M^r Darnalls near Frederick Town the 31^st of May 1758.
D^r S^r
M^r Bassett being with me last night when Your Letter of
the 28^th Inst was did I communicated to him the Contents of
it & he will send the Tools to Colonel Prathers & return
thither himself to morrow morning agreeable to Your orders.
I hope the General does not depend on the Militia of this
Province to garrison Fort Cumberland if he does he will most
certainly be disappointed for I am satisfied it will not be in my
Power to prevail on a single Company to march thither.
Our Lower House of Assembly gave it as their opinion some
time ago & desired me to send a Copy thereof to Lord
Loudoun that it was no matter what became of that Fort &
that a Garrison there could not be of the least Benefit or Ser-
vice to the People of this Province, they afterwards resolved
that they would never on any Account whatever agree to pay
or victual any Men that should be posted as a Garrison in that
place, & altho neither their opinion nor Resolutions are oblig-
atory yet they have always great weight with the People &
will undoubtedly have the greatest on the present occasion.
Whenever the Troops that are at Fort Frederick shall be
ordered to march I will undertake to garrison it with Militia
but I cannot engage for any thing more & indeed I am con-
vinced that if the Companies which I may order thither should
think that I shall afterwards require them to pass the North
Mountain (which our Assembly calls the Frontier) not a Man
of them would be prevailed on to come from home — I am &c

P. S. By Col^o Prather's Return to me he has purchased &
sent to Fort Frederick 483 1/2 Bush^s of oats 1028 Bush^s of
Indian Corn & 2^T 3. o. 20 of Hay —