Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-09
KENTUCKY mission

Amid the tones Of foreign tongue
Is-,-.s.s<Is
KENTUCKY MISSION.
II communication - the legislature of Virciuj, h.,
.'ir Herring, .3gcat, &c. SC
SIR--in discharge of the duties, which ,levo!ye
upon tue agent employed lay the state TO superine,,I
the consunmaon OF the titles To the bounty lands Of
the virginia line, ON state establishment, which lie
west OF lehhessee rNer, it has become necessary
" P sStn' 10 Tue view OF The government the actual
sue u 'loSe ciniS, that IT may lie considered whe-
TIER any measures can lac devised To protect the in
forests ol the claimants from the great injury which
MOI aVeried by the ntcrpoSitiom of the government
WI certainty result 10 them, from the policy which
WITS adopted by Virginia in the wear i785 d, o,a
protection TO the Kentucky frontiers Tic nct Of The
government, which IN thai year prohibited the sur
'eihE o' nose lands anb the subSe uen, legislation
~ kentucky IN re'atio" TO them has placed many of
tha' poruon oil the army whose warrants have been
located west OF Tennessee river in n condi,ion cvcn
worse than lha OF those whose warrants have never
''een located nj all and who have long since been
SSci"o7u from AL prospect OF obtaining anv lands
for the former VIII not only he subjected to the loss
i ihs compensation which the state engages TO nav
'' 'heit services, hut will also probably he involve
"a iheHu icabie mazes OF litigation where n,urb oI
tnei, own means may he eNpended-and in the end
Tue bounty oi their country, instead of being remu
ueanoh Tor the tolls aud porls of The soldiers of The
dIn;s. $50 - "'''' uesee"-
line whole quantity of military warrants rcy ,oc,t
ca "l,on lands west of Tennessee river amounts IN
col o!5 acres portion, probably not exceedng
and hp
Tic clear OF all dicuy. large portion is located
upon sterile lands of kind of value sonc are lo
Sa'ed upon uninhababie marshes some unon i'm
F1 p oI "Suhes some IA the channels of the Ohio
siu "i!ssiSs'lIi and frequently two warrants ARE
iocated upon pr ecIsely the same ground Moro ,,a,
IVo'oooacres are located upon lands included in mn
zen ,enS winch nave been issued upon treasury warrants
IS believed there never existed anv I,r i aut,o.,,,
- appropriate The lands west of Tennessee river Inv
treasury warrants Aud il is certain the entries nm
=" m'1h All nose patents are founded, too vague
=" 'he description oi the lands intended to be app,o
piHteu, 10 De sustained against an cury which com
tais tia requisite precision of description Rpt Tho
Delay nlerposed in the way of the military cla;m,nts
M's IN some Instances, deprived them of the eyi,
Aeice winch wOuid have iIraltlate,I the onnos;ng
$ihimS, or established ther own
In some instances too, there is no yesine remain,
s oil i"n"-nIaris, eicrred to in the entries which
10 appdi ent upon the face of the entry must al The
oi'e oil the Iocation have been objects OF die rea,
eSt hot0rley Z. any in that country and i'm nfl,.rs
ue names ~ which objects are designated in the en-,
Ias, nave 10 Tie lapse of SO years, during which the
cpuhiry was occupied by the Indians hccnmc nhsn
ele and 1t wit he difficult, at this time To- nroc,r.
