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Correspondence of Governor Sharp e. 229
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widdie as yet commissionated Commissaries for that Purpose,
Mortars, Field Pieces or Cannon we had none except four
small ones of the Latter which I purchased out of a Ship. The
Troops that I must have commanded were three Independant
Companies that did not in the least answer my Expectations
as your Ldp will conceive when you are informed that Sr Iohn
St Clair on reveiwing them has since discharged 40 Men from
one of them only as entirely unfit for Duty: The Remains of
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Letter Bk. II.
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the Virga Forces with a few Recruits amounted to about 130
discontented unruly & for want of Pay mutinous: the Mary-
land Company was at that time incompleat & undisciplined,
but I may at least say they were not inferiour to any of the
Rest. The Officers who were honoured with his Majesty's
Commissions would not deign to rank with those who served
under those of his Majestys Governors; Vain were my Attempts
to persuade them to agree, tho I proposed the same Scheme
wch 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. I had sollicited the several
Neighbouring Colonies for Supplies but received scarcely
hopes of Assistance from any other & but very little from my
own Govt The Levies went on very slowly the Natives
shewed no Inclination nor would they be persuaded to bear
Arms, to have attempted any thing & have 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 Circumstances I shall not be condemned I hope for not
acting Offensively: finding that impracticable I posted what
Troops we had in such a manner as they could best 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. I returned hither in December & endeav-
oured once more to obtain some money of the Assembly with
which I might be able to make some Provision & put matters
in such Forwardness as might facilitate the General's Oppera-
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p. 110
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tions in the Spring, but failing herein (I beleive the People
begun to think that as Troops were coining from Europe they
had no Occasion to concern themselves any farther) I paid
another Visit to the Camp, intending to tarry there & keep the
Men employed in building Store Houses &c till I should be
advised of the General's or the Troops Arrival, here on the
26 of Jany I had the Satisfaction to congratulate Sr I St Clair
on his Arrival who came thither with a Design to see executed
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p. 111
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