Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-01-10
REPORT or
CHARLES JAMES FAULKNER.
Relative to The Boundary line bet,cee. Yngi
ma and .nmytaad
REPOR Oh
MiRrINssURa, November 6. 1899


MA and .naytaad
MsRTINssURe, November 6, 1899
SIR: Ia executions ola commission address
Sed to me by your excellency, aud made out
IN pursuance Of a JOINT resolution of the gen
"ral assembly of tins state Of h Goth of
March last, | have directed my attention to
he collection Of such testimony as the Lanse
OF time and the nature of TIA enquiry have
, --.".''-'' no 10 procure touching ''the settle
| nient and adjustment OF The western bounda
" Of Maryland The division line which
now separates the two states on the west, and
which has heretofore been considered as fix =
I'd by positive adj Udication and long aconies
cence. commences al point where the Fair
fde stone Is planted, al tire read spring of
the Potomac river, and runs thence due north
20 the Pennsylvania line This is the bouli-
Diary by which Virginia has held for near IA
century; ii is the hue by which she held in
1855, wben the compact MAIZE hy the Fir
ginIa ana slarylan'i commissioners was sol
emily ratified hy the legislative authorities
Of the two states
Aa effort is now made By the general as
semhly of Maryland, 10 enlarge her territory
ny the establishment of different DIVISION
line. We have not been informed which
fork Of the South branch she will elect as the
new boundary. but the proposed line i, 10
run from one of the forks of the South branch
thence due north 10 The Pennsyl vania ferns
hus II is needless to say that the suhslitu
ton Of the latter line, no mater al which
fork It may commence, "a uld cause an i'm
portant dimInniion 10 the already diminished
territorial area Of this state 1t would derive
us large portions ofthe counties of Hamp
shire, Hardy, Pendleton. Randolph ard
Preston. amounting in all. to almost hall
million OF acres-a section Of the common
wealth winch, from the quality OF its soil,
.p;i Tie character OF lis population ght
wen excite the cupidiiy of government res.
ting her CLAIMS upon less substantial basis
than state and groundiess pretension of
NOR than a ceHturys antiquity. although
my instructions have directed nv attention
more particularly to the collection and pre-
OF the evidence OF such living Wit
nesses las might be able to testify to any
facts or circumstances in relation 10 the set
tienient and al i,stment ofthe western boun
Diary +" have cons umed but very nconsM
erabe portion OF my time in any labor or en-
qniry of that sort, for who Indeed. now ll9-
ing. could testify to any .'iacts or circumstan,
ces' which occurred nearly a century since?
And if such individuals were now living, why
waste time in taking dispositions as to those
facts m proof Of which the most ample
and authentic testimony was taken in 1876,
AS the basis of royal adj ,dicatlons have
consequently deemed it more of Importance
to procure the original documents where
possible, if not, authentic copies of such pa
pers as would serve TO exhibit conn ected
lew the origin, progress and termination
Of that controversy with the crown, which re
suited. after the most accurate and Iaborious
surveys, IN the ascertalnment of those very
facts and 'circnms tauces" which are now
sought to &c made again the subjects Of dis
cussion and enquiry. In this pursuit have
succeeded far beyond what had any ground
for antlcipaton;' and from the almost forgot
ten rubbish Of past years, have been enabled
to draw fourth cuments and papers whose
Interests may survive the occasion which re-
deemed them from destruction.
To enable your excellency to form just
conception Of the weight and Importance of
thu evidence herewith accompanying this re-
port, beg leave to submit with it a sucrinct
) ateuent of the question in issie between
the governments of Virginia and hIaryladd,
with sr,n- observations showing the reieven-
CIV of tue evidence TO the Question thus pre-
sented
The SerfHory Oh hdfyidhu SIdhteu pg
Cherries [. to lord Baltimore in June 1852,
was described IN the graprss ''thst region.
bounded by line drawn from Watkins
point on Chesapeake h;.9 to the ocean on the
east. thence to that PIT OF the estary OF Del
aware on the norHi, which lieth Under the
4Oh degree. nheye New England is termi-
mated; thence in right line by the degree
foresaid. TO The msridian Of The fountain Of the
Potomac; thsnce following IT'S course 10y ITS
farther bark TO its confluence" (.hdrsllots
Life Of Washington, vol. /, caap. III pa. rs 81,
Isl edition
Ii IS plain that the western boundary Of
this grant was the meridian OF The Potomac
from the point where If cut the 4Oth degree
az North latitude, 10 the fountain OF The IL