SyidencCto identify those objects
Ehe act passed by the legislature Of Kentucky in
e year tSHJ directing the mode oil surveying those
Hnds, iorbis the register 10 issue patent ynop any
survey ontinihg othcr land than that descrbed il,
tHe entry ana makes further provision that Il, any
Pileh slall ISSUE on "A survey made contrary 10 To-
ctioh ihe paiedt sial he null and void TO al iuten,s
location. '"' ''''" INC
From THIS enumeration of the embarrassments
WEIGH surround these clanIS aud Il relerence 10 the
PROVISIONS Oh tue law OF kentucky, it is apparent that
IL some modification Of that law cannot ia. nrocnrnI
scene oil unparalleled strife and litigation will en-
SdcI wherever The land is Of value sufficient 90 excitc
contention. The military claimants will lac ipvnlved
~ lliSatiOn wan each other, with the claimants UNI
ugr treasury warrants, aud with future Iand-jobbcrs
VINO VIII, after tIe witnesses dead, or Tie land
MARKS destroyed which identify the entries purchase
TIC lands Tor 'rlile from Kentucky and set I'm
Gain uPo1 p.etcnce, that tie military survey Vas
made vasian i.o:p the location and his witness he
lily. q '''-
AL the evils 10 he apbrehenIed both 10 tfe ;n6;y;
audi claimants aud to the fuGe citizens of lal sec
uon VI country IRON the present situation Of those
c!ns' might be easily ayerted by an act of the le-
glSitture OF Kentucky, which is demanded nj her
tee aud policy. S"'
There Is yet vacant and Incorporated land with
~ the limits oil ihe military district in Kentnrkv
wet Ol e'IJessee RIVER 70 the au0umt Of more Than
l,OO0@O0 VI acres ''''''
u tie legislature would set apart, contiguous 10 the
SohheAen oi entries which Commences ut the from
banks upon the Mississippi "a tract of 300 Ouo ~,
eFon @uJDOO acres aud permit all who should MAXI.
ehoce to DO 50 TO withdraw their entries and re.ocatc
taen within tIia tract, of The claimants where
airy dispute could arise would hesit,te f avail t
selves OF the privilege
lhdl frgDid - bound TO ery cxerlion TO oil.
iY'h some nJdincalion Of the aw Of Kentucky, aud
.a't hehucky IS bound 10 grant it, is Oby iOus from
y
A the close Of the Ntr when Ito ,,,,,,r,;r,o,.
OF Tue bounty lands promised to the army aud nav,
was about 20 De made, II was impossible for each
person INTERESTED 10 attend to his own claim All
o. Tue soldiers aud many Of the officers were destitute
~ ih@ means to delray the expense Of a Journey to
ecu dcAy, To look after their lands, probably from
u'e want Ol The drrcardges Of pay due them which
tbe government was unable TO discharge And the
Ihidnt orphans OIL those, who had fallen in b.ude
couiu not attend 10 their interests ~ the wear 1888
an act lOr surveying the lands given by law Ia the
oe'cCi' au4 sSGi-rs, was passed under authority
~ "hch5 superintendent were appointed, whose
duy~ was made by that act, to direct the location
aud A"iPeying oi al the lands, aRd 10 surrey GOOD
'auHs ohy. IN August 1854, the superintendents
sl'"p'nled ON part oithe Amy AID navy engaged on
1ldle establishment, went down the OHIO AMI Mis-.
HySlph u explore tlHl part of the district st,renri
ted TO the salisiactOn Of the military bouniies which
lac" below tie confluence Of the Ohio aud Tepae..ee
'efs. lhey found the whole country occnpieJ bv
hostile Indians. II was mpFaclicd5lc To pene-
'faie ule interior Vi che country, 90 make any acc
t~e observation upon us topography or soil. They
SoW" act on'y upon lie vague inform ltiOn derived
lro nc sid eTs WHO lad been sutti0ued al Fort JEFF
iefson, 0stf tde mouth OF Tie Ohio Without having
seen tue hni@, they wade entries at different points
o. 'sfgf confessions one eHiry dependant upon auo
ther not knowing what Influence tie position OF the
D,se o inc eOnneNiOD might have upou the exterior
cAtfies hsiakiDg the relative position of the OBJ
J'S referred to, boundaries Of their entries they
produced nlcrferent aud misinforoled as to the
character o. inc conEry, they made the most nnfor-
'vni.e ssieeAoA " !lods.