- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Report of the commissioners on the part of Georgia for running the boundary line between the states of Georgia and Tennessee, 1818 July 13 to W[illia]m Rabun, Governor of Georgia / J. Camak ... [et al.]
- Creator:
- Camak, J.
- Contributor to Resource:
- Stocks, Thomas
Montgomery, Hugh, fl. 1831 - Date of Original:
- 1818-07-13
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Treaties
Boundaries
Cherokee Indians--Government relations - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
United States, Tennessee, 35.75035, -86.25027 - Medium:
- official reports
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Commissioners on the part of Georgia for running the boundary line between Georgia and Tennessee report to Georgia Governor William Rabun (1817-1819) on their activities. Commencing at Nickajack on the 12th of May, the commissioners outline how their observations and measurements determined that the 35th degree latitude was south of town. They say that a rock was set up at the point where the line was begun, and they go on to give a detailed account of their work, mentioning that they stopped at Ross's (the home of John Ross ?). The map originally accompanying this report is no longer attached. (The running of this boundary is ostensibly relative to land acquired during the Treaty of Cherokee Agency, July 8, 1817.)
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc775
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc775
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc775#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc775/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Telamon Cuyler, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 06, folder 08, document 04.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
To His Excellency Wm [William] Rabun Governor of Georgia.
Report of the Commissioners on the part of Georgia for running the boundary line between the states of Georgia and Tennessee.
On the
12th. May we arrived at Nickajack. This place had been generally supposed to be near the 35th. degree North Lat. [Latitude] Upon taking observations, however, on a variety of stars, it was found to be North of it. We removed some distance South and fixed our observatory on the top of the Rackoon Mountain. After a series of observations had been taken we found ourselves a small distance south of the 35th degree. We removed our observatory northward and commenced a third series of observations. The mean of these made us still too far south. We could not remove our observatory farther to the north on account of the mountain: we therefore ascertained the required degree by a measurement due north from the place at which our last observatory was fixed, taking great care to reduce our measurement by the usual methods.
After having ascertained the point of commencement, we set up a rock to mark the place. This rock stands on the north side of the mountain, 87 chains south of
Page: [2]
the bank of the Tennessee River, and about 20 chains south of the Nickajack cave
The surveyors proceeded with the line; and arrangements were made to ascertain at Ross's where the line must pass. When the surveyors came on we found that the line had been correctly run so far.
At McNair's 48 miles from Nickajack we took observations to ascertain the accuracy of our proceedings, and found that no error had been committed.
We then extended the line to the top of the Unacoy Mountain. This being the boundary between the states of Tennessee N. Carolina we proceeded no farther.
The map which accompanies this report will shew [show] the watercourses and principal mountains over which the line passes.
[Signed] J. Camak Math. [Mathematician]
[Signed] Thos. [Thomas] Stocks Comr. [Commissioner]
[Signed] H [Hugh] Montgomery Surv. [Surveyor]
Milledgeville
13th July 1818
Page: [3]
Report.
Page: [4]
Report &c. [et cetera] of the Comrs. [Commissioners] appointed agreeably to a resolution of the Legislature passed
20th December 1818. to ascertain, run and mark the boundary between the States of Geo: [Georgia] & Tennessee-
Ordered to be filed
13th July 1818.
J. Cawak