Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1844-01-26
From the Cincinnati Ga zet,e.


We have received through The kindness of some
unknown friend, n discourse delivered a, Puts
burpb, Dec. ), 1913, by NEVILLE b CRAIG, Esq
upon "a topic OF dome stu history, which ha. e
read with deep interest.
As The Author well remarks, there many
thousands of intelligent citizens. ct the Ohio
country, who are Thoroughly versed IN fnre,gn
and ancient History concerning Persia and Rome
who do no, knop that Pennsylvania and Virgin I'd
were once brought INTO n state OF open war, on
account of dispute on the western boundary OF
the former Sinie.
Mr.. Craig tho first person who has under
taken a fuii detail Of this controversy. II arose
in ,h,s manner: Ia 1850, the King of England
made n grant 10 WIN. Penn OF the lands. between
the beginning of the 40,h degree north latitude.
and the completion Of the 42d, bounded the
east by the Della RIVE, said lands 10 extend
westward 5 degrees IN longitude. 10 be computed
from the SAID 3, stern boundary" On the south
n grant had been IN de To Lord Biitimore IN
1882 including all Of The 4Oh degree. far
west ms the meridian of The ''tirs, fnunan OF the
River Potomac, the degrees OF west longitude,
extending be yond the meridian Of the Potomac.
WIN. Penn. while he yielded the width of de-
gree TO B,Iunore's elder grant, claimed that por
ton ives, Of his meridian down to the completion
Of the 80 degree Of latitude ) degrees long, and
from thence IN a line parallel to the Delaware
RIVER in all its meanders norlhward 10 The AID
parallel Of lntitute.
Tho difficulty between Maryland end Penn
svvania was settled by Mason and Diron. two
English surveyors. who run the line between
those two proprietors 10 l7b9.
Virginia ella, med that PENIS western boundary.
under The ,rne construction OF the grant. should
be a parallel Of foe degrees west of the Delaware
wher. the 40 parallel of latitude cut that stream.
The great subject Of the CONTROVERSY was Fort
Pit, which the Vlrg,nians had garrisoned in 1852
The ensign and his forty men, whom they had
placed there, were taken by the French; a I'D
thew in turn by Gen. Forbes 10 l75S; but the
British n, the beginning of their troubles with
tbs coloniss had evacuated the post prior 10 1913
In the latter par, of This year, John Conally.
ting under authority from Lord Dlnmore. Cow
ernor Of Virginia. took military possession of the
Fort. Arthur st Clair, afterwards general Of
the revolution and governor of the northwestern
territory, then Justice OF the peace for West
moreIand county, Pa, arrested Conally and put
him in all at jamestown. the county seat.
Dunmore commended that Pittsburgh fifty
miles within the colony Of Virginia, TO which the
Ohio country was supposed to belong, and The
Governor Of Pennsylvania prov ed by surveys that
1t was sir miles within the five dgrees of lon.
giude from the Delaware river due east from the
Fort. Conally, who had been released on bail
returned, in pursuance Of his bond. TO the cour,
at its sitting April 9th, l774; bui brought with
him $50 armed men, and turned the court out Of
doors. Troops were raised and mutual arrests
and releases hv force followed eath other during
the season. Bot, after much anger and trouble.
10 which the colony Of Virginia appears 10 have
been clearly in the wrong, line was agreed up
on by commissioners as II now stands.
The Maryland limo was produced TO FIVE de.
grees Of Longitude, measured upon that parallel
being 800 AZ 40" north. and for the west line
IF Pennsylvania a meri'ian Of longitude drawn
to Lake Erie. Ii Wm Penn's construction Of
OF the grant to him had been followed, the State
Of Ohio would have approached within sir miles
Of Pittsburgh.