A Guide to the Springfield Virginia Land Company Surveyor's Books 1799-1800
A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 11038
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Administrative Information
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Preferred Citation
Springfield Virginia Land Company Surveyor's Book, 1799-1800, Accession #11038, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.
Acquisition Information
These two volumes were purchased by the Library from Remember When Antiquities, Acton, Maine, on May 26, 1992.
Scope and Content Information
This collection consists of two manuscript account books,
1799 and 1800, detailing the expenditures and itinerary of a
Connecticut surveyor while on two surveying trips to Virginia,
present-day West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. For the
most part, references to towns, counties and states reflect
the geographic realities of 1799-1800. The unnamed Connecticut
surveyor was employed by the Springfield Virginia Land Company
to correctly survey and prove legal title to lands claimed in
Southwest Virginia and Kentucky. He corresponded with George
Bliss and Gideon Granger about his progess.
The account books record the Surveyor's expenses for lodging, food and spirits, barber's bills, ferry tolls, repair work for equipment, feed for horses, and other horse related expenditures, washing of clothes, payments to blacks for various services, fees related to his surveying activities and court fees, postage, entertainment, and paper. He also mentions taverns and other places where he stayed or ate a meal, his itinerary, the weather, and conditions of the countryside.
The titles of many of the large tracts of land purchased by speculators in this area were badly recorded and became a matter of frequent dispute as the lands became more valuable. By 1800, nearly every piece of land was subject to controversy in the courts about the same time. The Surveyor records his travels on the Wilderness Road during part of his surveying activity.
Account Books
1799 ACCOUNT BOOK
ITINERARY
Itinerary from Connecticut to Maryland : stayed at Granby's, Suffield, Connecticut (Mar 13); West Linsbury (Mar 14); Litchfield, Conn. (Mar 16); Danbury, Conn. (Mar 16-18); Hamburg, Warwick, [New York?] (Mar 22); "the Moravian town called Hope" (Mar 23); Oxford, Easton on the Delaware, 102 miles from Harrisburg (Mar 24); Bethlehem, Allentown, Pennsylvania (Mar 25); Reding (Mar 26); Middletown, fourteen miles from Reading (Mar 26); Lebanon, Penn. (Mar 27); Harrisburg (Mar 28); Carlisle (Mar 29); Shippensburg & Chambersburg, Penn. (Mar 30); Williamsport on Potomac, Maryland (Mar 31); and Martinsburg, [West] Virginia.
Itinerary in Virginia for
April : Winchester (1-3); Strasburg (4); Newmarket (5);
Staunton (6); Lexington (7); Fincastle (8); Montgomery County
Courthouse (9-12); stayed with Major John Taylor (13); Wythe
County
(14); with Almerine Marshall, formerly of Connecticut,
in Wythe
County
(15-17); near Wytheville with Major Robert
Adams, Surveyor for Wythe
County
(18-22); stayed with Almerine
Marshall, Wythe
County
(22-28); and with Henry Harman, Clinch
Settlement, Tazewell
County
(Apr 29-May 1).
Itinerary in Virginia for May :
Clinch Settlement (1); surveying of the Pollard land (May
1-10); return to Abb's Valley, Tazewell County
(10); return to
Clinch Settlement (11-14); left Clinch Settlement for [William
?] Farley's on the East River, Tazewell
County
(14); Bluestone
Settlement, Tazewell
County
(15); Montgomery
County
(16);
Wythe
County
(17-22); with
James
Montgomery (23); with Colonel
Cloyd (24); with Major Parris on the New River (25); [William
?] Farley and the Surveyor at [John ?] Toney's down the New
River (26); with Major Parris, New River (27); Wolf Creek,
Tazewell
County
(28); at the Montgomery
County
Courthouse
waiting for the clerk (28-30); and New Dublin (31).
Itinerary in Virginia for June :
Wythe County
Courthouse (May 31-Jun 4); Montgomery
County
Courthouse (4-8); with
James
Montgomery, [Washington
County
?]
