[Sharpe to Dinwiddie.]

4^th Dec^r 1757—
Sir
I beg your pardon for delaying so long to acknowledge the
Receit of your two Letters dated the 22^d of Oct^r & the 2^d of
last month & hope you will excuse my seeming neglect when
you know how it must be accounted for. I have ever since I
writ to you last been in continual hopes that the next Day
Proceedings of our Assembly would enable me to give you
some certain Information concerning their Intentions or at
least afford me some Room to guess what would be the Issue
of our Meeting. I am however still at almost as great a Loss
as I was two months ago & know very little more for certain
than that the Gentⁿ have signified to the Earl of Loudoun
thro my hands that they condemn the Disposition which he
was pleased to make of the Maryland Forces last Summer
tho it is entirely owing to that Disposition of them that our
Frontier Inhabitants have dwelt in perfect security while
several of your People & a great Number of those who lived
in Pensilv^a have been cut off or captivated by our Common
Enemy. Col^o Hunter's sudden Departure hence will not give
me time to write you a particular account of our Transactions
& Correspondence since we met but I shall endeavour to send
you such a one before you embark as it might possibly afford
you some little Amusement after you shall have turned your
Back on us poor Governors & all American Assemblies.
About 10 Days ago a Bill was indeed sent to the Upper
House for reducing the Men in the Pay of this province to 300
& for restraining the Service of those to the Distance or
Space of about 15 Miles on our Frontiers viz between Fort
Frederick Conegocheague & the Temporary Line. None of
them were to be marched beyond the North Mountain on any
Account whatever nor to obey any orders that should be sent