From George Washington to Denis McCarty, 10 May 1756
To Denis McCarty
[Winchester, 10 May 1756]
To Ensign Denis McCarty, of the Virginia Regiment.
You are hereby ordered to proceed to Conogochieg with the party under your command; which being composed of Captain Bells men, you must leave with him, and Draught the same number out of Captain Gists men, if he has many there; if not, they are to be taken from the men of the other companies there; exclusive of Captain Stewarts and Bells: and with them escort to this place such waggons (loaded with Provisions) as you shall find there.1
You must desire Captain Stewart to send me by you, a particular Return of the Men that shall remain there afterwards; the companies they belong to; and who enlisted them.2 Given at Winchester, May 10th 1756.
G:W.
LB, DLC:GW.
For some of the details of McCarty’s life and military career, see John Carlyle to GW, 17 Oct. 1755, n.3.
1. For an accounting of the men at Maidstone on 9 May 1756, see GW to Robert Stewart, 3 May, n.1, and 8 May, n.2.
2. There is a size (muster) roll of Robert Stewart’s company (34 men) dated 11 May 1756 and one of David Bell’s company (18 men) dated 12 May. Robert Stewart made a return of his troop of light horse and of the other detachments at Maidstone on 28 May. In this return Stewart listed as present in his company 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 1 drummer, and 33 men, and he indicated that both Bell’s and Christopher Gist’s companies were being commanded by ensigns. Bell’s company included 1 sergeant and 30 men, while Gist’s had 2 sergeants and 33 men. Sgt. William Hughes’s 10 men brought the total at Maidstone up to 106 men on 28 May as compared to 101 men on 7 May and 100 on 9 May 1756. See note 1.