(9); Wythe
County
Courthouse (9-16); left for Abingdon
(16-17); Abingdon, Washington
County
(18-21); Wythe
County
(22); with Almerine Marshall, Wythe
County
(22-27); left for
Randolph
County
(27); with
James
Montgomery (28); with [
James
?] Thompson, Wythe
County
(29); and Lewisburg, [West] Virginia
(30).
Itinerary in Virginia for July :
at Major Renick's, fifteen miles from the Greenbrier County
Courthouse (1); Bath
County
(2); Clover Lick, Bath
County
(3);
at Adam Lee's, head of the Tygart Valley, arrived at Randolph
County
Courthouse and put up at a tavern kept by William
Marteney (4); left for Surveyor's Office at Buckhannon, kept
by Edward Jackson (5); stayed at Edward Jackson's (6); stayed
with John Jackson, Buckhannon (7); with William Marteney,
Randolph
County
(7-13); set out for Clarksburg, Harrison
County
(13); stayed at Ball's, at the foot of the [Tygart ?]
Valley, Randolph
County
(14); with David Jones, Clarksburg,
Harrison
County
(15-16); at John Jackson's (17-23); return to
Randolph
County
Courthouse (23); and stayed at William
Marteney's (23-31).
Itinerary in Virginia for
August : with William Currence, Randolph County
(1);
William Marteney's (1-4); Buckhannon, [Lewis
County
?] (4-7);
with William Marteney, Randolph
County
(7-20); Adam Lee's,
Tygart Valley (21); in woods overnight (22); Adam Lee's,
Tygart Valley (23-24); at Matthias Whitman's (25); at William
Marteney's (25-27); set out for Morgantown by way of
Buckhannon (27); with John Jackson, Buckhannon (28); at
Davidson's, Clarksburg (29); Morgantown (30); and at Gandy's
(31).
Itinerary in Virginia for
September : with [John ?] Ryan (1); William Marteney,
Randolph County
(1-4); with John Ryan (5); at McNeely's (5-7);
at Davidson's, Clarksburg (8); with Major [William ?] Haymond,
Harrison
County
(9-10); at John Jackson's (11-17); rode to
Tygart Valley (17); at William Marteney's (17-19); at William
Currence's, Randolph
County
(19); at John Haddan's (20);
William Marteney's (20-26); set out for Clarksburg &
Buckhannon (26-27); Webster's, Clarksburg (27); and Major
Haymond's (28-30).
Itinerary in Virginia for
October : with Major Jackson (1-8); at Captain Tanner's
(9); returned to [Tygart ?] Valley (10); and the last entry at
William Marteney's, Randolph County
(10-16).
ACTIVITIES & TOPICS IN 1799
ACCOUNT BOOK
barber's bills : March 16, 19, 23, & 26; April 1-3, 6, 22-28; June 8, 18, 24, & 30; July 15; and August 30.
blacks : paid a black boy for tending his horse and blacking his boots (May 17-22); paid black boy to care for his horse (May 24); paid Negro boy (August 25-27); Cloverlick owned by Warwick and worked by Negroes, paid one Negro to plot me to the top of the Alleghany Mountain (July 3).
entertainment : at [ James
?]
Thompson's on Election Day (April 22-28) and also on Jun
24.
fees for help in surveying and related
expenses : paid
Gordon Cloyd for copy of the entry
certificate of the survey and plat of the
Farley land (May 17); persons paid
for help in surveying the
Pollard land , including
Henry Harman for surveying and
exploring the Pollard land,
William Wall for seven days service,
William [Peery] for bringing a horse
down Tug River, and
Hezekiah & Matthias Harman for
carring his pack (May 11-14);
[Gordon ?] Cloyd's office to process
depositions (May 22); paid three witnesses (May 27); paid
state duty on the county
seal (May 28); paid the clerk of the
court for the certificate to
General [John B.?] Preston's survey
(June 4-8); paid
Robert Adams , Surveyor of Wythe
County
, for his assistance and copies (June 24); paid
Colonel Cloyd for copies of the
Miller entries (June 28); paid
Henry Jackson for assisting at
Buckhannon (July 6); paid
Major Haymond for his assistance
(July 15); paid
Edward Jackson for assistance (July
17-23, August 4-7); and paid
James
Shaw for piloting and
assisting in hunting for the beginning corner of the 114,000
acres survey (July 31).
