Archives of Maryland, Volume 0009, Page 0229 - Correspondence of Governor Sharpe, 1757-1761

Correspondence of Governor Sharpe, 1757-1761

Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 229
them to equip themselves for the Campaign. Colo. Bouquet having intimated to us while we staid a few Hours at Cone- gochiegh that he was afraid he should find it a very tedious & laborious Task to make the Road which the General had ordered him to open for the Army to march from Fort Lyt- tleton to the Forks of the Yogyogany by the way of Rays Town, by reason that the Road would pass over some very steep craggy Rocks, I told him that one of our Officers who was there & who was no Stranger to this Back Country had given it as his opinion that a good & pretty straight Road might be made from this Place to Fort Cumberland & that if such a Road was made the Stores might be carried this way to Fort Cumberland in less time than they could by the way of Rays Town. The Proposal appeared so plausible to Col^o Bouquet that after he had asked the Officer some Questions he desired me to send him & some other Persons to recon- noitre the Country & to make Report thereof to S^r I S^t Clair who would be at Carlyle & who in case it should be found practicable to make such a Road would take proper measures for its being done. On the 25^th Capt Shelby returned & reported that he had reconnoitred the Country between this Place & Fort Cumberland agreeable to the Instructions which	Letter Bk. I.
I had given him the 1 5^th in Compliance with Colo Bouquets Request & that he was satisfied 350 Men might open such a Road as he proposed in three Weeks, that he was certain it would not be 60 miles in length & that altho two or three Hills did intervene yet that they were not so steep nor difficult to ascend as those which lay between Fort Lyttleton & Rays Town had been represented. Upon the whole the Report was such as gave S^r Iohn to whom I immediately sent it so good an opinion of the Proposal that by a Letter which my Express returned with the 27^th he desired me to give Orders for its being carried into Execution & promised to send three or four hundred Men hither for that purpose. The same Day a Detachment of 60 Men from the first Battalion of the Royal American Reg^l came hither from Carlyle with 33 Waggons loaded with Bomb Shells & Muskett Ball which S^r Iohn desired me to send up to Fort Cumberland by Water giving as a Reason for their coming this way that there were at that time upwards of 200 Waggons loaded with Provisions &c. on the Road from Carlyle to Rays Town & that he was afraid to send any more that way just then lest the Roads thro the narrow Gaps of the Mountains should be rendered impassable. Had these Stores & six times as many been brought hither in the Month of April they might have been carried to Fort Cumberland by water before this time & at less than half the Expence that they could by Land, but	p. 359

Please view image to verify text. To report an error, please contact us.
Correspondence of Governor Sharpe, 1757-1761

Volume 9, Page 229 View pdf image (33K)

<< PREVIOUS NEXT >>

This web site is presented for reference purposes under the doctrine of fair use. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user.

Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!

Archives' Home Page
   |
Maryland Manual On-Line
   |
Reference & Research
   |

Search the Archives
   |
Students & Teachers
   |
Archives of Maryland Online

Governor     General Assembly    Judiciary     Maryland.Gov

An Archives of Maryland electronic publication.
For information contact mdlegal@mdarchives.state.md.us.