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268 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. IV
p. 3
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gable Pa'rt of one of the Branches of Nanticoke will fall in
Sussex County, & should that be the Case it cannot be
doubted but the People who live contiguous will carry on a
Trade without paying the Maryland Duties, just as the
Owners of Virginia Vessels that take in their Cargoes from
the Southern Shore of Potowmack do at present. This indeed
they say they will do in Spight of any Agreement or promise
that the Messrs Penns may make to restrain them, & once
such a Trade is opened it must be expected that a consid-
erable Part of the Eastern Shore Tobacco will be carried to &
exported from the Head of Nanticoke in Pensilva Bottoms,
the Masters of which will be entered and cleared by the Port
Officer that resides at Lewis Town on Delaware Bay. I take
the Liberty to inclose the two last Gazetts that have been
printed here wherein are some Accounts of the late Motions
& present Situation of the Troops that are employed under
the Command of Brigadier General Forbes on an Expedition
against Fort Du Quesne, which place it is hoped & indeed
generally expected they will have made themselves Masters
of before the End of this Month. You will see that the
General arrived at Fort Loudoun about the time that the
Governor sett off for Fort Cumberland, but I much question
whether he has been yet able to reach Raes Town or indeed
whether he will ever get thither for I was told by a Person
that came to Fort Frederick last Saturday & who had seen
the General two Days before that His Excellency was so
much fatigued the 6th Inst by travelling ten Miles in a Kind
of Horse Litter on a fine Road that he could scarcely stand
when he alighted & that he never attempts to walk without
Leaning on some other Person; It is said however that if
the General did not recover Strength in a Day or two Colo
Bouquet who continued at Raes Town was to take Command
of & proceed with the Army which perhaps it would have
been well if he had done a Month ago. The Officers that are
said in the Gazette to have lately lain in Sight of the French
Fort were Lieut. Riley of the Maryland Troops who went out
with a Corporal only, & Capt Shelby who commands the
Company of Voluntiers that the Governor encouraged to go
out from this Province, both of them Persons whose Reports
may be relied on, The Lieut' took his View from an Em-
inence that lies a little to the Northward of Fort Du Quesne,
but Capt Shelby crossed the Ohio below Fort Du Quesne
with more than half his Company, The Governor of Pensa
& Governor Barnard were according to the last Accounts
which have been received from the Northward to have a
meeting at Easton about this time with many of the Chiefs of
the Shawanese Delawares & some Western Tribes of Indians
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