Spurred by his acquisition of the papers of Tecumseh's early biographer, Benjamin Drake and his brother Daniel (see Draper Mss O), Draper collected quite intensively on Tecumseh from about 1863 until his death, but he never carried out his intent of writing a new more comprehensive biography. Draper Mss YY contains the manuscripts pertaining to Tecumseh which had been collected by the Drake brothers as well as the notes, correspondence, and printed materials written or gathered by Draper. Also included are newspaper clippings, cartes-de-visite, memo books, and narratives and reminiscences by Indian agents, Indian leaders of various tribes, missionaries, and soldiers.
Draper's correspondents included a few former missionaries, Indian agents, and members of the Shawnee tribe. Several of these letters discuss Tecumseh's relations with Black Hawk and with Pierre Juzan; the Shawnee known as Captain Tommy; Daniel Curtis (Curtiss); Nathaniel Harrison and Harrison genealogy; Richard Kinnon; the Miami chief Le Gros (or Le Gris); the Chippewa chief Little Pine; the family of Francis Maisonville to whom Tecumseh's sister was married; the Potawatomi chief Shaubena (Shabonee, Chambly, et cetera); and Richard Taylor.
Information collected by Draper deal with the following Indian nations and their chiefs: Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Miami, Sauk, Muscogee, Potawatomi, and Delaware.
Major topics include the War of 1812, Battle of Tippecanoe, Battle of Thames, Tecumseh's work in forming the Indian confederacy, and all facets of his life, including his ancestry, his appearance, and his travels.
