Swift and Draper Manuscripts

[The_Frontiersman]

Found some of this from a copy of some of the Draper Manuscripts (Frontier Memories III)

Swift was a man that had been at Fort Pitt when it was in posession of the French. He had fled from Virginia on account of something. The whole of this is in conformity of Swift's own statement. The French knew that the Indians knew where there was a silver mine and sent two Indians with Swift to the place. The Indians took him down the river to about oppposite Maysville, traveled two days over a level country and part of the way very rich; they then entered a mountainous region where they came into a cave where they found the silver ore. They brought down what they could carry and brought it back to the river and then to Fort Pitt. After this Swift returned to western Virginia and there got companies and was gone for three years, when they returned with three horse loads of silver dollars, but one of the horses gave out as they crossed the Moccasin Gap they hid this portion till another time.



After Swift had gotten into Ky. He had sent on to Va. and gotten tesstimonials certifying the truth of these statements and after this accident he entered into writing with several others, giving them the particular direction to enable them to find these gums of money when they lit on the cave. For these directions, which he had never given before, he recieved in consideration the promise of the treansportation of his family to Ky. and their support during his life. To this paper he was sworn by Major. hood, Dr. Hs'g f. (Shanes abbreviations) Hitherto the men had only accompanied him. I never knew but two of the Swift children and then not until after Swift's death. Bush was the principal one to get out Swift's family, and that was after Swift had gone blind, he with Young, Bridges and Stover, were the original party, each to share equally. (There is some additional on Swift, but the text is so small and it is very difficult to read, with an enlarged copy it would be legible, should someone desire more on Swift and the silver mine.)


(John Dabney Shane Notes) After a few years Swift thought that he could return in safety, ventured to go home and got two other men to go with him. One of them was one Monday and was the hunter for the party. They built them a furnace on the bank of the creek, opposite the cave and there lived and worked for three years. At this time they hid three bushels of silver dollars in about 1/2 mile of the place in three suitable gums sunken in the ground and covered over with flat rock. They still had enough to load three packhorses, was as much as they could pack. At the Moccasin Gap one of the horses died, they hid his load of money and then went on home. In the course of a year or two I think both the other men died. At the lapse of some years Swift's money all gave out. He now went to the gap and obtained the hidden load. Knowing no better use of the life he spent this supply also and in nno time it too was exhausted. He now gained two fresh companions and they set out for the cave of silver ore. This adventure was full of misfortune. They were out nearly, or quite three months, they had gotten out of all supplies and been compelled to eat their dog. The two men went down and staid at or about Boonesboro, till they should recruit and then went back to Virginia\, giving up all Swift's projects. They showed by their appearance, others that saw them said, that they had been pretty near starved to death.



Swift still went out with parties from Kentucky. One day he had started out with a party of 10 or 15 and was going down a steep bank where the Greenbrier Trace crosses Stoner when his horse fell back up on him and hurt him so bad that he went blind. He was too old a man to walk.

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[The_Frontiersman]

Has anybody on here ever stumbled across any of this info? Ever hear of Swift going blind like this at that location? This information was given by a James Wade (whom Draper interviewed) and seems like it is some pretty good first-hand information.

[vamelungeon]

I've never heard this particular Swift story. The Bush he mentions helping Swift's family might have been one of my ancestors or relatives, maybe James Bush who was one of the earliest settlers here in SWVA and who was a friend of D. Boone. Billy Bush was one of the men who went with Boone when he cut the road into KY through the Cumberland Gap but if I remember correctly he was killed at or near Boonesboro. James Bush was an "Indian spy" and his daughter was scalped TWICE by indians but survived both attacks! Anyway, James Bush is my ancestor and that's what really caught my eye in this story. I have never heard that Swift had gone blind after a fall on a horse but it's as likely as any of the other reasons given for his blindness. It's an interesting variation. I wish the Draper papers were entirely online, a person could spend a lifetime reading through all that.

[Ky. Ken]

Think this is the first time I've read this version of how his blindness came to be..

[The_Frontiersman]

I also have never heard a variation such as this one. It's so specific in the location and accident itself. If there is some truth to this then there should be some record somewhere of the statements sworn to by Swift in front of Major Hood (ect.). The paragraph describing Swift going blind is supposed to be located before the paragraph that describes how he made a deal to bring his family to Kentucky. May make a little more sense if read in that order.

[The_Frontiersman]

Also the first time I've read anything on Swift giving directions to the mines in exchange for his family's passage to Kentucky. All the other versions have him giving directions under other circumstances.

[Curtis]

Very interesting my friend, maybe something too it! Never had heard that before..thanks for sharing it!

Curtis

[-Ki-]

Yes, thanks for posting this!
Something to remember with the Drapier papers is that they were recorded by firsthand accounts of people interviewed by Rev. Shane back in those days. Most were witnessed by the people interveiwed, and some hear say. These kind of accounts hold more truth than most stories out on the Swift legend today. I agree, it's a shame there's not much found of these papers on line these days.
Again thanks for posting, great story!! -Ki-

sent from my iPhone 4S

[Curtis]

I agree Ki,

It would be some good reading, imagine being able to be able to see the Draper stuff on line! I would even pay to be able to read it! Maybe someday they will organize it and put it up.

[The_Frontiersman]

I wouldn't mind taking a trip up to Wisconsin at the University where they are archived - just wondering if with the right permission if it is possible to check them out. I do know that Alan Eckert had used a ton of information, contained within the Draper Manuscripts, to write books such as The Frontiersman (which is one of the best books I have ever read on O'l Kantukee..) Anyone who hasn't had a chance to check out his writings needs to look into them - wealth of information when dealing with history of Kentucky. I have some more good info out of the Draper Documents if anyone would like to know more.. Just let me know..

[Ky. Ken]

I did run into this portion of the Draper Papers online in researching Swift info a day or two ago.. The way I read it , there should be some record of it in Virginia. Not sure how long it would take to find it if one ever could..

[EC.Mason]

I had never heard of the Draper papers outside of them being mentioned in one of Michael Hensons books I think. Anyone know much about them, like who wrote them when they were written, what they contain? Very interesting.

[vamelungeon]

"Lyman Copeland Draper served as the director of The State Historical Society of Wisconsin from 1854 to 1886. The collection reflects his lifelong interest in the history of the trans-Allegheny West from the 1740's to the period of the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Draper also maintained a lifelong interest in the pioneers of the Revolutionary era, especially Daniel Boone. In the words of retired archivist Josephine L. Harper Darling, Draper was "an indefatigable collector who preserved whatever he gathered."
That's from the USGenWeb archives. It's really incredible what the man was able to gather.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/military/draper/

[EC.Mason]

Thanks a lot vamelungeon. Is there anyway to read or access his material?

"Lyman Copeland Draper served as the director of The State Historical Society of Wisconsin from 1854 to 1886. The collection reflects his lifelong interest in the history of the trans-Allegheny West from the 1740's to the period of the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Draper also maintained a lifelong interest in the pioneers of the Revolutionary era, especially Daniel Boone. In the words of retired archivist Josephine L. Harper Darling, Draper was "an indefatigable collector who preserved whatever he gathered."
That's from the USGenWeb archives. It's really incredible what the man was able to gather.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/military/draper/

[vamelungeon]

People have put up bits and pieces here and there on the internet but not all of it. There's not a central website for it that I know of.

[Curtis]

There isn't much on line..but they are located in a library, but the originals are in boxes..hundreds of them..and you would have to be in person to "check them out" and that only means viewing them..not checking them out like to take them home. Just do a goggle search and start reading about the man and what all he gathered and catalogued - incredible favor to the people of Appalachia and beyond.