Williamsbourg Jan. 11^th 1755
Sir,
I herewith transmit to you two Letters from the Secretary
of State relating to the present circumstances of Affairs in
America.
As His Majesty has appointed me Deputy Quarter Master
General to the Troops to be sent forthwith to Virginia, and
those to be leavied in the different Provinces; I have taken the
first opportunity of acquainting you with my Arrival in Vir-
ginia, in order to make the necessary preparations for the
reception of the two Regiments which were to embark at Cork
a few Days after my departure from England, and which we
may reasonably expect will arrive in a very short time.
I shall be glad to know the particulars with regard to what
may have lately happend in the Province you command, that I
may regulate myself accordingly, and have them ready to lay
before General Braddock on his landing that no time may be
lost.
As I am an intire stranger to the Ground in America, it is
highly necessary I shou'd get the best information of its situa-
tion that I can, which I have no other way of doing, but
requesting of you to send me any Maps or Drawings you may
have of your Province, which I shall return to you after they
are copied; or if you have any knowledge of the ground at
the back of our Settlements it will be of use likewise for me to
have it.
These are things that General Braddock will expect that I
shoud have, that he may be exactly informed of the distances
of Places, for regulating the marches of the Troops (if necessity
requires it) thro' the different Provinces.
Being ordered by His Majesty to correspond with you, I
am glad of this opportunity of expressing the Respect with
which I am
Sir
Your most obedient and
most humble Servant
John S^t Clair
P. S. It will be of the greatest consequence
to have the proportion of men from your
Province in readiness for completing the
two Regiments from 500 Men to 700

To His Excell^y Horatio Sharp Esq^r Gov^r
of Maryland.