Virginia Williamsburg Dec^r 17^th 1754.
Sir
Your Letter of the 10^th I rec^d last Night & am glad of your
safe return to Annapolis. I am much surprized that the Fort
built at Wills's Creek is in such situation as to be Commanded
by an Emenence near to it, it was ill judged when begun not
to consider that; & I much approve of your ordering another
to be built on that Emenence.
The want of Provisions in the Camp gives me very great
uneasiness on receipt of your former Letter, which is much
owing to the Indolence & Neglect of the Comissary; to pre-
vent this for the Future, I apointed two Comissaries one M^r
Cha^s Dick a Person of Fortune, & well known in the back
Counties & one M^r Thomas Walker a Person of Fortune &
great Activity. The first is to make Purchases & order the
Provisions to be delivered at the Camp & the other is to
receive & pay for them, & see them properly issued to the
Men, this Step I hope will for the Future keep the Forces
properly supplied, & I shall send Money from Time to Time
to make punctual Payments; I propose paying each Comissary
200 p Annum, & they are to have an Agent at Winchester to
forward every Thing to the Camp & I shall send up blank
Bonds to tye the Venders to a punctual Compliance with their
Contracts, a List thereof to be sent to the Comissary at the
Camp, & my Proposal is that one of them or a Person properly
qualified always attend the Forces. These Gentlemen were
approved by the Council, who's Advice I took as being a
Stranger to them, otherways I shou'd gladly complied with the
Gentleman you had in View. I shall write them if possible to