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266 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. II.
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readiness to march the Saturday following but Friday morning
he sent to me desiring I would give my Attendance at a
Council that he had called upon the Receipt of your Letter.
The proposition or question submitted to us was whether he
should march again immediately to attack Fort Du Quesne
against which we were unanimous & I think you would not
have been of a contrary Opinion had you seen the Troops &
been acquainted with their Disposition & wants, You know I
presume how much of the Artillery Ammunition Stores &
Camp Equipage fell into the Enemy's hands & how much Colo
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Dunbar destroyed by the Order of the General before he died,
he has scarcely any thing left beside 4 six pounders which he
has taken with him to Pensa You have been informed how
many Officers were lost in the Action & how many of those
that survived it are unable to undertake another Campaign.
All the Generals Instructions & Papers being lost Colo Dunbar
is unacquainted what Powers he had & is cautious how he
ventures to do any thing but what absolute Necessity requires.
The Soldiers who escaped are wasted with fatigue & so much
dispirited that I question if Orders to march westward would
not incline half of them to desert their Colours. The Destruc-
tion of so many Horses &Waggons for which the Owners have
no immediate prospect of being satisfied will vastly increase
the Difficulty of getting either in these Provinces & as there
has been no Fund established by the Colonies, & Colo Dunbar
will not draw Bills as the General did, I do not conceive that
'twould be possible to attempt any thing at present with
probability of Success. I do not apprehend that the French
whatever the Indians may will come yet a while on this side
the mountains but in case they should the Engineers are of
Opinion with me that twould be impossible to defend Fort
Cumberland against any number of them or against any
Artillery therefore you will conclude that it is not a very proper
place for a grand Magazine. Those Gent" tell me there is an
Eminence about 16 miles lower down the River just at the
Forks of Potowmack both which it commands that is the best
if not the only place in that part of the Country, which would
be easily rendered strong & defensible. Messrs M'Kellar &
Gordon promised me to review it again as soon as they were
able & to send me a Plan of such Works as they would advise
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us to have constructed thereon which I will send you & if you
approve thereof will join with you in having them perfected
immediately a place of Strength somewhere on our Frontiers
I think the present posture of Affairs requires & I know of no
other spot so proper & convenient but what is commanded by
some adjacent Hills as is the Case with Fort Cumberland;
from This I would propose to have a Line of small Forts or
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