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218 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. 1
p. 127
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able yet to raise more than half his Complement; for which
Cause Gov. Shirley has prevailed on the Jersey Govt to let their
500 Men be employed under his Command against Niagara.
It is expected that by this time Shirley's Regiment as well as
Pepperells are at New York & ready to march several Com-
panies of them are already gone to Oswego; by which place
300 French & many Indians in 30 large Battoes were seen by the
Garrison to pass toward the Ohio the 13th of May 600 Men
marched from Fort Cumberland westward the 28th of May to
secure passage as I conceive & fling a Bridge over Georges
Creek (a Stream that flows into Potowmack about 12 Miles
above Fort Cumberland) where perhaps they may raise some
Sort of Work lest the Enemy should act offensively I appre-
hend the General with the Rest of the Troops must be leaving
Wills Creek or Fort Cumberland about this time. Their
Recruiting parties have met with great Success lately so that
they do not I beleive number at this time less than 2500 Men.
You will see by a Copy of a Letter which I have lately received
from the General what his Expectations & Requisitions from
this Province are which indeed I think very reasonable but am
afraid I shall find the Assembly of different Sentiments, at
least that we shall be as dissonant as ever when we talk of the
Mode of giving even so small a Sum. The Assembly by
the Advice of His Ldp's Council will meet the 23d Inst.
& I shall not be much surprized if some of them express a Dis-
satisfaction at the Behaviour of the Troops before they left this
province & mutter at their Enlisting & taking away a good
many Servants from the Inhabitants of Frederick, Prince
Georges & Baltimore Counties, as well as impressing their Car-
riages & Horses. I wish I may be able to prevail on the Lower
House to relieve such of the people as have suffered thereby, but
I am doubtfull their Number is not considerable enough to influ-
ence or weigh with the Assembly who too seldom regard
things which do not immediately affect themselves The
Pensilvania Assembly broke up last Month without doing
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p. 128
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any thing but resolving that they will on no account recede
from the points they have insisted on, or give a Shilling more
unless they are indulged in their own ways. Govr Morris
informs me that on the Receipt of a Letter from General
Braddock very similar to mine he has convened them again
the 13th Inst but does not entertain any great hopes of Success.
I learn that the Virginians have granted £6000 for the purposes
mentiqned in the General's Letter. I do not understand by
what means or Scheme it is to be raised but it is said that on
Accot of the Scarcely of Money in that Gov' it is proposed to
be raised by a Lottery. I am inclined to think the Threats of
the French & their Indians to fall on the Back Inhabitants in
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