He also paid
John Haddan and
Peter Coonrad for helping in
surveying (August 23); paid
John Deakins, Peter Coonrod, and John
Wilmouth (August 24); paid
William Wilson for the laws of
Virginia (August 25-27); paid
Edward Jackson for copies of plat of
Joseph Tidball , certificate of
survey and entry,
James
Welch plat, Dwight survey and
entry,
Holmes, Gale & Harness plat,
entry of
Dwight Pollard, G.F. Stras plat and
survey,
Standish Ford plat and survey,
Henry Banks plat and survey, and
Grat. & Nathan 22 plats (August
27); paid
William Haymond , Surveyor of
Harrison
County
, for copies of plats and surveys concerning
Abner Cloud, Bentley Banks, John Mailand,
Richard Claiborn , and
Henry Banks (August 27); paid
Thomas Haymond for making drafts of
lands east of the [Tygart ?] Valley (October 9); more copies
of surveys include
Richard Smith, Ely & Booth , and
Miller & Hunt (October 16); and
paid
Major Haymond for copies of
Henry Banks ' survey opposite Beaver
Creek,
Charles Sims survey, and
Standish Ford survey (October
16).
ferry crossings & other
transportation : Kings Ferry at Smiths Glove (March 20);
West Branch of the Delaware River (March 25); Schuylkill River
(March 26); Sweet Arrow River (March 27); Susquehanna (March
28); Potomac River (March 31); James
River (April 8); Brown's
Ferry (May 28); New River (May 31); crossing by ferry (June
4); New River (June 28); tried to cross the Monongahela River
but it was too high (July 15); the turnpike (March 16); and
stage fare (March 16).
horse related bills : March 16, 18, 22, 28 & 30; April 9-12; May 17-22; June 24; July 15; August 17; and September 7, 11, 20.
illness : March 17-18; April 1-3; May 17, & 21-22; August 17; and September 11-17.
liquor : March 16 & 25; April 6 & 15; May 16 & 31; June 4 & 30; July 2, 15, 23, & 31; August 1, 24 & 30; and September 5 & 27.
miscellaneous : bandana (March 18); Day Post (April 4); powder to hunt turkeys (July 14); pocketbook stolen while in courthouse, losing a ten dollar bank bill from the Baltimore Bank, a copy of a letter, and a small memorandum book (June 18); fee for piloting the surveyor through the woods on a dark and stormy night (April 17); and medicine (March 26).
paper to make books, etc. : April 15; May 17-22 & 31; June 24; July 15; August 30; and September 27.
persons : met William Farley at
Captain Shannon's (May 16); saw Gordon Cloyd and Henry Farley
at the Montgomery County
Courthouse (June 4-8); met John
Miller in Botetourt
County
(April 8); met
James
Taylor who
surveyed the Pollard land (April 9-12)
postage & letters : letters from Gideon Granger (August 29 and September 19); George Bliss (April 9-12; May 31; Jun 24; August 30; and September 19); the Surveyor's father (May 31 and September 19); Bethena Granger (September 19); and the Springfield Virginia Land Company (May 17-22); letters to George Bliss and Gideon Granger (April 15).
surveying activities : Farley land
examined, the greatest part covered by the survey of Wilson
Cary Nicholas of 500,000 acres in Wythe County
, took
memorandum to compare at the Wythe
County
office (April 14);
examined the title of the Pollard land and tried to ascertain
where the corner line crosses the Wilson Cary Nicholas survey
(April 17-22); took memorandum from the surveyor's book to
inquire of the deputies (July 7); went up to the river to hunt
for the corner bounds and paid
James
Shaw for piloting and
assisting in hunting for the beginning corner of the 114,000
acre survey (July 31); went up the [Tygart ?] Valley for the
purpose of running lines to connect the Strat survey with
those which intersect (August 20); John Haddan and the
Surveyor start a line from Darby's Corner to Standish Ford's
survey (August 21); started line from Darby's Corner to mouth
of Stewart's Run, employed John Deakins as surveyor, and
completed the line (August 24).
