Office of the Historian

[Untitled]

New Archangel, Sitka, October 26 (14–26,) 1867.

We, the undersigned, United States and Russian commissioners, Captain Alexis Pestchouroff, of the imperial Russian navy, appointed by his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, to transfer and deliver, and Brigadier General Lovell H. Rousseau of the United States army, appointed by Andrew Johnson, President of the United states, to receive, the territory ceded by his Imperial Majesty to the United States of America by treaty bearing date the thirtieth day (18–30) of March, A. D. eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, met at the town of New Archangel, in the territory above named, to fulfill our commission; and on the eighteenth (6–18) day of October, in the year eighteen hundred and sixty seven, at the governor’s house in that town, Captain Pestchouroff, as such commissioner, for and in the name of his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, formally transferred and delivered to Lovell H. Rousseau, as commissioner as aforesaid, who received the same for and on behalf of the United States, the territory, dominion, property, dependencies, and appurtenances, ceded to the United States of America by the treaty above referred to and as bounded and described in that treaty. The transfer was made under mutual salutes of artillery, the United States taking the lead, and in strict accordance with our instructions in that behalf. In pursuance of our respective instructions. Captain Pestchouroif, as such commissioner, also delivered to General Rousseau, as commissioner aforesaid, the government archives, papers, and documents relating to the territory and dominion above named, also the forts and public buildings, including the governor’s house, dock-yards, block-houses, barracks, batteries, hospital, wharves, and schools, in the town of New Archangel, an inventory of which, marked A, is attached hereto as part hereof. We left, as instructed, in the hands of the Greco-Russian church the church buildings, appurtenances, and parsonages to the same belonging, as shown and described in inventory marked B, attached hereto as part hereof. We gave certificates of ownership to the individual owners of private houses and of lots in fee simple in the town of New Archangel, as directed, a list of whose names is presented in inventory marked C, attached to and made part hereof. In inventory marked D, attached to and made part hereof, are shown the houses and buildings owned by private individuals in New Archangel, the owners thereof having no title in fee to the land on which they are situated. A map of the town of New Archangel is also attached as part hereof. The letters and numbers on the margins of the several inventories aforesaid correspond with those of the said plan of the town.

As we were unable to visit Kodiak personally, we took no action touching affairs there. The public property there is certified to by the governor of this Territory, in inventory E, attached and made part hereof, and the military authorities can take possession of the same at any time,

LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF, Russian Commissioner.
[Page 480]

A.

Inventory of the public property in the city of New Archangel, (Sitka,) delivered to the United States of America, General Lovell H. Rousseau, United States commissioner, by his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, Captain Alexis Pestchouroff, Russian commissioner, on the 18th day of October, 1867, at New Archangel, (Sitka.) The letters and numbers on the margin correspond with those on the plan of the city attached to the protocol of the transfer, and show the situation of the buildings that they refer to.

Letters or numbers on the plan. Description.
FORTS.
A. Battery No. 1.—Formed of a timber breast-wall and platform, situated at the water’s edge at the foot of the stairs leading to the governor’s house, and armed with five 12-pounder and five 18-pounder cast-iron guns.
B. Battery No. 2.—Commonly called the Vraloskian battery, constructed of timber, situated by the Indian market place, and armed with six 12-pounder cast-iron carronades, and one 12-pounder cast-iron gun.
C. Block-house No. 1.—Constructed of timber, situated by the church for the Indians, and armed with three 4-pounder cast-iron guns and one howitzer.
D. Block-house No. 2.—Constructed of timber, situated by the Lutheran cemetery, and armed with three 6-pounder carronades of iron.
E. Block-house No. 3.—Constructed of timber, situated by the artificial pond, and armed with three cast-iron carronades.
BUILDINGS.
3 Subsistence storehouse of timber, in two compartments.
6 Three-storied timber barracks for the garrison troops.
7 Two-story timber building for office house.
8 Governor’s house, of timber, two stories high, with wooden staircase and platforms on the outside, outbuildings appertaining thereto, cellars, &c.
9 Wash and bath-house, of timber, appertaining to the governor’s house.
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, and 23 Dock-yard, consisting of a ship slip, two workmen’s sheds, and shed for boiling pitch, coal store, sawing shed, two-storied boat-house, smithy, and steam-kiln, all of timber.
16 School building, of timber, with its appurtenances.
18 Market for the Indians, with a timber house attached.
20 An unfinished new timber building, for barracks.
61 A two-storied timber house, for officers’ lodgings.
76 An unfinished timber building, for a bath-house.
103 A double-storied timber building, for a hospital.
116 & 117 Two small wooden arbors in the public garden.
118 Powder magazine, of timber and earth.
121 Timber building for a school for the Indians, situated outside the palisade.
122 A small timber building on the Yaponsky island, used as a meteorological observatory.
123 A small timber house on the same island, for the observer.
A stone and timber wharf, with wooden stairs, for boat landing.
Public garden, with hot-beds, kitchen garden, &c.
Two small timber buildings, with two baths, situated at the mineral hot springs, 14 miles from the city.
Anchors and chains laid across the harbor for moving buoys.

Remarks.—The wharf described above, as also the chains, anchors, buoys, &c., in the harbor, were constructed and placed there by the Russian-American Company for their private use, but are transferred to the United States on condition—1st, that when not used by the government the same may be used by the said company overall others free of charge; 2d, that the United States will pay a reasonable price for the chains, anchors, buoys, &c., aforesaid; and if they do not choose to do so, then the said company may take them away as their property.

PRINCE DMITRY MAKSONTOFF, Governor of the Russian Colonies in America.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF, Russian Commissioner.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.
[Page 481]

B.

