The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-24


CORAy, ESQ PURCHASES THg DINwIDDIE
PAPER s-ISTEREsTING COMMUNICATIONS
PROM HON. A. II. ". STUART SUPPLEMENT
AIRY IN ITS INFORMATION TO THE VALUED
GIPT OF Mr.. CORCORAy-ELECf0N OF OFFI-
TCERs, MEMBERS, &C.
A meeting Of the Executive Committee OF
the Virginia Historical Society was held In
this city yesterday at 12 O'Clock NJ. Pre-
sent: Messrs. Curry tcbairman), Henry,
Palmer, Valentine, or, Barney, Brock, and
Barksdale (recording secretary.
A number Of valuable gifts OF books, ETC.,
were reported. Letters from the following
gentlemen accepting membership in the
Society were read by the corresponding
secretary Captain Philip B. Hooe, Alex
andria, Va; Messrs. n. &. Newton, Joseph
Bryan, West Richeson Quarles, r. II. Card
well, j. Lawrence Schooicraft, w. o. Eng
lish.
A letter was also read from W. W. Cor
coran, Esq, announcing That he bad pur-
chased for the Society at the recent sale at
London Of the library OF the learn biblio-
pole, Henry Stevens. the original manu.
script records or entry-books OF the Colony
OF Virginia for five years, comprising the
period I7j2-1757, cf the administration OF
Lieutenant. Governor Robert DInwiddie,
which invaluable treasury of historic mate
rial has become known familiarly 10 the
public by recent frequent mention as the
Dinwiddie Papers. Some idea OF their inl-
poriaEce In Illustration OF Virginia history
may be apprehended when it is stated that
they contain upwards Of $50 separate docu'
mens and letters, in $50 large and closely
written folio pages. comprising above 6,3OO
fOiOs, which Will ill when printed (as Is
the design OF the Society, three large oc'
tav0 volumes, including upwards oil sixty
letters from the old Governor 10 his
youthful friend George Washington,
/ and no less than eighteen long and
original autograph letters OF Washington
! to Governor Dinwiddie, among the earliest
known from his pen, written between March
| 0. 1754, and May 2, 1856, when he was but
TWENTY-FIVE 10 twenty-five years OF age.
There are also about 70 addresses, mes.
sages, speeches, and charges to the House OF
Burgesses and the grand jury; 400 letters
OF Governor D;nwiddie to various officers
| in the military service, and 41j to the Gov
ernors OF other Colonies, the ministry,
friends, banker, London agents. &C.. making
| in all, as stated, about $50 separate dOcu-
Ments, addressed TO different bodies and in
dyIduals prominent in English and Amerl-
can history. The value OF these papers IN
| the elucidaliOn OF the history OF the colony
OF The period is inestmable. The papers
of Washington, il will be recOllected, fell
INTO the hands Of the French at Braddock's
defeat; but these papers supply many de-
ficlences Occa>iOned by that loss-indeed,
new chapter Of Vireina's history, drawn
from these papers Qong-lost bot authentic
materially, will be priceless boon to the
historical student, and noble eXponency
OF the lead which the Old Dominion held IN
the colonial sisterh0Od.
| II may be mentioned, as eXhbitiye OF The
| interest OF Mr.. CorcOran in the virginia
Historical Society, that in bis letter OF two
pages, wholly in his autograph, he is pleased
| to express, with some confidence, The hope
- hat we shall ere long he able TO secure
GreproOf building for these valuable
records"
An interesting communication from the
| Hon. Alexander III. II. Stuart, StauntOn,
Va, giving information OF valuable
! d ,cument supplementary in information to
Ie Dinwiddie Papers, was also read, as fol-
lows:
"Some years ago was called on to make
a professional examination OF the record Of
an old suit which was decided m0re than a
| half century ago in the old District
Cbancery Court, held at this place. and in
the couise Of my Investigations discovered
an old historical document which | regard
as Of great value. and which l think
ought to be in the custody OF the Nir-
ginia Historical Society. Shortly after
Braddock's defeat. in 1853, the General
Assembly OF Virginia made large appro.
priatiOns OF lands lying on the waters OF
KaDawha river 10 the Virginia officers aud
soldiers who participated in that campaign.
| Subsequently, suit was brought IN the
Cnancery Court at Staunton by some OF the
parties entitled under those grants TO baye
the lands surveyed and divided, so as to
alot TO each officer and soldier the portion
TO which he was entitled. An order was
entered accordingly, directing the survey
aud partition 10 be made, 50 that the court
could allOt 10 each grantee, in severalty,
the share which belongedto him, and George
Washington was appointed special commits
siouer and surveyor to make the survey
and partition. In due time Washington
returned 10 the court full surveys OF all the
lands, accompanied by full rolls OF all the
officers and men who participated In the
campaign, with detailed statements show
! ing how much each was entitled TO receive,
| anu bliOlluE W is VI A. hNh' W "'"'-H'f
| the quantity he was entitled TO receive.
The report Is in Washington's own
| handwriting, tnd is remarkable for
its cearDess and neatneSs. This p1ner pos
sesses great interest, as being the work OF
Washington in his early life, and ii also
will be Of peculiar interest to the descend
ants OF the soldiers in the BraddOck cam
pqign, as containing authentic evidence OF
the service Of their ancestors and the capa-
city in which they respectively served.
bad it copied and printed in one OF our
local papers. probably twenty-five years
ago, 10 guard against lis possible loss. This
important paper Is now buried among the
archives OF our court. w3ere few can have
access to ii, and probably in a few years the
fact OF its existence Will have faded from
the memory Of man. IL seems TO me that
il the Virginia Historical Society would
submit an application TO the court to have
the original Qeaving copy on hleb deliy-
cred to the Society, where 1t would be ac-
cessble TO everybody disposed to examine
it, there could be no valid objection 10 such
an order"
Whereupon the following preamble and
resolution was adopted:
Whereas the Virginia Hist ,rical Society
having been Inf0rned by the Hon. Alex.
ander ii. II. Stuart that there is preserved
among The archives of the old District
Chancery Court at StluniOn, Va, yalua-
bic historical document in the autograph Of
George Washington being a report from
him, as commissioner, to determine the SER
vice OF The Virginia soldiers engaged in the
French and Indian war, and to allot by
survey the lands due them severally by ap.
preparation OF the Virginia Assembly and
it being intimated by Mr. Stuart that the
said court would probably be willing to de-