in the State of Ohio, respectfully reports: That the undersigned and General Robert Poterfield, on the part of Virginia, and Messrs. James Kilbourn, Samuel Herrick, and William Ludlow, on the part of United States, having assembled at Xenia, in the State of Ohio, agreeably to the appointment of the President of the United States, on the 26th day of October last, proceeded to the execution of the Service they were by law directed to perform. The Commissioners proceeded from Xenia to the fork of the little Miami River, and some doubt arising which of the forks was the original Branch of Richmond the River, directed the Surveyor to survey and meander both to their re- 1813. spective sources, noting the width, depth, and length of each, and to January 12, lay down his work on paper, in the form of a map, for the better information of the Commissioners. This service was accordingly performed by the Surveyor. His Notes Number 1, and his Map No. 2, are herewith submitted. The Commissioners then proceeded to examine the line run by Israel Ludlow, under the direction of the Survey-General, and found its beginning marked on a large tree, upon the ridge which divides the waters of Point Creek from the Eastern branch of the little Miami 120 poles east of the source of the said Branch, and taking its course N. 20 W., and running 41 miles to the Indian boundary line. The Commissioners then proceeded towards the source of the Scioto River, and instructed the Surveyor to extend Ludlow's line from the Indian boundary line to the Scioto, that they might know where it would intersect that River. The source of the Scioto they found to be a pond, called by the Indians a little lake, covering about a quarter of an acre of ground and of great depth, yielding a considerable stream of water until it enters a large prarie, whence it looses its channel and spreads over it. From this prarie it issues in three channels, all of which unite in a small distance below it. Ludlow's line being extended, and intersecting the Scioto River about five miles below its source, the surveyor was directed to run a line from the pond or Lake agreed upon as the source of the Scioto River, to the pond agreed upon as the source of the east branch of the little Miami River, which was accordingly done, and a map made of the sources of the Rivers Scioto and little Miami, the line thus run (marked on the Map Robert's line), together with the line run by Israel Ludlow under the direction of the surveyor General, and a line from the fork of the little Miami to the junction of the three streams of the Scioto that issue from the prairie as aforesaid, all of which lines will appear by an inspection of the Map No. 2, which is herewith exhibited. Accompanying this Report is herewith also submitted a Map No. 3 which gives a full view of the Rivers Scioto and little Miami from their mouths to their sources, together with their relative and Geographical positions. On this map a line is drawn from the source of Scioto to the mouth of little Miami, which the undersigned believes to be the true and proper boundary line between the lands reserved by this Commonwealth for the benefit of the officers and soldiers of the Virginia line on continental establishment, and the other lands ceded by this Commonwealth to the United States, according to the true intent and meaning. of the deed of session aforesaid, bearing date the first day of March, 1784, and is the only line which can be drawn between the Rivers Scioto |