A manuscript draft for a nearly completed but never published book entitled “Border Forays and Adventures” prepared jointly by Draper and his collaborator, Consul Wilshire Butterfield, in 1875-1876. Although the work begins with the adventures of Hernando de Soto in the sixteenth century, the manuscript is composed primarily of an extensive series of narratives describing episodes illustrative of Indian-white conflict on the frontier from 1750 through 1782. Draper intended this book for a popular audience, but its lengthy text and notes (due to the writers' insistence on expounding minor details), and the repetitious character and romanticized treatment of the events described all contributed to the authors' failure to find a publisher.
Includes a copy of Thomas Morris' journal (1764) describing his expedition up the Maumee River and his captivity during Pontiac's War; speeches of Big Elk, Garangula, Pontiac, Shegenaba, and Skenando; a description of Dunmore's War, 1774, and of Indian activities during the Revolutionary War; copies of articles and reports concerning the 1780 Carolina campaign; and materials concerning David Rogers' 1779 defeat.
