Introduction, testimonials, and miscellaneous papers. To provide the background for his biography, Draper wrote an extensive introduction summarizing the history of western exploration and discovery prior to 1769. In this he incorporated an annotated copy of the journal (1750) of Thomas Walker and gave accounts of the journeys of Abraham Wood, Alexander Spottswood, and Christopher Gist, with biographical sketches and notes on the participants.

Preceding this introduction are other papers pertaining to the biography, which were gathered and arranged by Reuben G. Thwaites in 1893. Included are testimonials, drafted by Draper to attest to his competence to undertake the Boone biography but signed by numerous members of the Boone family; letters, 1854-1855, to his literary partner of these years, Benson J. Lossing; lists of proposed illustrations and plats of Boone localities and other miscellaneous memoranda for Lossing; one clipping about their partnership; and two small wood engravings of a beaver and an otter.