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methods to cure provisions, I must desire you will consult the principal Officers at the Fort; and if their opinions corroborate with yours, let some of the Beef be dried, as you propose. I must recommend diligence in the strongest terms to you (at this time particularly) much depending upon your activity, as the Season is so far advanced. I can not help telling you, I am sorry you was so long between Williamsburgh and

Winchester.

I am informed, that meat will lie sometime in bulk without salt. I think you should not delay slaughtering the Beeves one

moment.

I hope you have sent Orders to Mr. McLean already about this; if not, pray do; for the Cattle must lose flesh every hour.

I am &c.

TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADAM STEPHEN

Alexandria, December 3, 1755.

Your Letters, by Jenkins," were sometime coming to hand; as I suppose mine will be in getting to you; he being ordered round by Fredericksburgh. The Employ you mention, in apprehending Deserters, is very laudable; nevertheless I must desire you will repair immediately to the Fort, to see that the Orders left there, and those you have since received, are punctually complied with. If you find that the Hill apposite to Fort Cumberland, upon a proper review, is capable of containing a sufficient work of defence, and that the adjoining hill has not the command of it; you may order Timber and other necessaries to be got, to erect a Fort and Barrack there.

I have ordered some falling axes to be made here, and shall provide some broad ones out of the Stores, which shall be sent 50 William Jenkins, express rider.

up by the first Waggons. I wait here in hourly expectation of seeing a Vessel from Hampton with Sundries for the use of the Regiment a soon as she arrives, and I have sent off the contents, I shall set out for Winchester.

I am extremely sorry to hear that the men still continue to desert; and must think, it is partly owing to mismangement: and their escape, to inactivity of the Officers: Surely they do not pursue them with proper resolution, or they might be taken. I have not yet received the Mutiny Bill; it shall be forwarded when I do. Yesterday being the time appointed to Rendezvous here, came in ten Officers, with twenty Recruits; which make up the number at this place, twenty-five Great! As to what you desire, of going on an Embassy to the Creeks and Cherokees; I have no more right to give leave for as long an absence, than I have to commission you with proper authorities for such an undertaking: both must proceed from the Governour. If he approves, I have no objection. But, if I may offer my opinion, I can scarcely think he will; since the Colonels, Bird and Randolph, are already appointed. I have sent up a thousand pounds to Mr. Boyd, for payment of the Troops: and Mr. Lemon informing me the Rangers were complaining on this head; I have ordered him to send money for paying them also: Colonel Fairfax not being in the way to do it.

I would have you send as many Officers as you can spare, after acquainting them with the determination mentioned in my last, to the Election in Fredericksburgh and Hampshire, and to all other public meetings: I am deceived, if those public places will not afford men, if pains are taken. Give each a copy of the enclosed Instructions. I have thought it advisable, since my last letter to you, to employ the Officers in this Service; the Elections affording favourable opportunities to increase our

numbers: to neglect which I should be loth. They must be punctual in repairing to the Rendezvous at the limited time; for then I shall endeavour to put this Service under better reguiations, &c. Yours

N. B. I wish you would take a party, and examine well the Hill at the mouth of Patterson's Creek: I have a great notion that is a very good place."1

TO PAYMASTER ALEXANDER BOYD

Alexandria, December 3, 1755.

You will receive from the Bearer, Captain Bronaugh, one thousand pounds, for payment of the Troops; which you are to see immediately done, agreeably to their muster Rolls; having regard to those Instructions of the 28th. October. As I understand the Rangers are complaining for want of their pay; you must send such part of this money as is sufficient to do that; and also one months pay to Captain Hogg's Company, if any opportunity offers.

You are to be particularly exact and careful in these payments: seeing that there is no disagreement between the Returns, and your Pay-Rolls; as there will be strict examination into it hereafter. I am &c.