1800 ACCOUNT BOOK
ITINERARY
Itinerary from Connecticut to
Maryland : set out for Virginia in the service of the
Springfield Virginia Land Company (Jan 1); stayed at Pickett's
in Windsor, Conn. (Jan 2); at Colonel Gridley's, Farmington,
Conn. (Jan 3); Bradley's at Litchfield, Conn. (Jan 4); started
for Danbury, Conn. (Jan 5); at Reed's in Bedford (Jan 6); New
York City
(Jan 7); at Sear's in Newark, New Jersey (Jan 8); at
Quibbletown (Jan 9); at Morehead's, Penningtown (Jan 10);
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Lewis Binder's
Sign of the Black Horse (Jan
10-14); at
Sign of the Ship overnight (Jan
15); at Slaymaker's in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Jan 16); at
Gosler's in York, Penn. (Jan 17); at Scot's in Gettysburg,
Penn. (Jan 18); at Amrick's overnight (Jan 19); Williamsport
ferry across the Potomac, Maryland, and overnight at Henry
Clingger's (Jan 20).
Itinerary in Virginia for
January : at Bush's in Winchester (21); at John Snap's
(22); at John Up's near the Shenandoah [River ?] and at Key's,
Harrisonburg (23); at Nichol's overnight (24); Colonel
Matthew's Tavern (25) and at Warm Springs, Bath County
(25);
at William Keysor's at Hot Springs (26); at John Brown's,
Sweet Springs, Botetourt
County
(27); at Major Henley's (28);
at Robert Chamber's in Monroe
County
(29); at John Toney's,
Montgomery
County
(30-31); and rode to home of Major Parris
(31).
Itinerary in Virginia for
February : at Parris's (1-2); at Captain Shannon's (3);
at Colonel Gordon Cloyd's overnight and started for Montgomery
County
Courthouse (4); invited to Smithfield, the ancient seat
of the Preston family, by
James
Preston (5); at Major John
Taylor's (6); at Colonel [Gordon] Cloyd's (7); arrived at
[Captain] Adam's in Wythe
County
(8 -10); rode to the
[Montgomery
County
] Courthouse and put up at [Almerine]
Marshall's (10-13); rode to Captain Adam's and stayed
overnight (13); at [
James
?] Thompson's (14); at Henry
Harman's (15); at Davidson's overnight, Clarksburg 16); at
Henry Harman's (17); at Poston's (18) arrived at Abingdon and
put up at McCormick's (18-22); and set out for the state of
Kentucky (22).
Itinerary in Tennessee and Kentucky for
February and March : at McEldric's, Sullivan County
,
Tennessee (Feb 23); Sherman's, Hawkins Courthouse, Tennessee
(Feb 24); at Gordon's, where the Cumberland and Kentucky roads
fork, Granger
County
(95 miles west of Abingdon), Bean's
Station (Feb 25); crossed the Clinch and Powell Rivers, and
the Cumberland Mountains, stayed with Davis, at the western
foot of the Cumberland Mountains (Feb 26); at Johnson's,
called Logan's Station (Feb 27); at Metcalf's, on Rockcastle
River, new road to Lexington (Feb 28); Park's, Madison
County
,
Kentucky (Mar 1); Colonel Miller's, Madison
County
(Mar 2); at
Postle[weight ?]'s, started for Frankfort (Mar 3-4); at
Ratcliff's (Mar 5); at Wiesiger's, Frankfort, Kentucky (Mar
6); at Green's (Mar 7); at White's, Middletown, Kentucky,
arrived at Surveyor's Office in Jefferson
County
, stayed with
James
Ross (Mar 8-11); rode to Louisville, at the falls of the
Ohio River (Mar 11); at John Harrison's, Louisville (Mar 12);
at Parrish's in Shepperdsville, arrived at Hardin
County
Courthouse (Mar 13-17); started for the Surveyor's Office in
Nelson
County
, Kentucky (Mar 17); at Newman's, Bairdstown (Mar
18-19); rode to Surveyor's Office in Nelson
County
, Kentucky,
started for Jefferson
County
(Mar 19); at Joseph McGrew's (Mar
20); at [
James
] Ross' (Mar 20-23); at Parrish's,
Shepperdsville (Mar 23); at Smith's, arrived at Hardin
County
Courthouse (Mar 24); set out to survey Kentucky land, camped
for the night in the barrens near a creek which went
underground (Mar 25); surveying, spent the night at
McCallister's (Mar 26); stayed with Logstones, who lives on
the survey of 165 acres made for Andrew Hyne (Mar 27); started
for the [?] Settlement and struck the road called the
Cumberland Trace, arrived at the Hardin
County
Courthouse (Mar
28); with the Surveyor of Hardin
County
at the Courthouse
making drafts (Mar 29-30); with
James
Crutchens, started for
Bairdstown (Mar 31).
