time, and had the men under their own command until the Draughts were made in March last, do make off from the Paymaster Books, an exact account of the arrears due the men enlisted by them, who are now effective: they then will receive the amount; and each Officer must settle with his own Recruits, and pay them off; making stoppages of his just accompts., and take each mans receipt for the full arrears due him: which receipt must afterwards be produced to Colonel Washington. The Subaltern Officers who received money from their Captains for Recruiting must account with them for it as each Captain has given his receipt for the full sum received, for Recruiting. Three Subalterns who received money from Colonel Washington, must account with him. Parole Limrick. ORDERS Winchester, December 31, 1755. As there has issued Orders several times for every Officer to provide himself with a proper Regimental Dress (which dress is also particularly described:) Colonel Washington is a good deal surprized to find that some Officers are yet unprovided; and declares, that if they do not immediately procure them, or such thereof as can be had; it will be looked upon as disobedience of Orders, and will be tried accordingly. There are more persons returned as Sergeants than are necessary for the number of Recruits in Town. Therefore a Return must immediately be given in of the names who call themselves so; that a proper that a proper choice may be made to do the Duty of Sergeants: the rest are to act as private Centinels, until further Orders. TO CAPTAIN CHRISTOPHER GIST Winchester, December 31, 1755. You are hereby Ordered to proceed to those public Places where you have the greatest probablity of success; and continue Recruiting until the first day of March; at which time it is expected you will repair to this place. You are, with some trusty person, to send your Recruits here, so soon as you raise a squad of five or ten men; and the person with whom you entrust them, is to take a receipt from the Officer, who will be appointed here to receive them, for the number delivered, specifying their names, &c. ** *** You may dispose of your Subalterns or seems best to you for the Service; giving them the same Orders you receive. Parole Ostend. ORDERS Winchester, Saturday, January 3, 1756. The Guard is to be regularly relieved every morning at ten o'clock. The Drummer must observe to beat, at the appointed times, the following Beats. Revele at day-break; Troop, at ten o'clock; Retreat at sun-set; and Tattoo, at nine o'clock at night. An Officer is to see that the above Orders are duly executed. This Tour of Duty to begin with the eldest Captain; and to continue through the rest of the Officers, according to Seniority. The Officer of the Day is to make a Report of the Guard, as soon as he is relieved. "An omitted paragraph duplicates the instructions as to enlisting servants and apprentices, in Washington's letter to Joshua Lewis, December 3, ante. TO ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS 65 Winchester, January 5, 1756. Honble. Sir: I am sorry it has not been in my power to acknowledge the receipt of yours till now. At the time that your letter came to Winchester, I was at Williamsburg; before I got back, it was conveyed thither; and so from place to place has it been tossing almost untill this time. There is nothing more necessary than good intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy, and nothing that requires greater pains to obtain. I shall, therefore, cheerfully come into any measures you can propose to settle a correspondence for this salutary end; and you may depend upon receiving (when the provinces are threatened) the earliest and best intelligence that I can procure. I sympathized in a general concern to see the inactivity of your province in a time of eminent danger; but am pleased to find, that a feeling sense of wrongs has roused the spirit of your martial Assembly to vote a sum, which, with your judicious application, will turn to a general good."" Governor of Pennsylvania. "The trouble in taxing the Pennsylvania proprietaries' lands had delayed an appropriation. Sparks goes into the matter rather fully in a footnote. When the news of Braddock's defeat reach England the proprietaries, alarmed at the progress of the enemy, or, as Doctor Franklin has said, "intimidated by the clamor raised against them for their meanness and injustice," ordered the receiver general to add £5,000 to such sums as the assembly should grant for the security of the province. When this was made known to the house, a new bill was framed, granting £60,000 for the use of the Crown, with a clause exempting the proprietary estates from the tax. (See Votes and Proceedings, Pennsylvania Assembly, November, 1755.) In May, 1755, the Pennsylvania Assembly had given £15,000 for the King's use by an order appropriating funds then within their control; £5,000 of this money was applied to victualling the King's troops in Virginia and £10,000 to procuring and transporting provisions for the Massachusetts troops engaged in the King's service. In November the grant of £60,000 was made, and a bill for establishing and disciplining a voluntary militia was drafted by Benjamin Franklin, which, as he says, passed through the house with little difficulty, as the Quakers were left at liberty. Several companies were organized, but none ever joined the Virginians in any expedition against the Indians. The money was chiefly expended in building forts on the Pennsylvania frontiers, under the superintendence of Franklin, who was commissioned for that purpose by the governor. (See Franklin's Works, vol. 1, p. 153.) 1756] COOPERATION WITH PENNSYLVANIA 269 We took some pretty vigorous measures to collect a force upon our frontiers, upon the first alarm; which have kept us peaceable ever since: how long this may last, is uncertain. Since that force (which were Militia) are disbanded; and the Recruiting Service almost stagnated. If you propose to levy Troops; and their destination is not a secret; I should be favoured, were I let into the scheme, that we may act conjunctly, so far as the nature of things will admit. Pray direct to me at Alexandria, to which place I design to go in about ten days from this. I am, &c. ORDERS Winchester, Tuesday, January 6, 1756. Parole Richmond. Whereas it has been represented to Colonel Washington, that Ensign Dekeyser has been guilty of a breach of the twentythird article of War; by behaving in a manner unbecoming the character of a Gentleman, and an Officer. He is ordered to appear before a Court of enquiry, which will sit to examine into the complaint to-morrow at ten of the clock. The Court to consist of nine Officers; none under the degree of a Captain; Lieutenant Colonel Stephen, President. All Evidences to attend. ORDERS January 7, 1756. The Court of Enquiry upon Ensign Dekeyser's misbehaviour, are of opinion, that he is guilty of the breach of the twentythird article of War. ORDERS Parole Tweed. Winchester, Thursday, January 8, 1756. All the Officers in town to attend Lieutenant Colonel Stephens immediately at Limon's House. As soon as the Congress is over, three of the youngest Subalterns, and Sergeant Waters, are to go immediately in pursuit of the two Deserters, who made their escape last night; and to use their utmost endeavours to apprehend them. Three days provision to be delivered to the Troops tomorrow, at twelve o'clock. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen has orders to read the following suspension and admonition to all the Officers. "Whereas the Court of Enquiry that was held yesterday in behalf of our Sovereign Lord, the King, for examining into a complaint against Leehaynsious Dekeyser, Ensign in the Virginia Regiment, for a breach of the twenty-third Article, fifteenth Section of War: Were unanimous in opinion, that he was not only guilty of the crime for which he was arrested; but had acted inconsistently with the character of a Gentleman, and scandalously for an Officer; whose character should be preserved by the nicest rules of Honour. For these and other reasons, unnecessary to enumerate; I think it for the Honour of his Majesty's Service, and the good of the Regiment, that the said Lehaynsius Dekeyser be Suspended; and he is hereby suspended and debarred from holding any post or having any connection with the said Regiment, until the Governors pleasure be known; or until he is acquited by a general Court Martial; if he thinks proper to appeal for a further hearing."" This timely warning of the Effects of misbehaviour will, I hope, be instrumental in animating the younger Officers to a laudable Emulation in the Service of their Country. Not that I apprehend any of them can be guilty of Offences of this nature: but there are many other misdemeanors that will, "Dekeyser was accused of cheating at cards. The original proceedings of the court, dated Jan. 7, 1756, are in the Washington Papers, Library of Congress. |