|
Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 405
|
|
Province or promoting the Common Cause. I have endeavoured
to convince the Assembly of this & to persuade them to let the
Money be disposed of in such a manner as would most effect-
ually preserve their Country & offend the Enemy, & in Order
to this I have recommended the building a strong Fort on an
Eminence at the Conflux of the North & South Branches of
Potowmack (on the Expediency of which I took the Liberty in
Feby last to communicate my Sentiments to the Rt Honble the
Lords of Trade) which with a small Fort between that place &
that where our People intend to build one would always keep
open the Communication between the Inhabitants & Fort
Cumberland, & would be very convenient or rather absolutely
necessary as a place of Arms in any future Expeditions to the
westward a Body of 500 or 600 Men which had I wherewith to
support them I could easily raise from among our Inhabitants,
posted in those Forts with Orders to be constantly patrolling
or ranging on the Frontiers would effectually prevent any
Incursions of Indians & be always ready to act in Conjunction
with any Troops that should be raised in the Neighbouring
Colonies, or able of themselves to send Detachments to annoy
the Indians in their own Country, but as our Assembly imagine
such measures would involve them in greater Expences than
they think their Constituents can well bear & oblige them to
keep up a Body of Troops much longer than they propose by
the Bill that is now under their Consideration, I am afraid it
will be impossible for me as I have already hinted to prevail
with them to do what the Safety of the Back Inhabitants
requires & without which they may expend considerable Sums
of Money to very little purpose. I have been advised that
a Captain of the Virginia Regiment, which consists of about
500 Men with a Detachment of Sixty fell in lately with a party
of Indians by whom they were entirely defeated; the Captain,
Lieutenant, & 15 Men being killed the Rest retired to a little
Sort of a Fort that was near the place where the Action
happened. Another Party of Indians have been attacked in
Virginia with better Success & a French Ensign that led them
being killed, there were found in a little Bag tied about his
Neck Instructions from Dumas the Commandant at Fort Du
Quesne ordering him to make an Incursion with a party of 50
Savages to Conegochiegh (a place about 70 Miles on this Side
Fort Cumberland) & destroy the Magazine of Stores & Pro-
visions that has been left there ever since last Summer. This
inclines me to think that the French do not expect any Expedi-
tion will be carried on by us to the westward this Season
& that they are so anxious to prevent a possibility of it by
destroying the Ammunition & Stores that they may detach as
many of their Garrison as they can possibly spare to the North-
|
Letter Bk. III
|
|
 |
