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Letter Bk. III
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offer with such other exceptionable Clauses as neither the
Upper House nor myself can consistently with our Duty &
the Constitution of this Governt agree to. But not to trouble
you with Conjectures the Reasonableness of which Time only
can shew, I beg leave to inform you that I have this Day
sent Letters to Capt Dagworthy & the other Officers on our
Frontiers as well as to Mr Ross, & tho I did not think it advis-
able to assure the Officers that they will certainly receive all
the pay that shall become due to their respective Companies
while they continue where they are now posted, yet I am sat-
isfied that Mr Ross will not after he receives my Letter suffer
any of our Troops to want Provisions, & as well satisfied that
none of our Men will desert for want of Pay at least till our
Gentln shall have come to some Resolution in consequence of
His Ldp's Letter. As the Earl of Loudoun is pleased to leave
it to me either to keep up all our Troops till the Assembly
shall meet again or such a part of them only as might be
necessary to garrison Fort Cumberland I am of opinion that I
ought not to reduce them nor make any alteration whatever
before I have once more tried whether the Lower House are
absolutely determined to persevere in their obstinacy. If
when they meet again they should appear so disposed I shall
send you immediate Advice thereof that if you think proper
orders may be then given for three compleat Companies to
be formed out of the best of our Men who with their proper
Officers may continue to garrison Fort Cumberland as long
as the Earl of Loudoun shall be pleased to support them. As
it is now a month since I writ to His Ldp & as I could not
tell but he might on the Receit of my Letter have desired you
to pursue the Instructions which he communicated to you the
3d of Novr I sent orders a few Days ago to two Companies of
Militia to march to the Frontiers that Fort Frederick might
not have been left without a Garrison in Case our Troops
should have been disbanded, I could now wish these orders
had not been issued but since they are I will not countermand
them & tho these Companies of Militia will be of no use on
our Frontiers just now yet they will be on the Spot ready to
relieve the Troops in Fort Frederick at an Hours warning in
Case the Assembly should decline coming into reasonable
measures or refuse to make any Provision for their farther
Support. As His Ldp takes no notice of a part of my Letter
wherein I desired to know his pleasure about a French Pris-
oner & a Deserter that Capt Dagworthy sent hither about the
middle of Decemr I intend to order one of our Sheriffs to
convey them to Lancaster that you might dispose of them as
you shall think fit. I have agreeable to Your Desire dis-
patched an Express with the Packett directed to Goverr Din-
widdie & am &c.
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