After the troubles in North Carolina, Graffenried went up to Virginia in 1712 to look for the mines and to see if he could find a place there for the people from the colony in North Carolina to live. These were separate questions because the mines were to be operated by people from Siegen that Albrecht was recruiting, not by the colonists from North Carolina. Graffenried talked quite openly to Spotswood about his plans and hopes. Spotswood has left comments in his communications back to England.
Spotswood wrote to the Board of Trade on 15 May 1712:
"(There is a) gen'll Opinion lately revived that there are gold and silver mines in these parts towards the Mountains . . . (need) a Declaration what share her Majesty expects out of them."
Graffenried and Spotswood spent Easter of 1713 together and, shortly thereafter, Graffenried left for Europe. On 2 May 1713, a patent for a tract of land consisting of 4020 acres of land was issued to Larkin Chew. That same month Chew "sold" fractional parts of this to Spotswood, Graffenried, the Earl of Orkney (the Governor of Virginia in England), Gawin Corbin, Jeremiah Clowder, Richard Buckner, and William Robertson. Though the patent does not say so, we know from later records that this tract was thought to contain a silver mine. Chew's role in this was to obscure that the patent was really to Spotswood, as Spotswood did not like to have his name appear as grantee since he had to sign as grantor. The other names were partners of Spotswood. The location of the land can be plotted and it is found to be in today's Orange County located on Mine Run. It is about four miles from the future Fort Germanna but that is getting ahead of the story.
On 11 Jun 1713, Spotswood wrote to Col. Blakiston, the agent for Virginia in London:
"I writt to you about 2 Months ago about the discovery of another mine in which I am concern'd . . . ye Gent. concern'd with me, depend very much on y'r prudent management of this affair . . . we cannot proceed till we know what we have Trust to."
On 17 Aug 1713, Spotswood wrote again to Blakiston:
"I am embarked on a new project about ye mines . . . if any resolution be taken by the Queen and Council in relation thereto . . . you will not let it be neglected for want of paying ye necessary fees to the Clerks."
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.