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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 197
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are acquainted with as much as myself, wherefore my Account
shall commence in lanuary 1754 at which time the Assembly
of Virga were prevailed on to grant £10000 Currcy toward
defending their Frontiers against the Enemy who had lately
invaded them, at the same time I thought it my Duty to con-
vene the Assembly of this Province & sollicit their Assistance
& Aid for the Virginians who at that time talked of pro-
ceeding immediately to Action: Fruitless was my first Attempt
& I was necessitated to prorogue them without obtaining even
a small Sum for a present to the Indians unless on such Terms
as His Ldp's Instructions particularly forbad me to accept.
April 10th Goverr Dinwiddie writ me notice that in Obedience
to his Directions a Company consisting of about 80 Men com-
manded by one Capt. Trent was at that time employed at the
Forks of Monongahela in providing Materials & building a
Fort; that a Detachment of 150 Men were marched from
Alexandria under Lieut. Colo Washington toward the Fort
about to be erected & that the Residue of the Virga Troops
amounting to near the same number commanded by Colo Fry
would follow them the next week; that he expected in a very
few Days the Independant Company round from So Carolina
& in a short time those two that were ordered to Virga from
New York, near the End of the same month I received a
Letter from Colo Washington dated at Wills-Creek the 24th
informing me that he was then at that place with a Detachment
of 150 Men & that he expected Colo Fry who was to have the
Chief Command would there join him with an equal Force in
a few Days, the same Letter also advised me that near 1000
French commanded by one Capt Contreceur had fallen down
from Venango (an Indian trading Town about 21 Miles SE of
Lake Erie & near the Head of the Ohio) & on the 17th Inst had
summoned Ensign Ward, Capt Trent being from his post, to
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Letter Bk. II.
p. 70
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surrender the small Fort that was building at the Mouth of
Monongahela River, which Summons it seems Ward without
firing a Shot or the least hesitation obeyed being terrified at
the Appearance of so numerous an Enemy while the Company
with him did not exceed 30 Men. He was permitted to retire
with all his Men, Arms Ammunition, Working Tools & Pro-
vision, to the English Inhabitants & the Enemy immediately
proceeded to erect a Fort with the Materials Trent had been
collecting & near the Spot on which he had begun to build.
In May I again met the Assembly of this province & repeated
my Sollicitations for Supplies to support the Virginians in the
Expedition they were undertaking but our people would not
as yet see things in their proper light & seemed to think the
Occasion of the present Dispute was who should possess
Lands the Lord knows where by the Determination of which
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p. 71
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