Secret History of the Line - February to April, 1728 Summary and Analysis

The next narrative is by William Byrd II and is entitled "The Secret History of the Line." The introduction to the narrative by the editor gives some biographical information about the author, who was born in Virginia in 1674 to a wealthy family and sent to England for his education. He returned to Virginia on the death of his father to manage the family's large estate. After his first wife died of smallpox, he remarried. Active in politics, Byrd was appointed to lead a commission on behalf of Virginia to survey the disputed border between Virginia and North Carolina to the south. He wrote two accounts of the expedition, one called "History of the Dividing Line," meant for public distribution, and "The Secret History," which includes...