Page: [1]  
 
 
 
2nd April 1818 
Sir 
as the time is fast aprouching [approaching]  when we will have to set out to Run the Northern boundary Line, perhaps it will not be amiss to adress [address]  you a few lines on the subject of arangements [arrangements]  in order that when aur [our]  instructions are Received they may be [illegible text]  as to some points, on [added text: which ]  your Excellency ought to be consulted, & on [deleted text: which a ]  which we may not have an oppertunity [opportunity]  to consult you after we Recieve [Receive]  our General Instructions, & first I have for a Long time feared that the state would find out a secret whenever that Line was Run (& a secret [added text: two [to]  ]  which would not Relish verry [very]  well with hir [her] ), in Runing [Running]  the above Mentioned Line, I fear (& that fear is founded on the opinion of several persons pretending to know) that the 35th Deg [Degree]  of North Latitude will be found South of Nickajack Contrary to all our Maps, & the Generaly [Generally]  Recd [Received]  opinion founded there on 
 
 
Page: [2]  
 [illegible text]  should that prove to be the case where are we to begin?  
[deleted text:  [illegible text]  ]  Secondly, Mr Stacks in a letter to me mentions that you seem to be of opinion that four will be sufficient for Chain & ax men, so it appeared to me at first thought, but on Longer Reflection it appears to me that the Interest of the State would be promoted by allowing us to employ five say two Chain & two ax men & one to act as Circumstances might Require, in Runing [Running]  the Distance of that Line through an entire Wilderness & a Great part of it the worst of mauntains [mountains], it would be Rare & not to be expected that we Should have neither sickness nor accident among our little company, in either Case the whole might be Detained by the Defalcation of one an other Circumstance which it is more then [than]  probable may Occur, in Mountains like those we have to traverse whose 
 
 
Page: [3]  
Bawels [Bowels]  are full of Oars [Ores], we may & no Doubt will find many places where our needle will not traverse, here we will have to go bac [added text: k ]  to where it will, & Run or steer with Flag staffs, this will Require three Men independant [independent]  of Chain & ax men, indeed Sir I Can picture to myself a thousand instances where at least one spare hand would be of importance to the service, - if on second Reflection your Excellency should think with me will you be so good as to write me on that subject in time as Mr Stacks writes me he will have to trust to me intiry [entirely]  to imploy [employ]  them  
As the arangement [arrangement]  now stands I mean that we commence at Nickajack, it will be necessary that we have some of the pracious Mettals [precious Metals]  along with us, (& so I have written Mr Stacks) all our Supplys [Supplies]  will have to be procured from Indians who know nothing of Bank Bills, & indeed those are becoming scare [scarce]  articles in the up Country, if there is any of the Shining Stuff about the Treasury It is all important that he [unclear text: should ]  have some [document folded: of ]  it  
 
Yours &c [et cetera]  
[Signed] Hugh Montgomery  
 
 
 
 
 
Page: [4]  
 
his Excellency William Rabun Milledgeville Georgia Mail  
 
Letter 
Hon: H. [Hugh]  Montgomery 
dated  
2d. April 1818.  
 
[illegible text]   
1818. [illegible text]