Special Collections:  Letter from the Draper Manuscripts, 20C19

Transcribed and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Diana Lehman, 
dlehman@ix.netcom.com

*********************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any 
format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons.  Persons 
or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent 
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact 
the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.  The submitter has 
given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free 
access.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb
************************************************************************

J. Marshall McCue to Lyman C. Draper, August 23, 1884
Draper Manuscripts, 20C19 

Transcribed from microfilm copy of the original document from the Draper 
Manuscripts Collection of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, 
WI.

Spelling and punctuation are as they appear in the original text.
Transcriber's notes in {}

* * * * *
 
Staunton, Aug 23, 1884

Hon Lyman C. Draper, L.L.D.

My venerable friend

	'Tis a long, long time since I have had any communication with you, & 
might have supposed that some time since you had paid Charon his fee, inasmuch 
as my last letter to you, years ago, met no response, that could not have 
reached you, as always, prior thereto, you had been prompt to reply.

	Last evening, after an absence of over five months, from my native county 
& State, returning from a sojourn in Ashe Co N.Car whither I had gone to be 
relieved of the "   " ills that flesh is "heir to," at the "Thompson Bromine & 
Arsenic" Spring, recently discovered, an unsuccessful quest, was the guest of 
our mutual friend, my near relative, Judge J.H. McCue.  He shewed me your last 
letter to him, which I am sorry I have not before me.  From the enquiries 
therein contained, I am satisfied you have confounded us, inasmuch as the 
references to Danl Boone & Henry Miller, are exactly those embraced in our 
correspondence, before yours with him began.  

	Danl Boone & Hy Miller were associated with my childhood remembrances, for 
{At this point the text clearly switches from McCue's to Draper's handwriting.  
There is no note as to why Draper transcribed the following portion of the 
letter} 
the reason that I was born within three miles of the spot that tradition 
connected their youthful adventures, on Mossy Creek, in their hunting and 
trading with the Indians.

	Then, too, much the senior of my relative, our correspondence began some 
years before yours with him - born some twenty-five miles distant.

	It was permitted to me to run down the history of the Miller Iron Works, 
reared by Henry Miller & Mark Bird of Berks Co. Penna. in 1774, when in 1778 
Bird sold his half to Miller for 15,000 pounds, and he became the founder of the 
prominent family in Shenandoah County.

	Henry Miller, in 1778, or thereabouts, erected Mossy Creek Paper Mill - no 
doubt the first south of Mason & Dixon.

	William Winter married Annie Boone - a cousin of Daniel Boone, as is 
believed, and had seven children - Hannah, Nancy, Jane, Elizabeth, William, &c; 
& then [married] Ellen Campbell, and had twelve more.

	Henry Miller married Hannah Winter, & brought her sister Nancy to Augusta, 
where she married George Crawford.  Jane married a Jones, of Pennsylvania., 
Elizabeth married Abraham Lincoln, grandfather of Abraham; and who with our 
great gr. father, James Allen, & others, was a member of Courts Martial in this 
from 1756 to 1783.

	So Abraham Lincoln was kin to the Millers, Crawfords, McCues, Walkers, 
Hangers, Bourlands, Bells, &c of this county.  Gen. J.D. Imboden, the fourth 
generation from his Dutch forefathers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, married 
his first wife, Eliza McCue, second daughter of Col. Franklin McCue, whose wife 
Jane was one of the eight 
{at this point the handwriting reverts to McCue's}
daughters of Geo. Crawford & Nancy Winter, without the S. so Imboden is only 
connected in that way.

	Your humble correspondent in June 79, returning from Chicago, via 
Pittsburg, Lancaster, Reading &c - by the merest accident was permitted, by a 
visit to Danl Boone's birthplace, seven miles east of Reading - to settle for 
all time, what had been to that moment a fo__-b__ of history, as several 
counties in Pa. & the Yadkin region in N. Car. claimed his birthplace.  See Dr. 
Jno P. Hale' pamphlet of 40 pages - published a few months after - years ago - I 
can't recall the date - found I think in the Amer Archives at State Library a 
letter from a Capt. Bryan - a bro-in-law of Boone, as I believe - who had reachd 
this place, with a company fm N. Cara - he was carrying to join Gen. Lewis in 
the west Pa. region, and it wintered here - tho not taking care of the paper - 
which, contained the facts, had published in the Spec. here - cant recall the 
particulars.  But this incident occurred about 10h of March last, a few days 
before I set out on 18h for N. Car.

	I was the guest, for the first time, of Col Jno. Crawford, a gr gr gr son 
of Paddy Crawford whose son George, married Nancy Winter.  Col C when I had said 
to him, I had lately read a small vol - the most interesting "Life of Boone" I 
had ever seen - I think of Rev I.M. Peck, as author - a Meth. Minister of Ill -- 
& in which he spoke of Boones last visit from Ky - to Pa - I happened to refer 
to, in conversation with Col Crawford.  He said the house (brick) we were in, 
occupied the site of Paddy' cabin, & Danl Boone paying him a visit - I expect on 
that trip - going - or returning - when his attention was called by Paddy or 
some of the family, to four or six deer, in sight - took up Paddy' rifle, & 
brought down the finest - a large buck -- & said to Paddy he could have some 
steak for breakfast.  He went on to say, that Boone made a visit to Henry Miller 
at Mossy Creek - piloted by "Uncle Sid," a famous negro - who died about two 
years ago - aged, as all of us have the best reason to believe "one hundred & 
seventeen - his faculties all perfect - teeth good - like ivory - constitution a 
wonderful one - had been in the Crawford family near 4 generations - buried at 
the Old Stone Ch - a large congn mostly white - Sermon preached &c.  Uncle Sid 
would speak of the killing the deer & accompanying Boone to Mossy Cr about 12 
miles up to the day of his death, the only home, was the "Cra___" on Naked Cr. - 
about halfway.  I ran down some years ago - having passed it often an old log 
house --  round poles - midway from my old home & here - on the Gamble farm - in 
which Col Robt Gamble of the Rev. with Wayne at Stony ___ -- lived & where his 
two daughters, Mrs. Wm West & Mrs. Judge & Gov Wm Cabell were born - their 
mother a Grattan -- & Capt Saml Miller - oldest of the 4 boys & 4 girls of Hy 
Miller - married Peggy Grattan - I think a niece of Mrs Gamble - Col Gamble, 
after being the largest merchant here, became an importing merchant in Richd - 
gave name to Gamble' Hill there, was represented in Liverpool by Jas Haggerty - 
a long time the most prominent Consul we had - could see the Queen ad libitum 
&c.  To conclude - had over 600 subscribers to our proposed history of Augusta - 
too poor to publish it - was exceedingly anxious to get out the review of 
Peytons so called History, which has been so successful in misleading Wm. 
Maxwell - Rev. Wm. H. Toole & every body else but Waddell - who knew him - in 
perverting our history - I don't think this is an answer to yours to my 
relative, but may cover some of the ground - Tis hard to know when & where to 
stop - in writing to you.  Fishersville, Augusta Co. is my office.

Sincerely your friend,

J. Marshall McCue