Itinerary in Tennessee and Kentucky for
April : at Newman's, started for Jefferson County
(1);
at Joseph McGrew's (2); with [
James
?] Ross (3) at Green's, to
Frankfort, crossing the Kentucky River (4); at Wieseger's,
Frankfort, Kentucky, arrived at Lexington (5); at
Postle[weight]'s, left Lexington, crossing the Kentucky River
(6); Colonel Miller's, Madison
County
Courthouse (7);
overnight at Collin's, Rockcastle River (8); crossing the
Cumberland River, at Davis' at the foot of the Cumberland
Mountains (9); at Lane's, Powell's Valley, crossed the Clinch
River (10); at Major Dyer's, Hawkins
County
Courthouse (11)
and at Wilfred's, rode 43 miles to Abingdon and put up at
McCormick's (12-16).
Itinerary in Virginia for April and
May : started for Wythe and Montgomery Counties
(Apr
16); at Major Bowen's (Apr 17); at Almerine Marshall's, Wythe
Courthouse, started for Montgomery
County
(Apr 18); at
James
Montgomery's, called on Gordon Cloyd (Apr 19); at John
Ditty's, Montgomery Courthouse (Apr 20); at Gordon Cloyd's
(Apr 21); return to Montgomery Courthouse at John Ditty's (Apr
22-24); set out for Abingdon (Apr 24) at Major Taylor's (Apr
25); at
James
Montgomery's, Washington
County
(Apr 26); at
Colonel Sawyer's (Apr 27); at Colonel Campbell's (Apr 28); at
McCormick's, Abingdon (Apr 29-May 11); started for Lee
County
(May 11); at Colonel John Anderson's, at the Block House,
Carter's Valley, crossing the North Fork of the Holston River
and Clinch River (May 12); at Yearney's, Powells Valley, rode
to Lee Courthouse (May 13); at Dickinson's (May 14-16); at
Yearney's (May 17); at Colonel Anderson's, arrived at Abingdon
(May 18); at McCormick's, Abingdon (May 18-31); and set out
for Wythe
County
(May 31).
Itinerary in Virginia for June, July,
& August : at Major Bowen's (Jun 1); at [George ?]
Owrey's, Wythe Courthouse (Jun 2-7); at Captain Adams (Jun
7-9); at Almerine Marshall's, Wythe County
(Jun 9); at
Owrey's, Wythe
County
(Jun 10-17); started for Franklin
County
(Jun 17); absent from Wythe
County
(Jun 17-Jul 4); at Owrey's
(Jul 5-8); started for Abingdon, and stayed at Staley's, upon
arrival (Jul 8-9); at McCormick's, Abingdon (Jul 9-18); at
Owrey's, Wythe
County
Courthouse (Jul 19-23); absent from
Wythe
County
, in the woods (Jul 23-28); at Owrey's, Wythe
County
(Jul 28-30); at Captain Adams (Jul 31); at Owrey's,
Wythe
County
(Aug 1); Captain Adams (Aug 2-3); Owrey's, Wythe
County
(Aug 3-5); set out for Connecticut, on the road (Aug
5-25); in New York (Aug 26); East Chester (Aug 27); to
Stratford (Aug 28); at Lovejoy's (Aug 29); Wellingford (Aug
30); Samuel Adam's (Aug 31); and one day spent at Springfield
with the Company (Sep 4).
