Good morning Mr. Keller and others. I have done much research lately in an effort to establish the various reasons which motivated Governors Ogle and Sharpe to warrant or grant lands in the Indian Springs area to Englishman of Southern, MD. I have read abstracts of information that indicates that Governor Ogle once took a trip to Western, MD in an effort to observe for himself firsthand the boundaries of Maryland's Western regions. I suspect that members of the Mills family were granted Warrants for land along the Licking Creek beginning in 1746, as payment for their services to him o n that journey and additionally to assist in establishing or being a part of the frontier force necessary to settling the "Back Areas" and after the start of the French and Indian Wars for the protection of the Eastern regions of MD from the Indians. It appears over a course of ten years ( From 1746 to 1756) various members of the Mills family (Thomas, Michael, Jacob and James Mills) Patented more then 1000 acres of land. The initial Patent to Thomas Mills, dated 1746 contained 500 acres of land. Thomas Mills went onto to establish Ft Mills along the Licking Creek, while Michael and Jacob Mills established themselves as expert marksman with a musket, most notable for holding themselves up in a cave located in a cliff wall along the Licking Creek (Today known as Revells Cave) and killing Indians as they walked or floated down Licking Creek toward the settlement near Fort Frederick. This writer found the cave in October 2003 and David Mills of Cumberland obtained photographs of the cave in the spring of 2004. To anyone interested the photographs are available by request. Records of the period indicate that Thomas Mills was a Blacksmith and sometimes Trader with the Indians. It is believed by this writer that the Mills family of Licking Creek / Indians Springs MD area were originally from Southern Maryland (Western Banks of the Patuxent at Mount Calvert) where William Mills arrived from England (possibly Cratfield, England) sometime between 1658 and 1660. In the Autobiography of Robert A. Mills, dictated to his daughter Robertina, in 1928 when he was 98 years of age, Robert states that the Mills family arrived in 1660, which corroborates the records of that era in Southern, MD. Robert Mills was the Great, Great Grandson of John Mills, bn circa 1727. John Mills was one of the original Mills members to arrive at Licking Creek in the late 1740s. In the recent past the Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson of John Mills, bn 1727 has been located and he has agreed to participate in the Mills DNA Project, sponsored by Family Tree DNA of Arizona. If in fact the Mills family of Licking Creek, MD area is related to the Mills of Patuxent, then it is expected that the sample DNA he submits will match with the sample submitted and posted by this writer more then a year ago. I encourage contact and comment by any persons who might have an interest or additional information concerning the Mills family, families related to the Mills family and other historical facts and information which will provide insight into the life and times, and the social and political fabric of the people occupying the lands of the Western reaches of present day Washington County, MD. Kindest regards, Michael A. Mills 7941 Bennett Branch Rd Mount Airy, Maryland 21771 Cell 301.370.4393 Home 301.831.5659