Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-26
G r OV Err ISL A D
Investigation Develops That It Belongs
Wholly to the United States.
The Fact Discovered by Examination
of Old Records and Deeds by the
Navy Department.

1t has just been discovered that Grover
Island, In Camden county, Georgia, the
ownership of which has been apparently in
doubt for nearly hundred years, belongs
wholly to the United States. The matter
was recently brought to the attention of As
s.stant Secretary McAdoo Of the Navy De-
rartment by Mr.. Rufus S. Lang of Sat!lla
Bluff, Ga, who desired to know whether 1t
was land included in the act passed last
Congress restoring certain lands not needed
for naval purposes to the states in which
located.
What Investigation Showed.
An investigation showed that the island
had been conveyed to the United States by
Josiah Tattanal and wife in the year 1T79,
and was described in the original deed us
containing 800 acres. more or less"
Whether the island was originally pur-
chased on account of the live oak timber
thereon is not entirely clear. For many
years after its purchase the government.
does not appear to have asserted any rights
Of ownership over it. An attempt to enter
the tract under the pre-emption laws of the
state OF Georgia, or at least to occupy and
Lam Williams. Protracted litigation re-
sfecting the title followed. In 1883 "con-
sent verdict" was rendered in the case, and
by decree Of the circuit court for the south
was ad1udged to be in the United States
Final return under the writ of possession is
sued in pursuance of this decree was flied
April u, 1SSS.
Never Part of the Public Domain.
1t therefore appears that the status of
Grover Island is not that of an ordinary
tract of land reserved from the public do
main by executive order. On the contrary,
the island was conveyed to the United
States by deed, and had never been part of
the public domain. The act authorizing the
restoration of certain lands not needed for
naval purposes 10 the public domain re-
ferred only to lands in the states of Ala
lama, Florida and Mississippi According
to the law officer of the Navy Department
the lands OF Georgia, one of the thirteen
original states, were not carved out of the
public domain and tract lying within
ITS borders cannot be affected by any en-
actment relating to the public domain. He
says: 1t appears that Grover Island is the
property of the government, having been
duly purchased and conveyed to the United
States by deed nearly hundred years ago;
that the Navy Department has no author
ity under any existing law to relinquish the
claim of the government to this tract and
that any disposition of it, which would au-
taorize its entry under the presumption
laws of the state of Georgia would have
to be made by Congress, which alone has
authority to sanction the alienation of
lands owned by the United States
Records Defective.
A curious feature of this case is that the
records of the bureau of construction and
repair do not show that the United States
owns the island, and it also appears that
the commissioner of the general land office
did not include 1t in list supposed to en-
brace all lands reserved for naval purposes
The governments clear title to 1t was as
certained, however, by a search Of the old
records on file in the office of the Judge ad-
vocate general of the navy, which had not
been supposed to contain evidences of title.
This explains why the general land Office
had not included the tract in the list of
reserved naval lands.