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466 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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superiour on the Lake he will not be able to act offensively this
Season. Since I left the Frontiers an Accident has happened
in Pens" which has a good deal alarmed the Inhabitants;
You may remember that last Septr & Octr several Forts were
ordered to be constructed on the Frontiers of that Province &
that a considerable Number of Men were voted by the Assem-
bly to garrison them & protect the Inhabitants, one of these
Forts called Fort Granville was built on Juniata about 20 Miles
West of the Susquehanna River & has been generally garri-
soned with a Company of 70 Men, during the time of
Harvest large Detachments it seems have been always out to
cover the People while they were employed in securing their
Grain & at the time when the Fort was attacked there was but
a Subaltern & 25 private Men therein. The party of French &
Indians who attacked it found means to set the Fort on fire &
in attempting to extinguish it the Subaltern & some Men were
killed whereupon the Rest surrendered Prisoners at Discretion;
the Enemy having utterly destroyed the Fort erected a French
Flag & were marching off with the Prisoners towards the Ohio
when one of them made his Escape, & by him we have the
preceeding Account, I cannot learn what Number of the
Enemy there was but we are told that a French Letter was left
near the place where the Fort stood. As I apprehended that
the French would e'er long teach their Indian Allies to approach
& set fire to our Stoccado or Wooden Forts I thought proper
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p. 222
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to build Fort Frederick of Stone, which Step I beleive even our
Assembly will now approve of tho I hear some of them some-
time since intimated to their Constituents that a Stoccado
would have been sufficient & that to build a Fort with Stone
would put the Country to a great & unnecessary Expence,
but whatever their Sentiments may be with respect to that
matter I am convinced that I have done for the best & that my
Conduct therein will be approved of by any Soldier & by every
impartial person. The Fort is not finished but the Garrison
are well covered & will with a little Assistance compleat it at
their leisure. Our Barracks are made for the Reception &
Accomodation of 200 Men but on Occasion there will be room
for twice that number it is situated on the North Mountain
near Potowmack River about 14 Miles beyond Conegochiegh
& four on this Side Licking Creek, I have made a purchase
in the Governor's Name for the use of the Country of 150
Acres of Land that is contiguous to it which will be of great
Service to the Garrison & as well as the Fort be found of great
use in case of future Expeditions to the Westward for it is so
situated that Potowmack will be always navigable thence
almost to Fort Cumberland, the Flatts or Shallows of that
River lying between Fort Frederick & Conegochiegh. It is
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