Your letter came this morning, and I am going to answer it right away on account of the fact that I was recently in Pocahontas Co., W. VA and had such a nice visit, and I was looking up in regard to the Dilley family there.

It seems that there were two brothers, Martin and Henry Dilley, located in Pocahontas Co. which was then a part of Bath Co., VA. Henry Dilley was apparently not very successful, and died early leaving two or three children. Martin Dilley seems to have been more successful, and he gathered up several thousand acres of land near what is now known as Dilleys Mill, not a great distance from Marlinton. the county seat of Pocahontas Co.

I talked to one of the great grandsons, and was led to the grave of Martin Dilley. The gravestone is just plain stone without any lettering whatever on it. The lettering on his wife's gravestone is obliterated. It is said that the line of the farm runs east and west through the grave of Martin Dilley, and that it was so placed that his two sons might be buried in the same graveyard, and on their own places, and it was done. and their descendants have been buried ever since in what is known as the Dilley graveyard. It is kept like a city cemetery with the most beautiful flowers, and the grass is kept cut; and there is a strong wire and board fence around the same. it is on what is now the farm of Heavener Dilley. I had a very interesting talk with him, and he is very much interested in my trying to trace the relationship between our family and his own.

During the trip, I went to Warm Springs, VA which is in Bath Co., and found on the records there several conveyances made to Henry Dilley and Martin Dilley, and also one to John Dilley. The early records of both Bath and Pocahontas counties write the name "Dilly," and the later records, except John Dilley, which is written Dilley, give the abbreviated name. There is also in Bath Co. as well as Pocahontas Co. the name "Dille."

Mr. Heavener Dilley lives on a 400 acre farm and is considered to be one of the very substantial people financially of that section. He married the sister of our Secretary of State, and his twin brother, who is the Judge of the Circuit Court of that county, a Miss Sharp. They have 10 children, so the Dilley name is not running out in that section at least, one of the children being about two months old.

 I had a wonderful trip in my "fliver" and certainly enjoyed it, as it was to me a new section of W. VA and VA. The records in Hampshire Co. go back to 1752, and are very interesting because the early county belonged to Lord Fairfax. In looking over the record at Romney, Hampshire Co., I found a copy of the will of Michael Crosap, who was accused of murdering the family of the friendly Indian Logan, and whose speech has been immortalized by our third president Thomas Jefferson. I haved always thought that the speech was a myth, but too many myths are now accepted as true. The will was written in 1774 and probated in Montgomery Co., MD in the early part of 1791.

I will look over the data sent me very carefully. I am working on data for our Evans reunion which will take place a week from today, Sept. 17th, and bids fair to be a very large affair.

Yours Very Sincerely,

Thomas Ray Dille.

106 Cornwallis Rd., Yorktown, VA 23690

15 Nov 1992