of north latitude, one hundred and twenty miles west of the western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by said Commonwealth, and from thence by a line drawn north, parallel to, and one hundred and twenty miles west of the said west line of Pennsylvania, and to continue north until it comes to forty-two degrees and two minutes north latitude; whereby all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction, and claim, of the State of Connecticut, to the lands lying west of said line to be drawn as aforementioned, one hundred and twenty miles west of the western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by said Commonwealth, shall be included, released, and ceded to the United States, in Congress assembled, for the common use and benefit of the said States, Connecticut inclusive.' Now therefore, know ye, that we, the said William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges, by virtue of the power and authority to us committed by the said act of the General Assembly of Connecticut, before recited, in the name, and for and on behalf of the said State of Connecticut, do, by these presents, assign, transfer, quitclaim. cede and convey to the United States of America, for their benefit, Connecticut inclusive, all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction and claim, which the said State of Connecticut hath in and to the beforementioned and described territory or tract of country, as the same is bounded and described in the said act of Assembly, for the uses in the said recited act of Assembly declared.

"In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and of the sovereignty and independence of the United States of America, the eleventh." [Clarke's U. S. Land Laws, 103.]

XII. INDIAN TREATIES, CESSIONS AND GRANTS.

It has been remarked, that the right of Europeans to which the people of the United States were subrogated, was the right of acquiring the soil of the native proprietors by extinguishing the Indian right of occupancy. Immediately after the conclusion of the definitive treaty of peace with Great Britain, the Indian territory northwest of the Ohio received the especial attention of Congress, and George Rogers Clarke, Richard Butler and Arthur Lee, were appointed Ministers Plenipotentiary to proclaim peace to and treat with the tribes. in that region.

At Fort McIntosh, January 21, 1785, those gentlemen met the sachems and warriors of the WYANDOTS, DELAWARES, CHIPPEWAS, and OTTAWAS in council, where peace and the protection of the government were guarantied to the latter upon conditions of reciprocity, and the following boundary line between the United States and the Wyandot and Delaware nations established, viz: Beginning at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and running thence up the said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down said branch to the forks above Fort Lawrence; thence westerly to the portage of the Big Miami; thence along said portage to the Great Miami; thence down the southeast side of the same to its mouth; thence along the south shore of Lake Erie to the place of beginning. The posts of Detroit and Mackinac, and a belt of six miles on the eastern margin of the peninsula of Michigan were relinquished to the United States. [Congressional Journals of 1785, 1: 390.]

At Fort Harmar, January 9, 1789, Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwestern Territory and Minister Plenipotentiary for settling boundaries with Indian nations, concluded a treaty with the HURONS, DELAWARES, OTTAWAS, POTTAWATTAMIES, and SACs, in and by which the boundaries

contained in the treaty of Fort McIntosh were confirmed, and "all lands cast, south and west" thereof, claimed by said tribes, were relinquished to the United States. [Journal of Congress, 1789, 1: 393.]

At Greenville, August 3, 1795, General Anthony Wayne, then commanding the western division of the army of the United States, to put an end to the Indian wars on the frontier, and to restore harmony between the United States and the HURONS, DELAWARES, SHAWANESE, OTTAWAS, CHIPPEWAS, POTTAWATTAMIES, MIAMIS, EEL RIVERs, Weas, KICKAPOOS, PIANKESHAWS, and KASKASKIAS, concluded a treaty of peace with said nations, in and by which the old boundary line was confirmed, and the following tracts of land, being sixteen in number, ceded to the United States, viz: One piece of land six miles square, at or near Loromie's store; one piece two miles square, at the head of the navigable waters or landing on the St. Mary's river, near Girty's town; one piece six miles square, at the head of the navigable waters of the Auglaize river; one piece six miles square, at the confluence of the Auglaize and Miami rivers; one piece six miles square, at or near the confluence of the rivers St. Mary's and St. Joseph's; one piece two miles square, on the Wabash river, at the end of the portage from the Miami of the lake, and about eight miles westward from Fort Wayne; one piece six miles square, at the Old Wea towns, on the Wabash river; one piece twelve miles square, at the British fort on the Miami of the lake, at the foot of the rapids; one piece six miles square, at the mouth of the said river, where it empties into the lake; one piece six miles square, upon Sandusky lake, where a fort formerly stood; one piece two miles square, at the lower rapids of Sandusky river; the post of Detroit, and all the land to the north, the west, and the south of it, of which the Indian title had been extinguished by gifts or grants to the French or English Governments; and so much more land

