that, many years since, looking to that source as the only true point, her Legislature had authorized commissions charged with the ascertainment of the true head or source of that river, and with a view, as expressly stated in their resolutions, to the correction of any error which may have been committed by Mr. Ellicott. The results of those commissions were communicated to the War Department, for the information of the President. The President may believe himself authorized to conform the instructions of the Commissioner to the terms of the treaty; if so, your operations can be renewed in the Fall. Otherwise, an opportunity must be afforded to the Congress to reconsider the subject, that the provisions of the act may be made to correspond with the provisions of the treaty. With great consideration, dear sir, GEORGE M. TROUP. TO THOMAS SPALDING, ESQ. Commissioner, &c. Copied from the original. J. G. BELL, Secretary, &c. ENCAMPMENT IN THE WOODS, Near the junction of Flint and Chattahoochie, DEAR SIR: Without entering further into the discussion, at this time, of what ought to have been the boundary line between Georgia and Florida, I believe I shall but consult the interests of both by joining with you in extending the line between the junction of the Flint and the Chattachoochie rivers, and the point of our departure at St. Mary's. If, hereafter, the Governments we represent believe the object worthy of a more deliberate examination, I rely, with confidence, that justice will not be denied to the party that might be aggrieved by our determination. And I beg of you to accept assurances of my sincere respect and esteem. To Gov. RANDOLPH, Commissioner, &c. &c. T. SPALDING. ENCAMPMENT ON THE WYTHLACOOCHIE, MY DEAR SIR: Having this moment returned from the compass and chain party, I am the better reconciled to the manifest result of the intelligence communicated by having just found the return line. intersect the Wythlacoochie twice upon this day; thereby leaving a slip of land on its north and east side belonging to Florida, and another smaller slip on its opposite side belonging to Georgia. The torrents of rain lately fallen, which bar our passage eastward from this, by the swell of small creeks, at present, have, of course swelled the Wythlacoochie also so greatly as to make long offsets, upon uneven and roughly covered ground, absolutely necessary, and I left the surveyor employed in making them. He has, in person, swam the river once, with every man of the party this time, and would have it to swim again twice more; indeed, it is by no means certainly otherwise than twice more in addition, if we were to deny him the facility of an offset, the error of which (and such operations are never without error) must inevitably be carried on, augmenting with the distance, to the eastern end of the line, as already agreed upon according to the previous understanding between us of our respective authorities. Now, all our consolation hitherto has been derived from the hope that we should, in returning, strike so very close to the point of our original departure as to satisfy all minds, and put an end to questions about boundaries older than the Government of Georgia itself, as much older as that is than our United States. All such hope being now extinguished, I cannot pass over this opportunity, hurried and constrained in conveniences as it is, to make it publicly known, for future benefit, that, at another and a healthier season than that of the tropical rains, which we have lately borne without any other roof than a very flimsy tent, it would be quite pleasant to ford the same river, not more than knee deep, at the very same places. The offset which became absolutely necessary at the Oclocknie, had already given us discouragement enough. This is the time for me to write, what I have repeatedly said to you, that the President of the United States ordered the Secretary of War to give me the act of Congress, and the report of the commissioners appointed in consequence of the obligatory provisions of the treaty between Spain and the United States, of October, 1795, as all my instructions, accompanied with the usual injunctions of all possible economy in the expenditure of the appropriation, which a hope was expressed might be found more than sufficient, and a charge as to accountability, with a requisition to note and communicate all the information I might probably obtain, geographical or other, which might possibly be of use to the Government of the United States at any future time. I did myself raise the question about the meaning of the term "junction of the rivers," believing, before, that the geographical position of the two ends of the line had been long ago settled, and unexpectedly finding that the eastern was disputed, I, naturally enough, threw open that of the western also, by showing that it was fairly disputable: for Watson had, ex parte, determined it for Georgia, supposing the decision of Ellicott and Minor rejected, and McNeil had adopted Watson's decision. Now, Watson's mark of the western extremity is many feet higher than that of McNeil, upon the same trees, of a kind which cannot live out of water; and the latter is one mile, or perhaps more, to judge by the eye and report, without measuring, below the real "junction" of the waters of the rivers, which have really been blended that distance above, at the point where the banks before separate, and identifying the different rivers, have united. I did also give it as my private opinion, that the Spanish words used in the treaty of 1795, had been falsely translated for it did not mean head springs, but source or origin of the river St. Mary's, ("nacimiento,") which makes a very important difference: for that river had its origin in very extensive marshes, which are supplied entirely by rain water, and not at all by springs; although, no doubt, some feeble head spring might be found to be the furthest off from the mouth of the river, and, possibly, further south than the point agreed upon and designated by Ellicott and Minor as the geographical position of the true source of the river. But these are questions to be decided by higher powers and intelligence than ours, and I drop them altogether. I conclude, then, by assuring you, in writing, what I have already done often enough in speech, that my predilection would certainly be for Georgia on all questions, as I now very bitterly regret my not having settled there in 1803, as I deliberately then intended, were I not completely restrained at all times, first by an enthusiastic republican honesty, and next by my feelings for the little State of Florida, which is now so very near its birth to a destiny very high indeed, if anticipations are allowable; founded upon the felicity of its climate, the fertility of its soil, and its most extraordinary