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174 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. II,
P. 65
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, undiciplined but I may without vanity declare they were equal
to any there. The Officers who bore his Majesty's Commis-
sion would not deign to rank with those who served under his
Governor's Commissions; in vain were my Attempts to per-
suade them to agree tho I proposed the same Scheme which I
find is now come with a Sanction from home. Such Jealousies
& Enmities subsisted between the Officers of the Carolina
Independants & the Virga Regiment that their Meeting would
have been attended with innumerable Mischiefs & Confusion,
perhaps the greater the Number of such Troops as these the
greater had been the Danger of a Miscarriage had I ventured
to make an Attempt — You can easily guess that I did not
entertain very sanguine hopes after this my Visit to the Camp
I had writ to the several Colonies for Supplies but received
scarcely hopes of Assistance from any other & but very little
from my own Governt The Levies went on very slowly,
what a figure the Virginia Recruits even at this time make you
will know I doubt not without a hint from me: To have
attempted anything & failed of Success must have been
attended with the entire Loss of such Indians as have hitherto
seemed or appeared to be in our Interest, in these Circum-
stances what could be done beside giving necessary Orders to
protect our Frontiers till the Arrival of the Troops from Europe
(which Letters had by this time bid us expect) should make
things put on a better face, that nothing however might be
wanting on my part to shew my Duty to His Majesty & pro-
mote the Service of these Colonies I again met our Assembly
but the same Cause as had before again disappointed my
Wishes — His Majesty's & the Proprietary's Interest & Instruc-
tions must be made to clash & no money is to be raised unless
his Lordship's private Claims be made submit to the Demands
& Caprice of an infatuated Assembly. I have met them once
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p. 66
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more on the same Account but fear the Issue of this will be too
similar to that of the last Session. Had the Capt. of the Vessel
who conveys you this given me a Day or two's Notice I should
have been glad to have given you a more minute & particular
Detail of these late Transactions but it being otherwise I must
at present content myself with acquainting you that Sr John St
Clair found me the latter End of January at the Camp for wch
place he departed soon after his Arrival in Virga from thence
I accompanied him back to Williamsburg (giving Directions
for & engaging Quarters for the expected Regiments in our
way) where we hoped to see General Braddock by that time
arrived, but being disappointed in that particular & having
appointed our Assembly to meet the 20th of feby I could not
postpone my Return to Annapolis to have the pleasure of
paying my Respects in person to the General at his Arrival.
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