to be annexed to the district of Detroit, as should be comprehended between the river Rosine, on the south, lake St. Clair on the north, and a line, the general course whereof should be six miles distant from the west end of lake Erie and Detroit river; the post of Michilimackinac, and all the land on the island on which that post stood, and the main land adjacent, of which the Indian title had been extinguished by gifts or grants to the French or English Governments; and a piece of land on the main to the north of the island, to measure six miles on lake Huron, or the strait between lakes Huron and Michigan, and to extend three miles back from the water on the lake or strait; and also, the island De Bois Blanc, being an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation; one piece of land six miles square, at the mouth of Chicago river, emptying into the southwest end of lake Michigan, where a fort formerly stood; one piece twelve miles square, at or near the mouth of the Illinois river, emptying into the Mississippi; one piece six miles square, at the Old Piorias fort and village, near the south end of the Illinois lake. In return, the United States relinquished their claims "to all other Indian lands northward of the river Ohio, eastward of the Mississippi, and westward and southward of the great lakes and the waters uniting them, except one hundred and fifty thousand acres near the Ohio rapids, the posts of St. Vincennes and Fort Massac, and the lands occupied by the French settlers. [U. S. Laws, 1: 398.]

At Fort Wayne, June 7, 1803, William Henry Harrison, Governor of Indiana Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, concluded a treaty with the same tribes in and by which sundry matters of difference between them and the United States were adjusted, and the land included in the term "post of Vincennes," defined as follows: "Beginning at Point Coupee, on the Wabash, and running thence by a line north seventy eight degrees west twelve miles; thence by a line parallel to the general course of the Wabash, until it shall be

intersected by a line at right angles to the same, passing through the mouth of White river; thence by the last mentioned line, across the Wabash and towards the Ohio, seventytwo miles; thence by a line north twelve degrees west, until it shall be intersected by a line at right angles to the same, passing through Point Coupec and the last mentioned line to the place of beginning." [Clarke's U. S. Laws, 159.]

At Vincennes, August 7, 1803, a council was held, in which the United States were represented by William Henry Harrison, and all the tribes named in the treaty of Fort Wayne, except the Weas, by their own sachems and warriors, and a treaty concluded confirming the treaty of Fort Wayne. [Id., 161.]

At Vincennes, August 13, 1803, the same Commissioner concluded a treaty with the KASKASKIAS, in and by which the latter relinquished all the Illinois country, except a tract of three hundred and fifty acres near Kaskaskia. [Id., 172.]

At Vincennes, August 18, 1804, the same Commissioner concluded a treaty with the DELAWARES, in which the latter ceded to the United States all their right and title to the country between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, and below the tract ceded by the treaty of Fort Wayne. [Id., 173.]

At Vincennes, August 27, 1804, the PIANKESHAWS ceded to the United States all their right to land below Clark's Grant, between the Ohio and the Wabash.* [Id., 175.]

At Fort Industry, July 4, 1805, the sachems of the HURONS, OTTAWAS, CHIPPEWAS, MUNSEES, DELAWARES, SHAWANEES, and POTTAWATTAMIES, ceded all land within one. hundred and twenty miles of the western line of Pennsylvania. [Id., 162.]

At Grouseland, near Vincennes, August 21, 1805, Gen.

*Clark's Grant, was one hundred and fifty thousand acres of land granted to the officers and soldiers of Colonel Clarke's regiment, who, under his command, reduced the posts of Kaskaskia and Vincennes, during the Revolutionary War. [Harrison's Discourse.]