Inventory of the property belonging to the Greco-Russian church in New Archangel, (Sitka,) with numbers and letters indicating the situation of buildings and lots of ground on the plan attached to the protocol of the transfer.

Letters or numbers on the plan. Description.
The Cathedral church of Saint Michael, built of timber, situated in the center of the city.
The Church of Resurrection, of timber, commonly called the Kaloshian church, situated near the battery No. 2, at the palisade separating the city from the Indian village.
102 A double-storied timber building, for bishop’s house, with outbuildings, appurtenances, and grounds.
35 A timber house, for church warden.
98 A timber house, for the deacon.
104 }
105
114
Three timber houses, with their appurtenances and outbuildings, for lodgings of priests.
F. }
G.
H.
I.
Four lots of ground, belonging to the parsonages.
a. The place commemorative of the old church.
b. A tomb.
Three cemeteries, two outside the palisades and one by the church of the Resurrection.
PRINCE DMITRY MAKSONTOFF, Governor of the Russian Colonies in America.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF, Russian Commissioner.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.

C.

List of the names of persons holding property in fee simple in the city of New Archangel, (Sitka,) who have been furnished with certificates of the same.

Names and surnames. Numbers on the plan of houses. Names and surnames. Numbers on the plan of houses.
Adolf Lindfors 26 Simon Sokolorff 108
William Ivanoff 28 Jacob Lavouline 109
Elizabeth Bollman 31 John Ponomarkoff 115
John Kilkousky 34 Michael Buldakoff X
Nathalia Kashevaroff 45 Gabriel Lyloff 87b
Artemy Laventieff 49 Andrew Ziazeff 87a
John Kaistky 68 The congregation of the Lutheran church
Nadeska Timofejeff 82 33
Kusma Terentriaff 91 Bazil Pavloff In Kodiak.
John Makaroff 106 John Peterson 69a
William Vickstrom 107 Mathew Ivanoff IX
PRINCE DMITRY MAKSONTOFF, Governor of the Russian Colonies in America.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF, Russian Commissioner.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.
[Page 482]

D.

Inventory of private property in the city of New Archangel, (Sitka,) with the numbers and letters indicating the situation of dwelling-houses, establishments, and lots of ground as marked on the plan of the city attached to the protocol of transfer.

[Page 483]
Description. Letters or numbers on the plan.
Warehouse 1
Shop and storehouse 2
Tannery for furs 4
Dwelling house with out-building 5
Lime-kiln 19
Dwelling house 24
Bakery, joiners’, and other shops 25
Dwelling house 26
Kitchen shed 27
Dwelling house with out-building 28
Dwelling house 29
Dwelling house 31
Dwelling house 32
Dwelling house with out-buildings 34
Dwelling house 36
Dwelling house 37
Dwelling house 38
Dwelling house 39
Dwelling house 41
Dwelling house 42
Dwelling house 43
Dwelling house 45
Dwelling house 46
Dwelling house 47
Dwelling house 48
Dwelling house 49
Dwelling house 51
Dwelling house 52
Dwelling house 53
Sea house 55
Dwelling house with out-building 56
Dwelling house 57
Dwelling house 58
Dwelling house 59
Dwelling house 62
Kitchen Shed 63
Shed 64
Dwelling house 65
Laundry 66
Dwelling house 67
Dwelling house 68
Shed 69
Dwelling house 71
Dwelling house 72
Foundry 73
Saw-mill with a shed attached 74
Tannery 75
Water flour-mill, with an out-building, dam, &c 77
Two old tannery sheds 78
Dwelling house 79
Old bath building 80
Dwelling house 81
Dwelling house with two out-buildings 82
Dwelling house 83
Dwelling house 84
Dwelling house 85
Dwelling house 86
Two dwelling houses adjoining each other
{ 87a
87b
88b
Two sheds for vegetables
Dwelling house 89
Dwelling house with two out-buildings 91
Dwelling house 92
Dwelling house 93
Dwelling house 94
Ropery 95
Aleutian dwelling house 96
Hay-loft 97
Dwelling house with out-buildings 99
Dwelling house 100
Stables 101
Dwelling house with out-buildings 106
Dwelling house with out-buildings 107
Dwelling house 108
Dwelling house with out-buildings 109
Dwelling house 110
Dwelling house with out-buildings 115
Fish store with three out-buildings 119
Coal shed, wharf, and— 124
Three old hulks aground, occupied as stores
{ 125
126
127
Floating steam sawing shop, aground 128
Hulk and movable bridge 129
Dwelling house I
Dwelling house and bowling alley II & III
Dwelling house IV
Store V
Shed VI
Shed V
Dwelling house VIII
Dwelling house IX
Dwelling house X
Dwelling house XI
Dwelling house 44
Lots of ground cultivated as vegetable gardens by the different citizens of the town J
PRINCE DMITRY MAKSONTOFF, Governor of the Russian Colonies in America.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF. Russian Commissioner.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.

E.

Inventory of forts and public buildings on the island of Kodiak to be delivered to the United States government.

FORTS

Flagstaff battery.—Constructed of timber, armed with four guns.

Battery No. 2.—Constructed of timber, armed with six guns, and situated at the northeast entrance of the harbor.

[Page 484]

BUILDINGS.

A timber house, for the governor of the place.

A timber building, for school.

Office house.

Hospital.

A house for the surgeon.

A store shed.

The remainder of the buildings at Kodiak are private property, with the exception of those belonging to the Greco-Russian church.

PRINCE DMITRY MAKSONTOFF, Governor of the Russian Colonies in America.
ALEXIS PESTCHOUROFF, Russian ommissioner.
LOVELL H. ROUSSEAU, United States Commissioner.