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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 385
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sat a Month witht doing any thing & have adjourned them-
selves for a Fortnight. The Virga Assembly is also sitting &
I am afraid to as little purpose. This being our Situation I
leave you to judge what must be our Prospect; the Enemy
encrease & destroy our timorous Inhabitants with Impunity,
those that are more remote from Danger content themselves
with pitying such as are exposed, or perhaps condemn them
for Cowardice, but will not move to their Assistance, or unless
they can at the same time gratify their own Passions send
them the least Support. Was I writing to a Person who had
not been conversant with or read the Iournals of our Assem-
blie's Proceedings I should be afraid that such an Account
might lead him to suspect my Veracity, as it would be natural
for him to argue from the palpable Absurdity of what I say
with respect to the Behaviour of our People or rather their
Representatives that such Conduct is inconceiveable & impos-
sible, but to you who must have learnt from Experience that
we reason very differently in these parts of His Majesty's
Dominions from what his Subjects in Great Britain are apt to
do, our Proceedings at this time of the most imminent Danger
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Letter Bk. I.
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cannot be very strange or surprizing. The Beginning of this
Month I received in a Lettr from General Shirley a Commis-
sion & Instructions to take the Command of all the Forces
that shall be raised in these Southern Colonies & with them
make another Attempt on Fort Du Quesne, at least cause a
Diversion to prevent the Enemie's Reinforcing their Garrisons
to the Northwd from their Forts & Settlements on the Ohio.
Had His Excellency sent me Money to raise & support the
Men that he bids me take the Command of, & instead of
ordering what Field Pieces there were in Virga round to
N York have sent hither a Train of Artillery & a sufficient
Number of small Arms & Ammunition (of which these Colo-
nies are in great want; I should have entertained some hopes
of being able effectually to secure these Colonies at least; but
without Men or Money, Provisions, Arms, Ammunition or
Credit, I cannot think the Reduction of Fort Du Quesne this
summer will be easily effected. Inclosed is a Copy of my
Speech to the Assembly at the Opening of this Session with
the Addresses of both Houses & my Answers, in one of which
you see I told the Burgesses I concluded they would act like
rational Creatures & honest Men or to that effect, but I begin
to fear that their Actions will shew that I did not know my
Men, or that I said rather more than I beleived. I cannot
learn that any Lettrs have been received from Europe since
those dated in Novr The second Packett is not arrived so that
we are entirely ignorant what Measures are taking at home,
or whether a Rupture between the two Nations is absolutely
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p. 194
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