Special Collections: Letter from the Draper Manuscripts, 20C39. 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 *********************************************************************** H.H. McDowell to Lyman C. Draper, August 10, 1887 Draper Manuscripts, 20C39 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 {} * * * * * {Draper’s Note at top of page} Danl. Boone Henry Miller’s Early Hunting in Valley of Virginia & No. Cara. {On letterhead that reads} H.H. McDowell Real Estate and Loan Agency Also Life and Fire Insurance Lee’s Summit, Mo. Aug 10th, 1887 Lyman C. Draper, Scty. Madison Hi Dear Sir – Your letter 5th inst fwd from Versailles Ky my former home finds me living in Lees Summit Mo twenty three miles from Kansas City Mo on main line Mo. P.R.R. and I must say very glad indeed to hear from Mr. Draper. The note in Cincinnati Enquirer of date 1881 was written by Col. John Howard McCue of Staunton Va, I think; and I refer you to him for information but first to Joseph McDowell Cincnnati Ohio who is in some way associated with the Cin. Enquirer for exact information in regard to the writer. Said Joseph McDowell is a son of the Col. Joseph McDowell you refer to 2d Page who died in Hillsborough Ohio some time in 1875 or 1878 I think. The Harvey H. McDowell referr’d to should in the article have been Hugh Hervey McDowell who was my father. I saw the article and noticed the mistake at the time. My father was called Harvey McDowell is why the error obtained. I supposit he was a son of Maj. Jo__ McD of whom you have written in your King’s Mountain and bro. to Col. Joseph McDowell of whom you speak in your letter. Hugh Hervey McDowell married a grand-daughter of Henry Miller of Augusta Co Va, and he was the owner & founder of Millers Iron Works on Mossy Creek (on page 3 find a statement of all I know in regard to Boone & Miller which was told me by my father when I was a boy.) 3d Page “At a very earley day Daniel Boone and Henery Miller associated in hunting and trapping through Va & NC – traded in Philadelphia. Henry Miller used the money obtained by a sale of his furs and &c in purchasing a few head of cattle, sheep or hogs and drving them to Philadelphia, sold them and invested the money in lands in Pena: one year of hunting & one of trading would bring him & Boone again in company and on the went for an hunting & trapping expedition: so they passed the time until Henry Miller associated with Col. Byrd or Bird, a very wealthy Iron Master in Pa, and continued up to the time Miller moved to Va. 4 P My father said Boone was very profligate when a young man; or, rather, would spend all of his earnings & never made an effort to accumulate. The tradition put it in this way: Boone would usually consume as much time in spending his money, as Miller used in turning his over & investing it; so they were very naturally brought together biennially. It was whilst on one of those expeditions in Va that Henry Miller (who always had an eye to business) discovered the iron ore out of which he afterwards made iron and shipped it down the Shenandoah in flat boats while the Indians were yet in the country. I know of no incidents which I could relate other than these. My father I suppose gained his information from Samuel Miller, a son of Henry Miller, and father to my mother, Elizabeth Miller. Judge John Lewis Cochran I think is dead – Charlottesville Albemarle Co Va was his home. I would suggest John Howard McCue Staunton Va; Gen. John Imboden Staunton Va; Joseph McDowell, Cincinnati. In regard to Daniel Boone, I would say that Lewis Bryan of Palmyra, Mo a native of Ky, and 1st cousin to Boone or rather a nephew, I believe if living, could tell you more of Boone than any man has ever yet written his son, Tom Bryan Palmyma Mo ought to be able to tell you much – also Joseph Bryan Sr. Lexington, Ky – a younger brother of Lewis Bryan, also Daniel Bryan the father of Lewis & Joseph was a brother in law to D Boone and they were in the fort at the same time at Bryans (Station) Fort Ky then known as Bryan fort now as ____ Ky. Resp___ H.H. McDowell