In the “Records of Other Researchers” portion of the Virginia class at Samford today, we took a look at a volume entitled The Preston and Virginia Papers of the Draper Collection of Manuscripts. (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1915). This volume catalogs a subset of collections of the Draper Manuscripts, papers gathered by Lyman Draper for the Wisconsin Historical Society. These papers document the “history of the trans-Allegheny West from the frontier conflicts of the 1740s to the War of 1812.”
As you may have guessed, the Preston and Virginia Papers relate to Virginia. The book outlines the collection, with names of persons and summaries of the materials contained and the events described in them.
Google Books includes the book in question, and a quick search found a few references to the Indian attack on the house my 5th great grandfather James Graham built on the Greenbrier River. On page 211, there’s this:
1777 Sept. 11, 3ZZ10
Van Bibber, Capt. John. Capt. John Van Bibber’s Fort, Greenbrier. Letter to [William Fleming]. Indian troubles on Greenbrier; James Graham’s house attacked; requests that a small body of men be placed under his command, and that he may send out spies. A. L. S. 1 p. Endorsed: Capt Van Bibber. Printed: Thwaites and Kellogg, Frontier Defense, pp. 78, 79.1777 Sept. 12, 3ZZ11
Henderson, James. Fort Henry. Letter to Col. William Fleming, Botetourt County, [Va.] Account given by Andrew Kinkead of attack on James Graham’s house on Greenbrier River; Walter Caldwell shot; Steel Loftus killed at mouth of Indian Creek. A. L. S. 1 p. Printed: Thwaites and Kellogg, Frontier Defense, pp. 79, 80.1777 Sept. 12, 3ZZ12
Stuart, John. Letter to Col. William Fleming, Botetourt [County, Va.] Encloses letter from Captain Arbuckle; attack on James Graham’s house; Walter Caldwell killed; the people flying to fort at Camp Union; Capt. Hendry Smith requested to send assistance to people on Muddy Creek; report of an expedition against Ohio Indians. A. L. S. 2 pp. Printed: Thwaites and Kellogg, Frontier Defense, pp. 80–82.
Each of these entries mentioned the letters being published in Thwaites and Kellogg, that is in, Frontier Defense on the Upper Ohio, 1777–1778: Compiled from the Draper Manuscripts in the Library of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL. D and Louise Phelps Kellogg, Ph. D., editors (Madison: Wisconsin State Historical Society, 1912). Luckily, this title is also on Google Books. I have provided a embedded copy of the book, open to the relevant page .…