hydrographical advantages for uniting, with facility and cheapness, the ocean and the gulf. Let me not omit to assure you that my proposal to discontinue proceedings while we were still on the Apalachicola, proceeded from the extreme anxiety I had all along felt at never having received from the Department of War the report of Ellicott and Minor, the journal of the former, an authentic document, having been all along my sole guide; and for the satisfaction I felt in the relief from that anxiety afforded by the declaration of Governor Troup, that Georgia would not be bound by any decision that we might make upon the ground the act of Congress had compelled me to take: for I did then, and I do now, sincererly believe that I was running much risk in proceeding throughout without authority, which could give right to any conclusion in which I was concerned, and which I might fail ultimately to receive in time, as it had been promised me immediately by a letter from the Department of War, dated December 23d last, and had not then or now arrived. I trust you will not forget, what you have often acknowledged, and Mr. McBride has constantly confirmed, that the water was entirely too cold for him and his men to have carried chain and compass through the marsh of fifteen miles of uninterrupted length, at any time earlier in the spring than the first of March, when we commenced. I cannot let this opportunity pass without testifying zealously to the high moral and intellectual worth, the scientific attainments, the hardihood, perseverance, and determined resolution, with the excellent disposition for republican command, of that gentleman. Any unlucky choice of character for this party which you may have made, I forget in the strong feelings of esteem and kindly regard which I shall ever entertain for yourself, as also of gratitude and admiration for your charming family, now enjoying in tranquility all the delights of Sapelo, where you will soon have the felicity to join them. I part in perfect good will to all, forgiving that rudeness in some of your men, which is founded, perhaps, in temperament, but is, nevertheless, truly painful, in its effects, to men of my age, who love quiet, and literature, and science, alone, in this world, after their own family. Permit me then, before I conclude, to express my very high esteem for Mr. Bell, whose deportment, conduct, manners, and opinions, have been entirely unexceptionable to this hour from that of our leaving Darien. I will reply to the latter part of your letter tomorrow, when I have more time, and shall have given more consideration to it. I am, my dear sir, Most sincerely, your friend, As well as your most obd't ser'vt, T. M. RANDOLPH, Sen. T. SPALDING, Esq. Commissioner, &c. MY DEAR SIR: Accept my thanks for the kindly sentiments contained in your letter of yesterday, in reply to mine communicating Gov. Troup's instructions. I certainly conceive that, from the nature of the country in which we have been acting, our labors could not have been carried on in the winter; and this I believe to have been the opinion also of Mr. McBride. Will you permit me to say, in the closing of our labors, that the direct control of our men in camp was what, in the commencement of our undertaking, was as little in my expectation as in my inclination, and that our situation did not admit any careful selection of persons for the service. The boisterous hilarity of some, I have too often felt to be little reconcileable to the tastes of either yourself or myself; but I hope and believe that soon all that was wrong will be forgotten, and only what may be pleasant to remember, will be remembered by either of us. For myself, my dear sir, anxious for your esteem, I shall be proud of your recollections. To Gov. RANDOLPH. With esteem and respect, &c. T. SPALDING. DEPARTMENT OF WAR, May 22, 1827. SIR: I have had the honor to receive the copies of the correspondence between you and the Georgia Commissioners, and regret the circumstances which have made it necessary to discontinue your operations in running the dividing line between Georgia and Florida. As your duties, therefore, have ceased for the present, you can return to your home as soon as it may suit your convenience to do so. Previous to which, however, I request your attention to the case of Major Baley, which was, some time since, referred to you for your examination and report. I have, &c. &c. TO THOMAS M. RANDOLPH, Esq. JAMES BARBOUR. Message from the President of the United States, transmitting copies of communications from the Governor of Georgia, relating to the line dividing that State from the Territory of Florida. To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: WASHINGTON, 22d January, 1828. By the report of the Secretary of War, and the documents from that department, exhibited to Congress at the commencement of their present session, they were advised of the measures taken for carrying into execution the act of 4th May, 1826, to authorize the President of the United States to run and mark a line dividing the Territory of Florida from the State of Georgia, and of their unsuccessful result: I now transmit to Congress copies of communications received from the Governor of Georgia, relating to that subject. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Milledgeville, 20th Nov. 1827. SIR: On the question which has arisen between the State of Georgia and the United States, during the recent effort to mark the boundary line between this State and the Territory of Florida, it will, it is presumed, be satisfactory to you to examine, before the meeting of Ĉongress, the evidence on which the State relies to establish the fact, that the source of the St. Mary's is the lake or spring from which issues the most southern branch of that river, and therefore, the spot at which must terminate the straight line to be drawn from the junction. of the Flint and Chattahoochie rivers, according to the second article of the treaty between the United States and Spain of the 27th of October, 1795. The subject having been brought before the General Assembly by my predecessor, and not yet acted on by them, it would be improper for me to do more, in transmitting that evidence, than to request your attention to it; no doubt being entertained that its force and importance will be duly weighed. I have the honor to be, With perfect consideration, The PRESIDENT of the United States. JOHN FORSYTH. SYT Copy of the report of John McBride, Esq. relative to the source of the St. Mary's river. EATONTON, August 7, 1827. SIR: Agreeably to your instructions of the 20th of June last, requiring me, under the direction of Thomas Spalding, Esq., Commissioner, to ascertain the true head or source of the St. Mary's river, I proceeded immediately to Darien, in order to join Mr. Spalding. For |