swift travels

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Swift backstory as told by Mrs. Timmins to reporter. 1880

https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...ver&y=12&x=18&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=4


The Interior Journal July 04, 1879

TimminsFoundMineOpening.png
 

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Great stuff...seems like we have been down the Swift person rabbit hole several times but this is convincing stuff! Might there be another one or two? Pretty common name ..someone even found a Jonathan Swift as a silversmith in England close to the same time. Prather seems to have gotten onto a certain vein and not deviated, while there were other JS in various places. when a person said they were from Alexandria.... when? When they were born? Where they lived at the time of the story? or even when they lived in the general area? Lots of questions and these types of findings are going to nail it down. Someday someone will find a connection that cements it. In one of the books its mentioned they (who is they?) found an Insurance of Swifts Ship in New Orleans when it was insured by Lloyds of London....maybe the Scott company should be researched also?
 

Swift being referred to as Capt John, John or Jonathan doesn't help things. Another source says Col. Swift in the past tense. If Captain or Colonel could refer to military or militia service, or Captain of a ship... I'm sorry but it is so botched up over time it just makes me think it was done to obscure the truth...think of a covert operation. The dates also could be altered to deceive, by stating dates earlier than 1764 places claiming rights before it was legal for English to be in the area. Swift's father in law oversaw a lead mining operation for the Rev. war effort. Also don't forget Daniel Boons' favorite book to read VERY popular at the time, 'Guliver's Travels' by Jonathan Swift.
 

Curtis said:
Great stuff...seems like we have been down the Swift person rabbit hole several times but this is convincing stuff! Might there be another one or two? Pretty common name ..someone even found a Jonathan Swift as a silversmith in England close to the same time. Prather seems to have gotten onto a certain vein and not deviated, while there were other JS in various places. when a person said they were from Alexandria.... when? When they were born? Where they lived at the time of the story? or even when they lived in the general area? Lots of questions and these types of findings are going to nail it down. Someday someone will find a connection that cements it. In one of the books its mentioned they (who is they?) found an Insurance of Swifts Ship in New Orleans when it was insured by Lloyds of London....maybe the Scott company should be researched also?
Click to expand...

Swift may have been a common name, but how common? What was the approx. population of Alexandria, VA before and during the Rev. War? I doubt there were two John Swifts from the same time and city, one an outstanding public citizen and merchant and the other a pioneer/hunter/minor...guessing...the population might be 5-6,000 in Alexandria at that time? Might be high side of guess...

Unfortunately I think this story/legend has been fuzzy from the beginning, we may never know all the truth of the details...my nose tells me something stinks about all the confusion from the get go. Don't get me wrong here, I still think that silver was being mined from the region.

Maybe someone was using Swift's name as an alias?
 

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Wow that is interesting stuff right there! Real actual documentation that Washington knew a man named Jonathan Swift. Nice work Ky Hiker.
 

EC.Mason said:
Wow that is interesting stuff right there! Real actual documentation that Washington knew a man named Jonathan Swift. Nice work Ky Hiker.
Click to expand...
Agree; maybe J. Swift was a SURVEYOR for Bro. George Washington to review OLD Virginia, which "ran" to the Mississippi River as Botetourt County, Va.
 

Thus, using "Masonic Clues" like the Square & Compass, etc. (could also be a SEXTANT)... to "create a path". Creating GOLD & SILVER stories to get potential Virginians excited about re-locating there; I would LOVE the RRG area!
 

EC.Mason said:
Wow that is interesting stuff right there! Real actual documentation that Washington knew a man named Jonathan Swift. Nice work Ky Hiker.
Click to expand...

Thanks, but much of this came from online research I did after reading Mr. Prather's book, Swift owned and laid claim on huge tracts of land in what is now KY, including the land Ft. Knox (and the vault) sits on today.
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Jona...=robert+prather&qid=1581640770&s=books&sr=1-2

The Library of Congress online is a great resource, still so much they have to get digitized.

