I have appointed Captain George Mercer (whose seniority entitled him to it) my aid-de-camp; and Mr. Kirkpatrick, of Alexandria, my secretary, a young man bred to business, of good character, well recommended, and a person of whose abilities I had not the least doubt. I hope your Honor will be kind enough to despatch Colonel Stephen, with orders to repair hither immediately, and excuse the prolixity of this letter. I was willing to give a circumstantial account of our situation, that you may be the better enabled to judge what orders are necessary. I am, &c. TO GOVERNOR DINWIDDIE. SIR, Winchester, 17 October, 1755. Last night by the return of the express, who went to Captain Montour, I received the enclosed from Mr. Harris at the Susquehanna. I think no means should be neglected to preserve the few Indians, who still remain in our interest. For which reason I shall send Mr. Gist, as soon as he arrives (which I expect will be to-day), to Harris's Ferry, in hopes of engaging and bringing with him the Belt of Wampum and other Indians at that place. I shall further desire him to send an Indian express to Andrew Montour, to try if he cannot be brought with them. In however trifling a light the attempts of the French to alienate the affections of our southern Indians may at first appear, I must look upon it as a thing of the utmost consequence, requiring our greatest and most immediate attention. I have often wondered at not hearing this was attempted before, and had it noted among other memorandums to acquaint your Honor with, when I should come down. The French policy in treating with the Indians is so prevalent, that I should not be in the least surprised, were they to engage the Cherokees, Catawbas, and others, unless timely and vigorous measures are taken to prevent it. A pusillanimous behaviour now will ill suit the times; and trusting to traders and common interpreters, who will sell their integrity to the highest bidder, may prove the destruction of these affairs. I therefore think, that if a person of distinction, acquainted with their language, is to be found, his price should be come to at any rate. If no such person can be had, a man of sense and character, who may conduct the Indians to a council, or superintend any other matters, will be found extremely necessary. It is impertinent, I own, in me to offer my opinion in these affairs, when better judges may direct; but my steady and hearty zeal for the cause, and the great impositions I have known practised by the traders upon these occasions, would not suffer me to be quite silent. I have heard, from undoubted authority, that some of the Cherokees, introduced to us as sachems and princes by the interpreter, who shares the profits, have been no other than common hunters, and bloodthirsty villains. We have no accounts yet of the militia from Fairfax. This day I march with about one hundred men to Fort Cumberland. Yesterday an express informed me of eighty recruits at Fredericksburg, whom I have ordered to proceed to this place; but, for want of that regularity being observed, by which I should know where every officer is, my orders are only conditional, and always confused.* The commissary is much wanted. I hope you will send him up immediately; if not, things will greatly suffer here. I am, &c. TO LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ADAM STEPHEN. SIR, Fredericksburg, 18 November, 1755. I came to this place on Sunday last, and intended to proceed immediately up; † but your letter and others, contradicting the late reports, determined me to go to Alexandria, where I shall wait a few days, hoping to meet the express from General Shirley, to whom the Governor sent for commissions for the field-officers. I *To a captain he wrote;- "Your late disobedience of orders has greatly displeased me. It is impossible to carry on affairs as they ought to be, when you pay so little regard to a military order. You must be conscious, that your crime is sufficient to break the best officer, that ever bore a commission." He was now returning from Williamsburg to head-quarters at Winchester, having previously made a journey to Fort Cumberland. The old difficulty about rank between the provincial officers, and those with King's commissions, had been revived at Fort Cumberland. Immediately after the affair of the Great Meadows, the Assembly of Maryland granted the small sum of six thousand pounds for the defence of the frontiers, and in the December following 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 thirty men was stationed at Fort Cumberland, under the command of Captain 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 |