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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 55
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the Contractor to have a Quantity of fresh Provisions carried
up immediately & ordered four Officers with a hundred men
to march with the Waggons from Fort Frederick. In a Letter
which I lately received from him he says he is well satisfied of
the Truth of the Officers Report & seems to be much dis-
pleased at the Garrison's being kept in extreme Want so long.
He tells me that some of the Pensilvania Troops were treated
after the same manner till he ordered their Provisions to be
all buried & fresh laid in, & concludes by saying He finds
that every Body is to be wholsomely fed except those who
are employed to protect others in Luxury. I assure you this
Affair has given me a good deal of Uneasiness & ii I could
have conceived that so little Care had been taken to cure &
preserve the meat that was laid in at Fort Cumberland as I
am persuaded there was, I never would on any Account what-
ever have instructed Dagworthy to acknowledge the Receit of
any Stores that should have been left by your Commissary at
that place. I yesterday received a Letter thence which was
dated the 10th Inst & informs me that one Iohn Street who
was a Drummer in the Pensa Forces till the Reduction of Fort
Granville having effected his Escape from Fort Du Quesne is
come thither together with a French negro that lately came
from the Missisippi Capt Dagworthy tells me that the Drum-
mer being examined on Oath declared that after he fell into
the Enemy's hands together with the Rest of the Men that
garrisoned Fort Granville he was carried by the Indians to a
small Town which lies two miles below Fort du Quesne, that
he was removed thence to Logs Town last Spring & detained
there till May when being sold to a French Indian Trader he
was brought to Fort Du Quesne again by his said master &
detained there till about a month ago when he came off with
the Negro abovementioned. that when his Master first took
him to Fort Du Quesne theGarrison did not consist of more than
between 300 & 400 French & a few Indians but that before he
made his Escape the Garrison was reinforced by 200 French
who came up the River, & brought with them in 12 large
Boats a considerable Quantity of Provisions, that upon the
Arrival of these Troops there was great Rejoicing & a general
Discharge of Artillery & small Anns, that a few Days after-
wards a party of about 200 French & Indians went out in
pursuit of some English who had killed & taken three French
Officers & as many Soldiers but that two Squaws being
scalped almost in Sight of the Garrison soon after, the Party
was thereupon recalled, that Several Parties have been since
ordered towards the Frontiers of these Colonies & one in
particular to cut off the Communication between Fort Cum-
berland & the inhabited part of the Country & to prevent the
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Letter Bk. III
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