91From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 29 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
To answer your Honour’s Letter of the 25th by Mr Birney —I shall begin with assuring you, that nothing was farther from my intention than to recede, thô I then pressd and still desire that my Services may be voluntary rather than on the present Pay—I am much concernd that your Honour should seem to charge me with ingratitude for your generous, and my undeserved favours, for I assure you Honble...
92From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 29 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
The bearer hereof, Monsieur Druillong, with Monsieur LaForce and two Cadets I beg leave to recommend to your Honour’s particular Notice as Prisoner’s of War, and Officer’s whom I had the Honour of taking. I have assur’d them they will meet with all the Respect and favour due to their Charactr and Personal merit: and I hope they will do me the justice to acquaint your Honour that I neglected no...
93From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 29 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
Since writing the other, I have still stronger presumption, indeed almost confirmation that they were sent as Spyes, and were order’d to wait near us till they were truely informd of our Intention’s, situation, strength, &ca and were to have acquainted the Commander therewith and laid lurking near for Reinforcements before they served the Summon’s if it at all. I doubt not but they will...
94From George Washington to Joshua Fry, 29 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
This by an imediate express, I send to infm you that Yesterday I engagd a party of French whereof 11 were kill’d and 20 taken with the loss of only 1 of mine killd and 2 or 3 wounded among which was Lieutt Waggener: by some of their Paper’s we can discover that large detachts are expected every day, which we may reasonably suppose are to attack us especially since we have began. This is...
95From George Washington to John Augustine Washington, 31 May 1754 (Washington Papers)
Since my last we have arrived at this place, where 3 days agoe we had an engagemt wth the French that is, between a party of theirs & Ours; Most of our men were out upon other detachments, so that I had scarcely 40 men under my Command, and about 10, or a doz. Indians, nevertheless we obtained a most signal Victory. The Battle lasted abt 10, or 15 minutes, sharp firing on both sides, when the...
96To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 1 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
Mr Gist brot Yr Letter & the very agreeable Acct of Yr Killing & taking Monsr Le Force & his whole Party of 35 Men on which Success I heartily congratulate You, as it may give a Testimony to the Inds. that the French are not invincible wn fairly engagd with the English; but hope the good Spirits of Yr Soldiers will not tempt You to make any hazardous Attempts agst a too numerous Enemy. When...
97To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 1 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
Mr Geo. Croghan, a Gent. well acquainted with Indn. Affairs is engag’d by me to serve His My as an Interpreter. I therefore desire You to shew him a proper regard & in such Matters relating to the Delivery of Presents, wt You may have to negotiate with the Half King & the Inds. in the British Alliance & Int[eres]t You will consult him. I am Sr Yr most humble Servt LB , ViHi : Dinwiddie Papers....
98To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 2 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I heartily wish that YrSelf & Officers had not at this Time discover’d an Uneasiness on Acct of Yr Pay especially as the long Delay of Colo. Fry’s Detachmt in not yet joining Yrs gives me too much Concern. You must all be sensible that if Yr present Establishmt is less than the first Estimate made; it was from a Calculatn of the 10,000 only granted to support the Expedition which if it had...
99From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 3 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
The Half King with abt 25 Familys contg near 80 Person’s including women and children arriv’d here last night. He has given me some acct of the Twigtwee’s, Wyendotts and several other Nations of Indians which I have transmitted to your Honour by an express as you enquird circumstancially in your last and I was then unable to give any acct at all of them. The French early in the Spring sent a...
100To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 4 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
On the Death of Colo. Fry I have thot it proper to send You the enclos’d Como. to Comd the Virga regimt, & another for Majr Muse to be Lieut. Colo. The eldest Capt. to be Majr & the eldest Lieut. to be Capt. the eldest Ensign to be Lieut. unless You shd have Objectn to them. I think You will want two Ensigns, if so, I recommend Mr Perroney if he has behav’d so as to merit it, the other I leave...
