Letter Bk. III

Annapolis the 27^th Iune 1757.
Sir

Your Favour of the 23^d I received last Night together with
a Copy of a Letter from Capt Dagworthy for which I return
you thanks, the Evening after I writ to you from Frederick
Town a second Letter was also brought to me from Capt
Dagworthy wherein he gave me the same Account that he
does to you & as I was very unwilling to put the Province to
any Expence that could be avoided I thereupon counter-
manded the Orders that had been before sent to the Officers
of the Militia, the Companies that were in motion which
amounted to about 500 Men were the next morning dismissed
& on Thursday as some Business made my Return hither
necessary I also left Frederick Town I have already intimated
to you that our Militia Laws are very defective & that the
Assembly will not be persuaded to amend them, in particular
it is a question whether the Militia can be compelled to march
out of the Province, & tho I am persuaded that none or very
few would have refused to follow me had the Intelligence that
was received the other Day proved true yet I do not beleive
that any of them would march to garrison Fort Loudoun as
they would conclude that the Assembly would never allow
them any Pay or Provisions while they should remain on that
Service, Indeed the Assembly has been too backward in
making the Men that have at times been ordered on Duty a
proper Allowance, & as most of the Men of whom the Militia
is composed depend on their Labour for their daily Bread &
cannot lose any time without distressing their Families one
cannot be surprized at their being less alert & ready to march
than might be expected if they were punctually paid. If a
Company marches in obedience to their Officers Orders &
Provisions Horses & Carriages are taken from any Inhabitant
by the Press-Master for the use of such Company, the As-
sembly will not probably provide for the payment of such
Persons within four or five Years, & that is considered by some
as little better than having their Accounts rejected at Once,
but notwithstanding these Difficulties I hope we shall be able
to muster & march 500 Men on a few Days notice in case the
Motions of the Enemy should at any time make such a Step
absolutely necessary. I apprehend that as upwards of 160
Recruits have been lately sent to Fort Frederick a Detach-
ment might be spared thence to reinforce Dagworthy, but you
know that our Act of Assembly as well as Your Letter to Capt
Beall puts it out of my Power to give any such Orders,
however if you shall think fit to order more Men to Fort
Cumberland I would desire you or let an Officer & Detach-