Mainly original manuscripts, 1758-1815, accompanied by a few copies of scattered date and correspondence, 1843-1855, between Draper and Robert Patterson's youngest son Jefferson Patterson (1801-1863).

Opening the volume are copies of Robert's memorials to Congress (1819) detailing his military services which he hoped would qualify him for a pension. These are followed by Jefferson's letters to Draper, which not only give the former's own recollections but also contain quotations from his father's autobiography.

Original papers, mainly 1779-1786, compose the bulk of this volume. These pertain to land surveys and land claims, the early settlement of Lexington, Robert Patterson's wife and children, and his participation in military campaigns (1780-1786). Among the original documents are Patterson's deposition (1802) concerning his travel and land claims in Kentucky in 1775-1776; his deposition (1815) about service in Levi Todd's company during Bowman's campaign against the Shawnee in 1779; and Kentucky land grants (1780) to Hugh and William Alexander, John Hunter, Alexander McClellan, and John Smith.

Also included are muster rolls and payroll and provision records for Patterson's militia company, 1780-1781; a land claim (1785) of Mrs. Elizabeth Maxwell, widow of Alexander Maxwell of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; a list of subscribers (1781) and subscription payment receipts (1785) for a grammar school in Lexington; a letter (1782) by Mary Wright concerning rental of her salt kettles; assorted land survey notebooks; family letters including one from Robert to his wife Elisabeth (1786); and numerous military records for the campaign in 1786. Among the latter are letters of William Finney, Thomas Gist, Jr., Christopher Greenup, William Russell, and Levi Todd; lists of deserters from Fort Finney; lists of men in the companies of Cave Johnson, Robert Sanders, Andrew Steel, William Steele, and Sowyel Woolfolk; a list of Fayette County militiamen; and a draft of a letter (December 7, 1786) to Patrick Henry.

Among other signers of documents in this volume are Manasseh Coyle, Robert George, Willis Green, John Jack, Arthur Lindsay, John McClellan (McClelland), Alexander McConnell, Thomas Marshall, Hugh Martin, John May, Robert Orr, and James Sullivan. Draper's index (1846) to a portion of these papers, 1 MM 16-45, was filed in the George Rogers Clark Papers (Draper Mss J), 38 J 148-152.