On another note, Mrs. Timmins who is the earliest documented Swift Journal holder and searcher, said that Mundy and the Indians worked with the French on the mine. Boomer had said he found evidence in the field of both Spanish and French mining. Finding French signs and or marks might be a key signal your close to Swift's operations.
 

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Rebel - KGC said:
Thus, using "Masonic Clues" like the Square & Compass, etc. (could also be a SEXTANT)... to "create a path". Creating GOLD & SILVER stories to get potential Virginians excited about re-locating there; I would LOVE the RRG area!
Click to expand...

Maybe not specifically Virginians but newly founded Americans? Remember this was the land of the first American westward expansion. America's first wild West of sorts. The Swift of Alexandria was too young to be here in the 1760s.

Rebel, come visit Natural Bridge S.P. and you can get a taste there. It sits just south of the RRGorge roughly 10 miles North of Lower Devil's Creek/Beattyville area. They have a lodge/bar/restaurant and would make a great weekend trip for you.
 

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Curtis, I have never nailed down or read anything about the Scottish Co. as partners with Swift other than on here. I don't know what their source was on that. Maybe from one of the versions of journals I have not been exposed to yet. Swift was a merchant in Alexandria with a bldg that backed up to a dock/receiving area. His address is in Prather's book. Maybe he had trading partners? He was appointed consul by Washington to several Central/South American countries at that time. No telling who or where he traded with or imported from. His father-in-law is an amazing story to read, Daniel Roberdeau who was a merchant as well, and was in charge of a lead mine operation in Western PA during the Revolutionary War. This guy was a patriot to the nines!

http://colonialhall.com/roberdeau/roberdeau.php

https://prabook.com/web/daniel.roberdeau/3758798

from the above link
"As a member of the Pennsylvania committee of safety he labored indefatigably to improve the defenses of the colony. As an agitator for independence and a new state government and as chairman of the Philadelphia mass meeting on May 20, 1776, he was an important factor in uniting the popular group in the city with the back country, thus paving the way for a new constitution. He interested himself financially in fitting out privateers which were successful in capturing valuable prizes. When bullets were needed for the army he volunteered in Congress to establish a lead mine at his own expense in western Pennsylvania (1778) and built Fort Roberdeau to protect the mine. He also served with the Pennsylvania Associators, first as colonel of the 2nd Battalion, and later as brigadier-general of the 53 Battalions, to which post he was elected on July 4, 1776, and in which capacity he participated in the New Jersey campaign of 1776. Beginning Feburary 5, 1777, Roberdeau sat in Congress for two years."

Notice his interest in outfitting privateers to capture valuable prizes...

"While in that body he served on the important committee of foreign affairs, and with his wide knowledge of business matters rendered valuable assistance in reorganizing the clothier general's, the commissary, and the treasury departments. A foe of inefficiency and dishonesty, he strenuously advocated both in Congress and in his state the strictest economy, adequate provisions for the army, and measures to prevent a depreciated currency, characteristically declaring that "these will be more effectual than an army with Banners". "

This man was involved with the treasury department and preventing a depreciated currency...

Research material related to Swift
https://archive.org/details/genealogyofrober00buch/page/n6/mode/2up

see next post
 

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In Virginia, we also have a Natural Bridge State Park; surveyed by Bro. Geo Washington with his signature on the granite up there, and NB was once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Wife & i go there often, as it close by... off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
 

Rebel - KGC said:
In Virginia, we also have a Natural Bridge State Park; surveyed by Bro. Geo Washington with his signature on the granite up there, and NB was once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Wife & i go there often, as it close by... off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Click to expand...

Ours is off the same exit as the RRGorge :) Unfortunately so many have carved on it over the years it would take you a week to read all of it!
Take the Slade exit off of B.T.C. Mt. pkwy.
 

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Was talking to an old fellow today and he said when he was in Boy Scouts many years ago that his troop canoed from Elkhorn city to Louisa. He said it took them 2 days paddling to make the trip. found it interesting. Figured it would have taken longer. just a bit of info that might give insight to one mode of travel in Swifts time.
 

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Assay Report. Thought some might like to see what one looks like.

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