Phil^a 24^th March 1757 —
D^r B^r
As I shall not probably have any other opportunity of trans-
mitting Letters to England for some time by reason of an
Embargo which the Earl of Loudoun has ordered to be laid in
the several Colonies I write now by the Packett to acquaint you
that in Obedience to a Letter which I received from His Ldp
I came hither with Gov^r Dinwiddie the 16^th of last Month
expecting to have the Satisfaction of seeing His Ldp according
to Appointment the Day after. I presume that when His Ldp
writ to us he hoped the New England People would have been
as ready to enter on & dispatch Business as he could be but as
that was by no means the Case he was not able to reach this
Place before the 14^th Inst. since which time he has communicated
to Us the Plan of Operations that he proposes to persue this
Summer & given Gov^r Dobbs M^r Dinwiddie Gov^r Denny &
Myself to understand what Assistance he expects from the
several Provinces with the Gover^t of which we are respectively
entrusted. The Number of Men that We have agreed the
several Southern Colonies ought to raise & support this Sum-
mer & that His Ldp thereupon requires of them is from Pens^a
1400. Maryland 500. Virg^a 1000 N^o Carolina 400 to be
disposed of in the following manner. 1200 of the Pens^a
Troops on the Frontiers of this Province & the other 200 to be
sent to S^o Carolina. 300 of the Maryland Forces at Fort
Cumberland & the other 200 at Fort Frederick & between the
two Forts. Of the Virginians 600 on the Frontiers of that
Province & 400 to be sent to S^o Carolina, of the Men to be
raised in N Carolina 100 are to be posted on the Western
Frontiers of that Province 100 on the Sea Coast & 200 sent to
S^o Carolina, beside the Provincials abovementioned Lieut^t Col^o
Bouquet will be ordered to So Carolina with five Companies
of the first Battalion of Royal Americans as there is great
reason to fear that the French will make an Attempt on that