Yes it was the same William Russell. Many of Col. Russell's letters are found in the Draper Mss, Preston and VA Papers, owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The below is from the Rootsweb Boone-L archives 2003. Kathryn ==================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Oct 2003 23:42:14 -0400 From: Donald Drake <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [BOONE-L] James Boone Massacre My name is Donald Drake and I grew up in Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia. My father is treasurer for the local historical society. They recently succeeded in having the marker for the James Boone Massacre remade and located across from the Stickleyville School on Highway 58. While researching the incident, my father became interested in the Drake boy that accompanied James Boone's company. He asked me to help find the boy's name. Consequently, I went to as many original sources as I could find. I have scanned copies of the following: 1) December 1773 issue of the Pennsylvania Chronicle 2) December 1773 issue of the Virginia Gazette 3) 1966 article from the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 4) February 1774 deposition by Isaac Thomas 5) February 1774 deposition by Thomas Sharp. The last two documents are from the Thomas Gage collection at the William Clements Library, University of Michigan. I have these two documents uploaded but I am waiting for publication permission from the library before I provide the links. Transcripts of all five documents are also online. I thought someone on this might be interested. You may view them by going to my web site referenced below. Choose Family History from the main page and the Other Related Articles and Documents. By the way, the Drake boy was Samuel Drake, son of John Drake. Thanks Don Drake -- Donald E. Drake Moyock, NC http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~drakerobinson/index.htm ______________________________ ------------------------------ CNIDR Isearch-cgi 1.20.06 (File: 122) ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 10:10:57 -0400 From: Donald Drake <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: [BOONE-L] James Boone, Samuel Drake & Thomas Gage Papers I just received permission form the William L. Celements Library at U of Michigan to publish the two depositions from the Thomas Gage collection regarding the Massacre of the James Boone Party in October of 1773. The depostions were given by Isaac Thomas and Thomas Sharp. Thomas Sharp says that he saw the Indians responsible on 5 October 1773 on the Watuaga River (same area Benjamin Drake of Carter County settled in). One of the Indians, a Cherokee named Big Elk, showed Sharp a weapon. Sharp was later in the party that went to the camp to bury the men and found the same weapon laying by the bodies. Isaac Thomas gives the name Samuel Drake as one of the men killed in the attack. An article in the PA Chronicle from December 1773 says that the son of John Drake was among the men killed. Scanned versions of both depostions are now available at the web site referenced below. Choose Family History from the main page, then Other Related Articles and Documents. You will see a link to the James Boone Massacre on the page. Typing "James Boone Massacre" into Google will also take you there. Don -- Donald E. Drake Moyock, NC http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~drakerobinson/index.htm -------------------------------- End of BOONE-D Digest V03 Issue #122 ************************************