August 29^th 1755—
S^r
I detain Gover^r Dinwiddie's Express a moment to acknowl-
edge by him the Receipt of your Favour of the 2O^th I am sorry
to learn that not even the present melancholly situation of
Affairs in this quarter could weigh with your Assembly to
grant some Supplies in such a manner as you could accept
them, the Example they have set is too grateful to our Folks
for me to give them an Opportunity of pursuing a similar
scheme or expressing themselves in such Language unless I
shall receive more particular Instructions from England, or the
Enemy make an Attempt on Fort Cumberland, which by w^£ I
can find Gov^r Innes begins to expect. It is said that his Com-
mand a fortnight ago consisted of only 160 Men, if they have
since gone off in the same proportion I shall next expect to hear
it is entirely relinquished. The Indians have done a good Deal
of Mischief in several parts of Virg^a but they have not made
our people any Visits since the Engagement, however the
distant Inhabitants are so terrified at the Reports they hear
that they are leaving their Plantations very vast & retreating

J o J c>

to the more populous parts of the Country. As I have not
heard any thing of Coll Dunbar's Return towards us again I
presume he is proceeding to join General Shirley where I hope
he will arrive time enough to be of some Service but I can tell
him 'twill not a little chagrine Governor Dinwiddie who cannot
bear to think of leaving Fort Du Quesne unattempted again
this Summer — I have already intimated to S^r Tho^s Robinson
how defenceless we are (notwithstanding our Numbers) for
want of a proper Militia Law which I have told him has often &
will be always in vain sollicited from our Assembly, whether
Gov^r Dinwiddie prevailed with the Assembly of that province
the other Day to pass one I know not otherwise He will I
doubt not write also to the ministry on the same Subject —