The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-05-22
Metes and Bounds-Frontier Lines.

certainty, 70 sketch the outline.
Assuming, as matter of course, that Tennesseean
Arkansas which have just seeded from the old Union
and North Carolina, which viii undoubtedly secede i'm
mediately after the assembling Of her convention O
the 20th instant will be admitted into the thirty
ing family of Confederate States the mctes and bound
of the Southern Confederacy, on the happening 0
those quickly coming events, will be as follows;
Our coast line on the Atlantic seaboard will extcnC
from the capes Of Virginia cape Sable: and, in con
tnuation on the gulf Of Mexico from cape Sable the
Rio Grande This extensive coast line spread
more than eleven degrees Of latitude and twentyone
degrees Of longitude Ii embraces the well known and
| important ports of Richmond and Norfolk, and Alex
andria, Fredericksburgh, Yorktown and Petersburg,
Virginia; Elizabeth City, Washington, Beaufort, Viii
mington and Smithyillc, North Carolina Georgetown
and Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah Brunswick
Darien and st. Mary's, Georgia; jacksonville New
Smyrna St Augustine, Key West, Charlotte harbor,
Tampa Cedar Keys, st. Marks Apalachicola, PenSa-
eola and St. Joseph, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; Ship
island and Shieldsboro', Mississippi Pontchartrain,
New Orleans, and Franklin, Louisiana; Sabine, Gal
weston, Maagorda, Indianola Lavacca Brazora, Cor
pu Christi, Santiago and Brownsville, Texas with nu-
merous smaller and less important ports.
This coast line includes and gives us command of
the waters Of Chesapeake bay, Hampton roads, the
North Carolina sounds Cape Fear, Great Pcdee San
tee, Ashley Cooper Edsto Colorado Nueccs and
many smaller rivers with their innumerabc atucnts.
More important for purposes Of commerce than all
else includes the waters of the mighty Mississippi
From the grand indentation made by that great in
land sea, Chesapeake bay, to the mouth Of the Rio
Grndc the coast line abounds nnoble bays and sounds
and fine harbors Some Of the latter are for naval as
well as commercial purposes, vastly important we
need only mention Hampton roads Virginia, where the
combined navics of the world canrde safely at anchor
sheltered from the rude storms which so often vex old
ocean, Beaufort barber, North Carolina, and Bruins
wick harbor Georgia, whose great capabilities for ma
val purposes the Confederate States will doubtless in
good time take the proper to develop; Pen
sacola harbor, the Importance of which is well known
throughout the world; and Key West and Tortugas
hubors, the twin formidable naval outposts on the
gulf that guard the gates of the Mississippi,
True, at present the Confederate States have not
yet obtained undisputcd possession Of Pensacola har
Dor, and they have yet to wrest from the northern
government the command of Key West and Tortugrs
but the accomplishment of these things is only ques
ton of time While it IS absolutely necessary that
the Confederate States should possess the great naval
station Pensacola it is equally necessary that they
should possess Key West and Tortugas for the free
dom Of our commerce, and for purposes Of defence.
Assuming, said above, that Tennessee and Ar
kansas, though yet formally admitted, are mem
bers of the Confederacy we thus define its bounda-
rfog 90,
degrees NORTH and 20 west from Washington the ex-
IRENE southern point Of our territory we ascend the Rio
Graude in norhwestery direction to III Paso, in 81
degrees north latitude snd 20! west longitude This
is the extreme western point of present territory
Along this line of frontier border on Mexico Run
ming about half degree north of FL Paso in other
words to - degrees north the frontier line thence
runs east nearly two degrees that is to 26 degrees
estlongitudc, thence due north a degrees say to
364 north, Along the line from FL Paso to the last
mentioned point face to face with the territory
of New Mexico, soon hope to be Incorporated with
the Southern Confederate States
Running three degrees east wiz. to % W. from the
point we last mentioned, which is the northwestern
extremity Of territory there is opposite to us
narrow strip of the Indian territory about half de-
gree in width, which separates our northern Texas
frontier from the southern boundary of Kansas From
394 north, % west, the frontier line runs due south
nearly q degrecs-to about 81 north--thcnce due
east 81 degrees, say to 175 west-to point op
posite Fulton, Arkansas thence nearly due north to
point little north Of BentonyilIc Arkansas, gay in
1863 north. Along the line Of frontier last described
we border on the friendly Indians territory which, we
l. !. 1
Indian nations having already informally declared their
with the remnant Of the United States 1T
an end.
At the last mentioned point the southeast corner of
Kansas is distant about half degree. From the north
western corner of Arkansas, that is a little north Of
frontier line extends due east crossing
the Mississippi little south Of New Madrid Missouri
to point on the Tennessee river, say in about 365
north IL west. Thence it runs north about ! Of
degree, thence due east to a point in the Cumberland
near Tazewell, Tennessee, say in about
Thence north to the vicn-
ty of Greenupsburg Kentucky, say in about 583 north
81 west. Along the line from the northwest corner
Of Arkansas to the last named point we have Oh our
northern and western border the slavchoding States
Of Missouri and Kentucky, the incorporation Of which
with the Confederate States we regard as merely
question Of time which constantly occurring events
are certain to solve at an early day.
At the point opposite the northeast corner Of Ken
lucky that is, the vicinity Of Greenupsburg, We are
or the first time, ranging eastward from extreme
western frontier, brought face with the free States of
he old Union. From the last named point our from
Ter line ranges nort-easterly (the Ohio river dividing
is from the State named) to point in about 40 de-
5rees north, and 4 degrees west, whence a long and
very strip Of Virginia territory, known as the
penetrate for about degrees northward
between the States of Ohio and Pennsylvania, and
orms the most northern point of the Confederate
states Wheeling, the Ohio river is the most i'm
oortant town on this strip.
From point due east of that where the Panhandle
the west the frontier line runs due east
bout J degrees Pennsylvania bordering when the
Maryland line meets it. Then it runs south about half
degree and thence irreguarly in easterly drec-
ion, until at or in the vicinity of IIarpers Ferry, Yr
ginia the extreme northeastern point of territory
he Potomac becomes the dividing line between the
State Of Virginia ana Maryland which latter State We
nope soon to welcome into the Southern Confederacy
IL l.