101To George Washington from Charles Carter, 5 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
We had the agreable news of the victory obtaind by the Partie under your Command I heartily congratulate you and all the Brave gentlen that were of the company. From this happy begining I am lead to hope you will soon make those cruel men know that numbers can’t support an unrighteous cause God grant you may be blest with the like success and drive them Out of our Colony I had this affair in...
102From George Washington to John Carlyle, 6 June 1754 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to John Carlyle, 6 June 1754. On 17 June 1754 John Carlyle wrote to GW : “I Received your favour of the 6th.” This was probably the letter to Carlyle described by GW in his letter to Robert Dinwiddie, 10 June 1754 , in which he stated that he complained to Carlyle of the “tardiness” of the commissary’s deputies and requested that “suitable stores of Ammunition might be sent...
103From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 10 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the 1st, 2d, & 4th Ulto I receivd by the Post and return your Honour my hearty thanks for your kind congratulation on our late success—which I hope to improve without risquing the imputation of rashness or hazarding what a prudent conduct woud forbid. I rejoice that I am likely to be happy under the Command off an experienced Officer and a Man of Sense —it is what I have most ardently...
104To George Washington from John Carlyle, 17 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I received your favour of the 6th by Mr Gist & am Very Sorrey that its not In our power to Supply you faster & better than We doe; its not for Want of Will, but for two reasons first a Scarcity of Cash, & Secondly We are Deceived by those that we depend opon. I wrote you that I had Agreed With Mr Croghan for 10,000 Wt of Flour to be Delivered at his risque at the Camp In 15 days from the time...
105To George Washington from Sarah Carlyle, 17 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I Received your Letter dated the 15 May, Which gave me both pleasure and pain, the first to heare of your health, the latter to be Informed of the many Risques you run, but am hopeful your good Constitution and a kind protecter will bring you out of them all as it has In the last Ingagement preserved you from harm. If I thought my Letters were Agreeabel to you I wou’d continew a Correspondence...
106To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 18 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I rec’d Yr Letter of June 3d & I am very glad to know by it that the Half Kg with 80 Persons is arriv’d at Yr Camp. I have given all necessary Orders for a proper Supply for Yr R[egimen]t and Yr[self] not doubting but by this Time Muse has joined You—The barbarous Intents. of the French surprizes me & their Speech to the Wayandotts Twightwees &ca & it gives me Pleasure that those Nat[ion]s...
107To George Washington from Bryan Fairfax, 24 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
The agreeable and long wished for News of the detachments under the Command of Major Muse and Capt. McKay having joined you in time to prevent the Success of any Attacks from the french was very satisfactory to me; whose mind was continually alarmed with the Apprehensions of your being forced to another battle when unprepared for it. The Triton arrived here the 22d with the two Companies from...
108To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 25 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
This will (I hope) be deliver’d You by Colo. James Innes, who has my Commission to command in chief on the Expedition, which I dare say will be very agreeable to You, & am in Hopes when all the Forces are collected in a Body You will be able to turn the Tables on the French and dislodge them from the Fort, & in Time to take full Possession of the Ohio river. As I am afraid of Disputes from the...
109To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 27 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
Yr Letter without Date I recd am sorry You have occasion to complain for want of Flouer &ca it gives me much Uneasiness, & have wrote strongly to Majr Carlyle to prevent any such Complaints for the Future, & I hope You will have no room to complain for the want of Provisions or Ammunition having desired that the last may be immediately sent out. Before this reaches You I doubt not Colo. Innes...
110To George Washington from Daniel Campbell, 28 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I was agreeably favour’d with yours of 31st March last & would have wrote you sooner but was prevented for want of a proper opporty; I have since had the pleasure of Seeing the Bearer Mr Splittdorff with the fruits of your Victory over the French, the Sight of whom gave me & your other friends such satisfaction as is only felt by those who have hearts full of Mutual affection & friendship. In...
