James Madison Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/03-11-02-0316

To James Madison from Josiah Meigs, 16 August 1816

From Josiah Meigs

General Land Office 16th August 1816.

Sir

I have the honour to transmit with this, a letter from Mr Creighton, of Ohio.1 The Law of May 20th 1812 (Laws of the U States Vol 11—page 191)2 defines the northern boundary of the State of Ohio, by a line running from the “Southerly extreme of Lake Michigan to Lake Erie.” The length of that line, if the mouth of Calumet River be considered as the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, is about One hundred & forty Miles. The line may be run & marked by a Skilful surveyor, if the southerly Extreme of the Lake is well defined. That Lake is more than 250 miles in length; & its waters, according to the seasons & the winds, must advance more or less to the south. It is desirable that the President enable the Surveyr General to ascertain what is the southerly extreme. The law of Apl 19. 1816 relative to Indiana, defines its northern boundary as “an East and West line drawn through a point ten miles north of the southern extreme of Lake Michigan.3 I have the honour &c

J M

Printed copy (Carter, Territorial Papers, Michigan description begins Clarence Carter et al., eds., The Territorial Papers of the United States (28 vols.; Washington, D.C., 1934–75). description ends , 10:663–64).

1The letter has not been found, so it is unclear whether Meigs received the letter from William Creighton Sr., who JM had appointed an assessor for Ohio on 21 Dec. 1813 (Senate Exec. Proceedings, 2:441, 444) and was a receiver in the land office in Chillicothe, or from William Creighton Jr., who was a Republican representative in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Congresses).

2See U.S. Statutes at Large description begins The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America […] (17 vols.; Boston, 1848–73). description ends , 2:741.

3Ibid., 3:289.

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