ACTIVITIES & TOPICS IN 1800
ACCOUNT BOOK
barber's bills : January 8, 10-14, 19, & 27; February 10 & 18; March 4, 11, & 18; April 1, 6, 13, & 30; May 20 & 31; June 2, 7, & 15; July 5, 11, 20, 23, & 29; and August 2.
blacks & servants : paid servant for assistance while unwell (January 28); servant at Smithfield (February 5); servant at Major John Taylor's (February 6); servant at Colonel Cloyd's (February 7 & 18); paid two Negroes for carrying chain (March 16); boy sent with great coat (March 31); April 27 & 28; June 7 & 17; and August 3.
ferry crossings & other transportation : turnpike (January 4); toll at Harlem Bridge (January 7 & August 26); Delaware River (January 10); turnpike road from Philadelphia to Lancaster, 15 gates and two bridges (January 15); Wright's ferry on the Susquehannah (January 16); at Williamsport, ferrying over the Potomac (January 19); crossing the New River on Toney's Ferry (January 29); crossing Pepper's Ferry (February 4); crossing Clinch River (February 25; April 10; May 12 & 17); crossing Powell's River (February 25); crossing the Cumberland River (February 26 & April 9); crossing the Kentucky River (March 2 & April 4 & 5); crossing Salt River (March 13); crossing Rolling Fork River (March 24); Cumberland turnpike (April 9); crossing the New River (April 19-21, & 24); crossing the North Fork of the Holston River (May 12 & 17); and the North River (August 25).
horse related bills : January 2, 20, & 22; February 4, 18, & 26; March 8, 11, & 25; April 2; farrier bled his sick horse and prescribed a remedy of honey, powder, and whiskey (April 5); the horse improved ! (April 6); April 17; mended saddle & stuffing (May 9-10); May 31; June 7 & 17; and tarring the carriage (August 25).
illness : April 14-16; May 1-5, & 20-31; and July 13.
liquor : January 4, 16-17, & 29; February 10, 15, 17-18, 23 & 26-27; March 2, 4, 19-20, 28, & 31; April 1, 3, 7, 11, 24 & 28; May 12, 16, 18-19, & 31; June 2, 7, 17; & August 2.
miscellaneous :
John Bell of Winchester changed a
hundred pound note for the surveyor (January 21); purchased
coarse cloth for wallet (January 23); loaned money to fellow
traveler, Joel Mabrey, who lived in Montgomery County
,
Kentucky (March 2); paid goldsmith to mend an ivory scale
(March 8); received a counterfeit dollar (March 13); bought a
pen knife (April 23); annual election in Connecticut on May
8th; gave Mr. Sharpe, Surveyor at the Lee
County
Courthouse, a
drafting scale purchased in Philadelphia for one dollar (May
14); paid for dressing leather breeches (July 17).
paper to make books & surveying drafts : January 10 & 31; February 10 & 18; March 4, 11, 18 & 31; April 13, 23, & 29; June 3; and July 5 & 29.
postage & letters : to & from George Bliss (February 18; March 14; April 13 & 29; June 2 & 16; and July 17 & 19; to & from Gideon Granger (February 18; and April 12 & 29); to & from the surveyor's family (February 18; April 16; and June 7); to Allen Taylor containing Farley's contract (March 11 & 18); to D. Sheffey to take J. Thompson's deposition (March 11); to George Madison (March 18); to Alexander Smith (March 11); from Hezekiah Huntington and the Misses Dwight's (April 29).
