Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-06-24
THE MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA
BOUNDARY.
From the Baltimore Amcrican.

BOUNDARY.
FROM the Baltimore American.
We suppose that this mater, which has
been in controversy for more than TWO ccntur-
i4s, will be submitted to arbi!ra'Ors within the
next two or three mouths, aud 1t Is desirable
,hat it should be known, on both sldcs OF the
propuScd boundary, precisely what territory is
10 be given up and what is to b. acquired ty
each.
The Potomac river, fl wing in a southeastern
~ direction, empties into the Chesapeake bay
ut i point near the thirty ghh h parallel Of lat
nude. The mouth Is very wide Point Look
out, The extreme southern projection OF 81.
Alary's county, forming what might be called
the upper Jaw and Smith's Point, gu the
Virginia shore, the lower. Ga the eastern side
the Pocomoke river, flowing iu sou,hwesterly
direction, emptcS into Poccnoke Sound at a
point near the thirty eighth parallel OF latitude
If We consider the Sound the mouth OF the
RIVER We Fl d that the upper jaw" (Which Is
the ,xtreue southern projection OF Somerset
couuty) is nearly opposite the lower Jiw' OF
the mouth of the Potomac The Chesapeake
L,y lies between, the side next to the Mary
land shore b,iug fruged with islands, straits
and sounds. Maryland has no jurisdiction over
The land or water which lies TO the south of a
line drawn from Smiths Point las She con-
,rudS) on the Virginia shore to some other
roint in Pccomoke Sound, but to locate this
l,ac through and over the suuldS, straits aud
islands that Intervene Is no easy task.
We eau only state what Is claimed on each
sidr, without giving the facts traditions or ar
guulrnts by which the same is supported.
l,rd Batimore's charter gives him all that
TART OF the Peninsula between the ocean on the
cas-, and the bay of Chesapeake GU the west,
81, tad fr.,p rba pt Il
rht liue drawn from the promoutory or head
land called Watkins Point, situate near the
BAY aforesaid, near the river Wighco on the
| n,st, unto he great ocean on the east. As
/ son as Lord Baltimore coonSts began to Set
i tr on the shores OF Pocomoke Sound, con-
uoyer>y arose as to W! a. particular headand
! Wa i, signatcl "WalklLs' Point 10 he orr
| v'ual charter As early as 1868 the Virginia
Assembly sent commission, consisting OF five
1 Surveyors and two burgeSses to hLd WarkDs'
Point and 10 demand obedience to the royal
. | G,yrrumeut OF Virginia froui all who dwele
nth Of right liue drawn from that point to
a tie ocean 1t was not, however, Till 1868 that
II the place was finally located and the line
II drawn which now separates Worcester couu-
II ", NJ ryland, from Acccmac county. Virgin
u ia. Nobody knows. however, what place on
ID ,hr shore was designated as "Wa,kius Point
u IL and whoever looks at map Of Maryland will
notice that Somerset county prnj rcts away to
s@ the south of the line that divides Worcester
from Accomac. In point OF fact, Lord Baltl-
s# more ; cvonists paid very little attention to
81 Capt Smith maps and the claim of Virginia
Rs. tr jurisdiction over waters lying to the north
81 oi the uncertain Watkins Point rests on the
4 acI that he called places by their wrong Dames,
Z aid had very imperfect knowledge OF the
u contour of the shores along which he sailed.
a 1t is roncnded by the Virginia Commissioners
q thai what is known the Scarborough line
N witch divides Worcester from Accomac)
should be projected westward, aud that the
b lo>ut at which it strikes the Chesapeake Tor
h rather Tauglcr Sound at the mouth of the
81 Little AnucmeSSrX river, is the watkins
81 Point agreed on. by Philip Calvert aud Col.
ssS Scarborough. / his would give Il considerable
ss slice oi SomcrSet county (nciuling the town
a i Cri>ticld) tc Virginia. Ot course Maryland
will not consent TO any such locating OF
Watkins Point AS this Virginia prop"s-
81 to draw Il line from Point Lookout (St.
SlaryS county, to the north hcadlaTd at the
b. mouth ct' .hc Little Ancemcs>ex, on 1anglcr
81 Sound, and TO take ch'.rgc OF all the islands
5@ nd oyster beds that H." south of this line. She
M i>o claims that the Scarborough and Calvert
E art of Somerset county which lies to the south
81 II righ,luy belougs to her. We presume,
owcvcr that by way OF compromise she would
E. wliug 70 ccde this little strip OF territory
IL 10 Maryland We would have to cede Smith' :
Ei Land TO Virginia If the proposed hue should
& II ruu
e We give brief summary of the plan Of settle.
8 Ten, proposed by our Commissioners, In the
sr>l place it is cnntended that "the Watkins
8 ont mentioned in Lord Baltimore charter,
81 las the extreme southern projection Of the
'rnlu>ula between Little AnnemeSSex river
S.li Pvcomoke sound, and that the head
Es4ni' has since been divided into the islands
Es,,w called Great Fox, Little Fox, and Watts
IS hey claim that the "Wishco' of the charter
& ien'icle with the Pocomoke. The Mary
EJ4nd Commissioners also show that the Scar
M o'oush line was not run from point at the
ys-outh of the Little AunemesSeX OH Iangler 5
I>Jual, but from the point on the Prcomoke
vrr, where the dividing line between Worces-
E.F and Accomac counties now terminates. 1t
BE- - appears that the said lioe was not run due
Es.-> but d, fl .cted to the north tive degrees
hitcen MINUTES, aud gave to Virginia near
"a avcu thousand acres of land that belonged
rs Maryland. lu the proposed compromise,
MS viewer, this lire is not to be disturbed. Mary
NsNl is wiling that the boundary line across
.e Chesapeake should be drawn from Smith s
M ''l' the lower jaw of the mouth of the Po-
M 'A1cl to Cedar Straits, at the southern pro-
ES 0ion OF Somerset county, thence TO the cen
nj .! the channel of the Pocomokc river;
ne erce up the channel of said river TO the point
l'>lte the place on the shore where the line
'fh divides Worcester county from Accomac
III slh> The citizens of the two States are to
- the right to fish aod to take oysters in
ks'uller Sound and Pocomoke Bay in commou.
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