Special Collections:  Letter from the Draper Manuscripts, 20C23-24.

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

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Rev. J. Wesley Webb to Lyman C. Draper, September 1, 1887
Draper Manuscripts, 20C23-24

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 {}

* * * * *

Mannington Wva
Marion Co.

Sept. 1st 1887

The Hon. L.C. Draper

My Dear Sir,

	Your letter was forwarded to me a few days ago and I hasten to 
reply.

	I do not know my great grandfather’s given name.  He lived in the 
Berks region of Pa but do not when he died.  I was born on Mossy Creek 
and very familiar with it.

	The head of Mossy Creek is a very large spring bursting out from 
under Castle hill a hundred yards or more wide.  The stream is six 
miles long, water clean, never muddy, large bottom and flows into the 
north branch of the Shenandoah River.  At the head is Mount Solon with 
a large flouring mill – in a half mile is another mill, saw mill and 
large paper mill – one mile from head is a carding machine – two miles 
a merchant flour mill, paper mill and saw mill – and the Mossy Creek
Academy.  Three miles from head is the Miller’s Iron Works, flouring 
mill, saw mill, on the remaining portion of the Creek there are several 
mills.  The country is splendid.

	Mossy Creek is a remarkable stream of water.

	My brother John is alive and well.

	I have been on Linville’s Creek but am not prepared to describe 
it accurately.  I remember that it passes through a very fine fertile 
county and flows into the Shenandoah River.  I met Moses Lincoln there 
a cousin of A. Lincoln Junior and knew Henry Miller was of Quaker 
descent.  The Boones and Webbs were all of Quaker descent.  You are 
correct about Henry Millers parents moving to Berks County Pa (__sd. 
>From N.J. -- L.C.D.).

	I have answered your inquiries as definitely as possible and will 
cheerfully contribute any item of interest you may desire, in my power 
to help you in your work.  Wishing you long life and great temporal and 
spiritual prosperity, I am

Yours Truly,

J. Wesley Webb

{Draper’s notes on back page of Webb letter}

Waddell’s Annals of Augusta Co. Va p. 40:  “The biographers of the 
celebrated Daniel Boone state that he came from Pennsylvania on an 
excursion to Augusta, about 1748-49, with his cousin Henry Miller.  The 
latter returned to the country and built on Mossy Creek the first iron 
furnace in the Valley.”

Henry Miller, the founder of Miller’s Iron Works, having died, his 
administrators, Samuel Miller & J. Miller Estill, advertised for sale, 
Sept. 6, 1811, the furnace and forge, with eight thousand acres of 
land, supposed to be the most valuable property of the kind in Virginia 
__ p. 224.