To George Washington from Robert Stewart, 12 March 1761
From Robert Stewart
Winchester 12th March 1761
My Dear Colo.
Agreeable to your desire I send you Inclos’d a List of such things as the Regiment is most and in immediate want off,1 I could not get an accot of their cost, but it may be known from the Commissioners for exaiming the Regimental accots who no doubt are poss’d of the original accots Colo. Byrd gave in2 I likewise transmit you my Sentiments on the affairs we talk’d off at parting, which I fear you’ll think are exprest with more Zeal and freedom than Judgement and discretion.3
On my return here I talk’d over the several things you mention’d to me with our particular Freinds, and Craik Woodrow and Jacob Hight makes an excursion to the lower part of the County tomorrow S[tephen]s continues indefaticable and I’m informd intends to make use of every method to arrive at his point de vue but nothing can raise the most remote suspicion of your Interest’s being immutably Establish’d4—I wish Colo. Byrd was here5—I shall be impatient till I have the pleasure of a Line from you & am unalterably my Dear Colo. your’s most affectly
Robert Stewart
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. The list has not been found. See second letter from Stewart, this date.
2. The commissioners named in March 1760 to settle military accounts were William Prentis, Thomas Everard, and James Cocke (7 349).
3. Stewart probably was referring to the much longer letter of this date in which he gives his views about the state of the Virginia Regiment. Stewart and GW got together sometime between 15 Feb. (see letter from Stewart, that date) and this day, 12 March. Stewart’s wording here suggests that the meeting probably did not take place in Winchester itself, but they may have met elsewhere in Frederick County. GW was in Frederick County in March (see entries in his Cash Accounts, 1761, under both “Travelling Expences” and “Servants”).
4. Stewart here is referring to the expected burgess election. See Stewart to GW, 15 Feb. 1761, particularly note 7. Alexander Wodrow (d. 1777) was one of those who supplied alcoholic refreshments with which GW’s supporters were treated at Winchester in the burgess election of 1758 (see Enclosure IV, Charles Smith to GW, 26 July 1758). Jacob Hite, son of Jost Hite, lived in the upper part of Frederick County. Both Wodrow and Hite voted for GW and George Mercer at the election on 18 May 1761 (see GW to Van Swearingen, 15 May 1761, n.5).
5. Col. William Byrd did not get back to Winchester until late April or early May. At this time he was in Philadelphia where he consulted with Gen. Jeffrey Amherst and took a new wife, Mary Willing (1740–1814).