surveying activities : rode to get
Benjamin White's deposition, but
since he was absent got
William Chapman to testify and sent
him to
Major Parrish with his deposition;
hired a man to go for
Robert Clendenin (January 30); paid
William Wilson for writing two
depositions (January 31); took
Robert Clendenin deposition (January
31); rode to see
William Farley who agreed to meet
him at the nearest magistrate,
Gordon Cloyd (February 1-3); paid
William Farley for two days service
(February 4); left the business with
Allen Taylor to get an order from
the Court at its next session for taking
Gordon Cloyd's deposition on the
return of the surveyor from Kentucky (February 4); rode to
Colonel Cloyd's and examined the
locations made in Kentucky when that state belonged to
Montgomery County
(February 6); at Surveyor's Office and took
a certified copy of
Pollard's survey (February 8); took
deposition of
John Crocket ,
Hezekiah Harman , and
James
Thompson (February 12); took
the depositions of
Henry and
Hezekiah Harman before the
magistrate (February 14); rode to Bluestone and took
deposition of
David Lusk (February 15); convinced
James
Thompson , a tax collector and
one of the Federal Assessors, to ride from the Wythe
Courthouse to Clinch to examine his tax bills to enable him to
testify that the
Pollard land was not assessed or
taxed (February 17); conversation with
James
White concerning the lands
which he located for
J. Dwight and others, which had
fallen into Kentucky on the establishment of the line
(February 18-22); he began an examination concerning the
Kentucky land at the Surveyor's Office in Jefferson
County
,
Kentucky, assisted by
James
Miller , Deputy Surveyor of
Hardin
County
(March 8); and rode to Louisville to see the
Deputy Surveyor
Wilson , who made a survey of 98,000
acres for
William McWilliams , which
interfered with
Roger's survey (March 11).
The surveyor examined entries and surveys with the Surveyor
of Hardin County
Courthouse (March 15); went with the Surveyor
and ran a connecting line from
William McWilliams survey to
Roger's survey (March 16); spent the
day with
Colonel Hynes who formerly surveyed
in Nelson
County
, Kentucky, before it was split into Nelson
and Hardin
Counties
(March 18); spent time examining records
at the Surveyor's Office in Jefferson
County
(March 21-22);
paid
Alexander Breckinridge , Surveyor
for Jefferson
County
, for copies and extracts (March 23); set
out to survey the Kentucky land with the surveyor,
Charles Helm , and
David Swank and
Thomas Davis , as Chainmen, and
started from the mouth of the Severn Valley run, struck a
place called Silver Mine, crossed Sandy Creek and Roundstone,
as well as Bacon Creek (March 26); hired
McCallister to show him the line of
Henry's survey, and the corner of
David Leitch's survey of 3900 acres
(March 27); dined with
Samuel Finley who owns 550 acres of
a survey made for Matthew Patton, ran a connecting line to
David Leitch's 3900 acre survey,
measured up Bacon Creek and connected
Andrew Hynes ' 165 acre survey with
Roger's survey, and connected with
Matthew Patton's survey (March 27);
ran a connecting line from
Hynes ' survey to a survey of 421
acres made for
Matthew Walton , started for the
Settlement and traveled up the east part of the survey and
struck the road called the Cumberland Trace (March 28); and
with the Surveyor forming connections on paper and making
drafts (March 29-30).
The surveyor paid for copies at Major Cox's of
David Leitch's and
William McWilliam's surveys (April
1); afternoon spent at
Alexander Breckinridge's office
getting copies of
Matthew Walton's ,
Matthew Patton's , and
Andrew Hynes ' surveys (April 2);
got the certificate from the Secretary of the State and paid
duty for state seal (April 4); paid fees at the Wythe
Courthouse for certificates, state duty, and stamped paper
(April 18 & 23);
Gordon Cloyd not willing to answer
all questions but did give a deposition (April 19 & 21);
court date set but did not see
Zachariah Davis from Russell County
(July 15); laid down surveys on paper and thought it necessary
to go to Clinch and Sandy Waters to try the lines of the
surveys (July 22).