References:
1. Lowrie, Walter and Clarke, Matthew St. Clair (eds.) American
State Papers: Documents Legislative and Executive of the Congress of the
United States. Class 1. Foreign Relations. Vol. 1. Gales & Seaton,
Washington. 1833. p 97
2. Manning, W. R. (ed.) Diplomatic Correspondence of the United
States: Canadian Relations, 1784-1860, Washington, 1940. Vol. 1, pp.
366-367
The text below is taken from the American State Papers edition.
Keep in mind that these people considered the "St. Croix River" to be the
Magaguadavic:
To the President, the Senate, and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled: The petition of James Boyd, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and commonwealth of Massachusetts, esquire,
humbly showeth, That your petitioner was possessed, from the year 1767 to the beginning of our contest with Great
Britain, of very large property in lands situated on the eastern bank of the river Schoodick, granted him by the Bri-
tish Government of Nova Scotia; and that, during said period, he introduced many families on the same lands, at
his own charge, and expended much property in getting the same under considerable improvement and cultivation;
but, feeling himself attached to the cause of America, he took such an active part in their favor that the resentment
of the British subjects in that province compelled him to leave the country, and flee to the protection of the United
States; and that, in consequence thereof, he has suffered poverty and distress from that day to the present time; that
the said lands which your petitioner held are on the western side of the river St. Croix, and within the dominions of
the United States, but unjustly now held in possession by British subjects; that the facts aforesaid and your peti-
tioner's situation have been particularly set forth to Congress by the legislature of this commonwealth, in a letter of
instructions to their delegates, in the year 1786, signed and transmitted by the then Governor Bowdoin, and which
is now on the files of Congress, accompanied with a number of letters from Governor Bowdoin, the present Governor
Hancock, and others, upon the subject to which your excellency and honors will please to be referred; that your pe-
titioner, by his thus quitting the British and joining the American interest, has been subjected to peculiar hardships
and difficulties, which, with a large family, he has with great anxiety sustained. But, confiding in the power and
and disposition of the present Congress of the United States to do him complete justice, he requests them to put him in
possession of his lands aforesaid, now held by British subjects, though on this side the line between the two domi-
nions, or otherwise recompense your petitioner, who has lost the whole of his property and means of procuring a
comfortable subsistence, in consequence of his attachment as aforesaid.
Your petitioner begs leave to add, that he is possessed of papers, and that John Mitchell, Esq. of the State of New
Hampshire, (now an old man about 76 years of age) is also possessed of papers that may be useful in determining the
real situation of the river St. Croix, intended by the late treaty of peace to be the dividing line between the dominions
of the United States and Great Britain, as will appear by a plan taken in the year 1764, by the said Mitchell, and
another taken by the surveyor general of Nova Scotia the year following, and now in the possession of your petition-
er, who, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.JAMES BOYD.BOSTON, November 27, 1789.
True copy: GEORGE TAYLOR, jun. Chief Clerk in the Department of State.------
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Letter of Instruction to the Delegates at Congress, respecting James Boyd, to be signed and forwarded by the Go-
vernor.-- November 10, 1786.On the petition of James Boyd, Esq. a letter of instruction to the delegates of this commonwealth at Congress:
It having been represented to this Court by James Boyd, Esq. now resident in Boston, that he obtained from the
British Government, in the year 1767, a grant of fifty thousand acres of land, lying on the banks of the river Schoo-
dick, and that the said Boyd went on, and possessed the said lands, introducing at his own charge a large number of
families, and that he was at great expense for cattle and farming utensils of all sorts, as well as in the erecting of ne-
cessary mills and water works; but, in the beginning of the late war between Great Britain and these States, he took
such an active and decided part in favor of the latter, that he soon became very obnoxious to the resentment of the
British, and was obliged to leave all his property and possessions, and flee to the protection of the United States;
that he has resided in Boston until the present time in hopes that his aforementioned lands would fall within the
bounds of this State, and that he should be reinstated in them; that the whole of his lands are on the western side of
that river, which we suppose to be the St. Croix, mentioned in the treaty, and the boundary line between Nova Sco-
tia and these States; but that, as the British subjects are at present in the possession of those lands, the said Boyd is
unjustly prevented from returning there to occupy and improve them: As we esteem him to have been a good friend
to this country, and still to remain such, and one who is at present deprived of the possession of a large interest in
consequence of his attachment to it, we instruct you to recommend him to the attention and favor of Congress, and
to move that honorable body to afford him such relief as they may think proper.
Read, and ordered, That the aforegoing letter be transmitted, and that his Excellency the Governor be requested
to sign and transmit the same to the delegates from this commonwealth in Congress.
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