John Milton Binckley to Peter Carr Johnston, June 12, 1873

Peter Carr Johnston (1793-1877)*

[John Milton Binckley at Chicago to General Peter C. Johnston c/o Hon. John W. Johnston at Abingdon, Virginia, June 12, 1873. Additional paragraph breaks inserted for easier reading.

Many thanks to William Myers, Mary Davy, Sally Young and Sue Davis for their ongoing research collaboration; specifically to William for providing scans of the original document, and in turn many thanks to Peter Johnston Binckley and Patricia D'Arcy "Trish" Binckley (1951-2007), at the source.]

                                                                   134 Warren Avenue
                                                                    Chicago 12 June 1873
My Dear Sir,

I cannot but think you will indulge the liberty I take in asking you, if the favor happen to involve nothing irksome or inconvenient, to give me information of a reported discovery in Southwestern Virginia which has been pronounced -- I know not upon how incompetent authority -- the crater of an extinct volcano, still manifesting interesting phenomena; and to give me leave also to publish the matter.

Having a delightful ramble in the region bordering North Carolina and Tennessee in 1867, indications here and there struck me, as my wife will recollect, which if I had not known how ignorant I was of geology, would quite have prepared me for the announcement that volcanoes had been active in the region much later in geological chronology than is usually supposed. I am therefore the more curious to hear all about the new discovery.

Let me report that should a compliance with my request be in any degree burdensome, you will not suffer me to trespass upon your comfort unintentionally; but if otherwise, the more fully the details come, the better; especially if I could have your own views and hypotheses on the subject.

With cordial wishes for your prolonged usefulness and enjoyment of life, and asking you to present me faithfully to Senator and Mrs. Johnston and the family. I am, Dear Sir,
                                                      Yours Sincerely
                                                       John M. Binckley

Gen'l Peter C. Johnston
                Abingdon, Va.

[John Milton Binckley (circa 1831-1878).

Peter Carr Johnston (1793-1877).

John Warfield Johnston (1818-1889).
Mrs. Johnston = Nicketti Buchanan Floyd Johnston (1819-1908).
*There is a remote possibility that this could be his brother, Beverly Randolph Johnston (1803-1876).]