111To George Washington from John Carlyle, 28 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
I reced both your favours by Wm Jinkins & am Sorry you have so just Grounds for Complaints from my Deputys & the persons I Engage with but particularly with Mr Gist & Mr Croghan, the Latter as he’s with you I am In hopes you’l oblige him to make good his Agreements & the former has promised to do all he can hereafter. Your men have reason to Complain by not been paid regularly but I am not In...
112Minutes of a Council of War, 28 June 1754 (Washington Papers)
At a Council of War held at Mr Gists Ju⟨ne⟩ 28th 1754 After the Junction with our own Detachmt and the Independent Company To Consider what was most prudent & necessary ⟨to⟩ be done in the present Situation of Affairs: It was Unanimously Resolved that it was Absolutly necessary to Return to our Fort at the meadows & Wait there untill Supply’d with a Stock of provisions Sufficient to serve us...
113Notes on the Navigation of the Potomac River above the Great Falls, July–August 1754 (Washington Papers)
Reference Above the Mouth of Shan[andoa]h there is but one fall and that is smooth and shallow which prevents Craft from passing at all times—Abt ½ Mile below is the place Esteem’d the most difficult It runs exceeding swift for wch reason it is call’d the spout and the bottom being very Rocky occasions rough water which will prevent small Canoes ever passing as our’s that was large had like to...
114II., 3 July 1754 (Washington Papers)
Capitulation accordée par ⟨M.⟩ de Vill⟨iers Capitaine⟩ D’infant⟨erie⟩ Commandant des troupes de Sa Majesté tres Chrétienne a celuy des troupes Anglais actuellement dans le fort de Nécessité qui avoit été Construit sur les terres du Domaine Du Roy Ce 3e Juillet 1754 a huit heures du soir. Savoir. Comme notre intention n’a jamais été de troubler la Paix et la Bonne armonie qui régnoit entre les...
115To George Washington from William Fairfax, 5 July 1754 (Washington Papers)
I came hither at our Governor’s Request to view Captn Clarke’s Compa. & Captn Rutherford’s under the Care & Command of Capt. Ogilvie, who I am told have been delayd & retarded many Days, By the Muster It appeard they are not compleat. Colo. Innes is at Winchester, waiting for these and two Compas. of his own Men now here, the rest to march from No. Carolina by Land. It will yet require a long...
116James Innes to GW or James Mackay, 5 July 1754 (Washington Papers)
I have this moment received your Express & am verey glade to find you are Joined. I wish My Regemt, with the New York Companeys were arrived here they are upon ther march, nor cann I laren the reason of there so long Stay att Bell Haven you may depend I will make all the heast in my Power to join you[.] If you Should be Oblidged to retire you must demolish your Works other ways it is making a...
117To George Washington from William Fairfax, 10 July 1754 (Washington Papers)
I did my Self the Pleasure to write to You by Majr Thos Clarke now on his March from Alexandria, but He appeard to have So infirm a State of Body as Some doubt He can’t undergo the unavoidable Fatigues of his present Travel. Colo. James Innes has been at Winchester more than a Week impatiently waiting for the remaining Forces expected by Water from Cape Fear now arrivd; but when They will...
118I., 19 July 1754 (Washington Papers)
The third of this Instant July, about 9 o’Clock, we received Intelligence that the French, having been reinforced with 700 Recruits, had left Monongehela, and were in full March with 900 Men to attack us. Upon this, as our Numbers were so unequal, (our whole Force not exceeding 300) we prepared for our Defence in the best Manner we could, by throwing up a small Intrenchment, which we had not...
119From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 28 July 1754 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Robert Dinwiddie, 28 July 1754. On 3 Aug. 1754 Dinwiddie wrote to GW : “I recd Yrs of the 28th ulto.”
120From George Washington to Charles Carter, August 1754 (Washington Papers)
Your desire, added to my own curiosity engaged me the last time I was in Frederick to return down by Water to discover the Navigation of Potomack—the following are the observations I mad thereupon —From the Mouth of Paterson’s Creek to the begg of Shannondoah Falls there is no other obstacle than the shallowness of the Water to prevent Craft from passing—the first of those Falls is also even...