Willis Kemper quoted from the "autobiography" of Christopher von Graffenried [page 11 in K.]:
"On my arrival at London I was extremely surprised to learn that the master miner [this would have been Albrecht] had arrived with 40 other miners. This caused me much trouble, care, concern, and expense, since these people came so inconsiderately, without orders, in the opinion of finding everything necessary for their maintenance as well as work in the mines, but there was nothing for them to do, and my purse was so empty that it was with difficulty that I could supply my most urgent necessities, having used all my money in America, and being as yet without a bill of exchange from Berne. Thus it was impossible to assist so large a number, and the reader can easily conjecture what care and embarrassment all this caused me, since these people were persuaded that according to the agreement, I was compelled to assist them. This would have been so, had they come at my order. I theretofore wrote them several letters from America, in German, of which they received some, in which I had advised that the master miner should not come until new orders were received and saying that there was nothing for them to do as yet by reason of the unexpected Indian War in Carolina, and that M. (Michael or Michel) had not yet indicated the place, but that if the master miner nevertheless wished to come alone or in company with one or two he could do so but merely to see the place. But without paying attention to what I had just written him he made preparations and came to London with his company and all their baggage."
In the last note, Kemper was quoted as saying that Spotswood had requested Graffenried to obtain miners out of Germany. The comments above by Graffenried do not sound like the comments of a recruiter or man who is hiring for another person. Even if you believe only half of what Graffenried has written, it makes Kemper's claim sound ridiculous. One mystery to me is how Kemper could read the statement above and make the claims that he did.
Graffenried goes on to write:
"But what was there to do? I could not give them better advice than to return home." [This is the voice of a recruiter?]
I do wish that we understood how the situation in the first quotation here did come about. Was Graffenried just not telling the truth when he wrote? Did the Germans, in particular Albrecht, not get some of the key letters? Or did they not correctly understand what was written? Someone had to say something very positive to induce forty people to leave their homes. What was said and by whom? It does not seem to me that Spotswood was responsible.
Albrecht had been in London for a period of time. Did he meet Col. Nathaniel Blakiston, the agent for Virginia, who was working with Spotswood and trying to get the question of patents for silver and gold mines resolved? Blakiston knew that Spotswood was very excited by the prospect of silver mines. Did Blakiston meet Albrecht and say something that made Albrecht think that Spotswood had a silver mine? Did Blakiston know that Graffenried was a one-sixteenth owner in the purported silver mine? That hardly seems possibly, as not enough time had gone by. Did Albrecht try to anticipate that there would be a need for miners shortly?
[I won't be writing another note until Sunday night. I would like to hear your suggestions as to how the situation in the first quotation could come about.]
(08 Jul 00)
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