Papers collected by Draper and partially arranged by him about 1865-1869, when he was planning to publish an enlarged and revised edition of Joseph Doddridge's Notes on the Settlements and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania, 1763-1783 (Wellsburgh, Virgina, 1824). Although he secured the approval and cooperation of Doddridge's daughter Narcissa in 1866, and had also located a prospective publisher for the new edition, Draper failed to complete the project promptly. Distressed by his procrastination and delays, the disenchanted Miss Doddridge withdrew Draper's right to publish in July, 1869. Thus the second edition, incorporating many additions previously supplied by Narcissa to Draper, was edited by Alfred W. Williams and published in Albany, New York, in 1876. Volumes 6 NN and 9 NN contain the earlier correspondence which Draper had with both Joseph and Narcissa Doddridge.
Included are original correspondence and correspondence from descendants of Virginia settlers; military records such as orderly books, muster rolls, and correspondence; land records; maps; broadsides; biographical and genealogical sketches; wills; observations and surveys of western lands; and manuscript copies of John Lederer's The Discoveries of John Lederer, and Edward Bland's The Discovery of New Brittaine.
