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390 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. III
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: neither have We any Account from Major Lewis who marched
so long since with a Party of Cherokees & some of the Virga
Rangers to attack one of the Shawanese Towns. Perhaps
when the Virga & N. Carolina Troops shall join they may make
a Body of about 800 effective Men; as the Communication
between Fort Cumberland & our Westernmost Settlements
has been for some time cut off & the Country laid waste for
60 miles on this Side the Fort (the Inhabitants instead of
uniting & meeting the Enemy flying from Danger as it
approaches & deserting their Habitations on every the least
Alarm) Part of those 800 must be left at Fort Cumberland to
garrison that place, & with the Remainder I am ready to march
whereever your Excellency shall think proper to order me or
his Majesty's Service shall in your Opinion require. As the
North Carolina Forces will expect to be supplied with Pro-
vision as they were the last & preceeding Summer I will if
Your Excellency thinks fit to impower me take Care to have
them supplied therewith & draw on whomsoever Your Excel-
lency shall be pleased to direct for payment, as I shall also be
obliged to do for Money to defray the Expence of all the
Carriage as well by Water as Land. Tho I cannot entertain
very sanguine hopes of being able to get to Fort Du Quesne
yet as it is not absolutely certain that these Colonies will
determine to continue inactive the whole Summer I should be
glad if Your Excellency could send a Howitzer or Mortar or
two & some Shells for them which perhaps tho no Field-Pieces
can be spared you will be able to order from some of the
Northern Governts & as no Attempt can be made on a Fort
with any probability of Success without something of this Sort
I take the Liberty to request your Excellency if it be in your
power to favour us so far. Your Excellency directs or recom-
mends it to me to march about 1000 light-armed Troops with
some Indians immediately to blockade or invest Fort Du
Quesne & prevent the Garrison's being reinforced or receiving
any Supplies of Provisions; I have already intimated that no
Indians have yet joined the Troops, & have also informed you
how far the Forces under my Command fall short of the
Number that your Excellency desires may be detached on such
Service: for my own part I do not apprehend that the Garrison
at Fort Du Quesne is at this time in want of Provisions, for
was that the Case they may easily have supplied themselves
from our Frontiers, & I am apt to think that instead of killing
the Cattle in the Fields & burning all the Grain in our Barns
they & their Indian Allies who have committed such Devasta-
tions would have driven off the first to the Ohio alive & loaded
with Corn the Numbers of Horses which We know they have
taken from our Settlements to the Westward, how strong the
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