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2 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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LetterBk.III
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however I could not engage that the Men should be raised
or supported unless the Assembly would first make provision
for them nor could I undertake to Augment the Troops in the
pay of this Province to 500 immediately on the Assembly's
providing for the Support of that Number or by any certain
Day. Since I have been impowered to order an Augmenta-
tion I have taken such Measures as seemed most likely to
compleat the Companies, I promised the highest Commissions
to them that should by a time appointed engage most Men
but I am afraid that even such Steps will not be effectual,
Men are no longer to be got here unless they could be im-
pressed into the Service & such means our Assembly will
never agree to. I observe what you say concerning the
Orders that you have given the Commanding officers in the
two Forts to cherish & support the friendly Indians that may
come to those places, I had also given similar orders &
with regard to the provisions that the Indians may be fur-
nished with at Fort Frederick I beleive the Assembly will be
brought to pay for them, but I am sensible that Indians rank
many things besides provisions among the Necessaries of Life
for which the Assembly will not make any Allowance nor
reimburse the Officers that supply them. As Capt Alexr
Bealls Company was & is far from being compleat I should
as soon as the Assembly impowered me have sent him Re-
cruiting Instructions had there been any other Captain at
Fort Frederick & if you had not sent all the Captains peremp-
tory Orders to remain at their respective Posts I would now
do so. I submit this matter to your Consideration & shall
only intimate that if any Officer of that Company is to be
ordered on the Recruiting Service it should be the Captain
because he is most likely to meet with Success & because a
Subaltern Officer would suffer much by being obliged to
recruit on such Conditions as are imposed by our Laws. In
obedience to a Letter which I lately received from the Earl of
Loudoun dated the 5th Inst I have issued a Proclamation
requiring all Officers of the Militia of this Province frequently
to exercise the men under their Command & to see that they
provide themselves with Arms & Ammunition, I have also
sent more particular Instructions to the Commanding Officers
of the Militia in the Frontier Counties viz to Colo. Thomas
Prather in Frederick which is our Westernmost County & to
Colonel lohn Hall in Baltimore, County which lies to the East-
ward of the other & makes our northern Frontier, the first
of the abovementioned Gentn lives about two miles from the
mouth of Conegochiegh & the latter near Susquehanna
River, inclosed you have a Copy of the Instructions that I
have sent to them respectively but I must intimate to you
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