TO ROBERT DINWIDDIE

Alexandria, December 5, 1755. Honble. Sir: I have sent the bearer, Captain John Mercer (who has accompts. to settle with the Committee), to the treasurer for the balance of that ten thousand pounds; and to acquaint your Honour, that, meeting with letters at Fredericksburg, as I returned from Williamsburg, informing me

51 For a fort.

that all was peaceable above, and that nothing was so immediately wanting as salt. I got what I could at that place, and hastened on here to engage more; to receive the recruits expected in; and to wait the arrival of the vessel with arms, &c., from James River, in order to forward them up with the greater despatch. The vessel is not yet arrived.

I have impatiently expected to hear the result of your Honour's letter to General Shirley; and wish that the delays may not prove ominous. In that case, I shall not know how to act; for I can never submit to the command of Captain Dagworthy, since you have honoured me with the command of the Virginia regiment, &c.52

The country has sustained inconceivable losses by delaying the commissaries at Williamsburg: Many of the Carolina beeves are dead, through absolute poverty; and the chief part

"The old difficulty of rank between provincial officers and those holding commissions from the King had been revived at Fort Cumberland. Immediately after the affair of the Great Meadows the Assembly of Maryland granted the small sum of £6,000 for the defense of the frontiers, and in the following December they passed an act authorizing the governor to raise a military force. A few soldiers only were enlisted, and at this time a Maryland company of 30 men was stationed at Fort Cumberland under the command of Capt. John Dagworthy, who had been an officer in the Canada expedition during the last war and had received a King's commission. Governor Innes had gone home to North Carolina on his private affairs. Dagworthy assumed the command and refused to obey any orders of a provincial officer, however high in rank. This created wranglings and insubordination among the inferior officers, who took sides. The Governor of Maryland was tardy in giving any decisive orders to Dagworthy, because the fort was in that province, and he seemed willing to consider it under his command. Governor Dinwiddie argued that it was a King's fort, built by an order sent to him from the King, chiefly by forces in the King's pay, and that it could in no sense be regarded as subject to the authority of Maryland. And, moreover, as Captain Dagworthy had commuted his half pay for a specific sum of money, his commission had thereby become obsolete, and there was no propriety in his pretending to act under it; and it was an absurdity for a captain with 30 men, who in reality had no other commission than that from the Governor of Maryland, to claim precedence of the commander in chief of all the Virginia forces. Colonel Washington made a forcible remonstrance to the governor and council at Williamsburg and insisted on a speedy arrangement that should put an end to the difficulty. To effect this purpose Governor Dinwiddie sent an express to General Shirley, commander of his Majesty's forces in North America, stating the particulars of the case and requesting from him brevet commissions for Colonel Washington and the field officers under him; proposing, at the same time, that these commissions should only imply rank, without giving any claim to pay from the King.

of them too poor to slaughter. We are at a loss how to act, for want of the mutiny bill; and should be obliged to your Honour, if you will have fifty or a hundred printed, and sent by the bearer. There is a clause in that bill, which if you are not kind enough to obviate it, will prevent entirely the good intention of it: i. e., delaying the execution of sentences, until your Honour shall be made acquainted with the proceedings of the court. This, at times when there is the greatest occasion for examples, will be morally impossible (I mean, while we are on our march; perhaps near the Ohio,) when none but strong parties can pass with safety: at all times it must be attended with great expense, trouble and inconveniency. This I represented to Colonel Corbin, and some other gentlemen of the Council, when I was down; who said that that objection to the Bill would be removed, by your Honour's giving blank warrants, to be filled up as occasion should require. This would effectually remedy all those evils, and put things in their proper channel.

We suffer greatly for want of kettles: those sent from below being tin, are of short duration. We shall also, in a little time, suffer as much for the want of clothing; none can be got in these parts; those which Major Carlyle and Dalton contracted to furnish, we are disappointed off. Shoes and stockings we have, and get more if wanted, but nothing else. I should be glad your Honor would direct what is to be done in these cases; and that you would be kind enough to desire the treasurer to send some part of the money in gold and silver: were this done, we might often get necessaries for the regiment in Maryland, or Pennsylvania, when they cannot be had here. But with our money it is impossible; our paper not passing there.

The recruiting service goes on extremely slow. Yesterday being a day appointed for rendezvousing at this place, there

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