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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 411
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[Sharpe to Baltimore.]
5th of May 1756.
My Ld
Inclosed is a Duplicate of the last Letter that I took the Lib-
erty to address to your Ldp since the writing of which I have
been honoured with your Lordship's Instructions dated the
27th of Octob. to which I hope Your Ldp will be persuaded
that due Obedience shall be paid & that no persons of a dif-
ferent Religion from that by Law established shall be encour-
aged, or ever escape with Impunity when they forget to behave
as becomes good & loyal Subjects. I had anticipated your
Ldp's Command to send Circular Lettrs to the Magistrates to
enquire into the Roman Catholick's Lives & Conduct & upon
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Letter Bk. I.
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the Report of all the Magistrates I can assure Your Ldp that
none of them have lately given just Cause of Offence, & I
hope the Lower House of Assembly are so well convinced of
it that they will not offer any more Addresses on this Subject.
I have inclosed to Mr Calvert a Copy of their last Address
which I presume will be submitted to your Lordship & I hope
your Ldp will not disapprove of the Answer that I returned.
The Assembly is still sitting & have not yet come to a final
Determination about the Supply Bill which alone has hitherto
engrossed their whole Attention. I know not when they will
come to a Conclusion but am in hopes that I shall at least be
able to judge what will be the Event of our Meeting before I
write by a Ship that is expected to sail in about 10 Days.
With regard to the present Condition of Your Ldp's Province
& the unhappy Situation of the Frontier Inhabitants I have
little to add to what I mentioned in my last Letter, those that
are exposed to immediate Danger want Spirit & Unanimity
& those that are remote seem to have but little Feeling for the
Miseries of their Fellow Subjects. Conegochiegh is at length
become the Frontier Settlement in Maryland & by what I can
learn Shanadoe River is almost the Western Limit of Virga
Notwithstanding the Forts that have been built & garrisoned
along the Frontiers of Pensilvania the Indians continue to
make Incursions & the Country for a great many Miles within
the Forts is already abandoned. In Virga several of their little
Forts have been attacked & some reduced & a Captain of the
Virga Regiment with a Detachment of 60 men was about a
fortnight ago defeated by a large party of Indians about 20
Miles on this Side Fort Cumberland, the Captain Lieutenant
& 15 of the Detachment were killed the rest retired to a little
Fort that happened to be near the place where the Action hap-
pened. Another Party of Indians have been attacked by some
Virginia Planters with better Success the party was led or corn-
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p. 200
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