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L. H. J.
Liber No. 49
Dec. 15
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and by me laid before the House as such; ought I not, when the
Committee had Reported " that they were stated in a dark, confused,
and unintelligible Manner," to have withdrawn and sent them back
to Col. Cresap, in order that he might have Stated them in a more
clear, methodical, and intelligible Manner; or would they have become
less dark and obscure by lying till this Time, or till the next Session,
in the Hands of the Clerk? But to proceed with the Narrative: A
few Days after I had desired Mr. Ridout to return the Papers to
Col. Cresap, viz. about the Middle of April 1755, he accompanied
Sir John St. Clair to Winchester, and as the Road thither lay by
the Mouth of Conococheague, he took the Papers with him, and gave
them to Mr. Thomas Cresap, who then lived at that Place, together
with the said Extract from the Committee's Report, and the Letter
which he had writ to the Colonel in Pursuance of my Order.
It happened that just before General Braddock marched from Fort
Cumberland, one of the Officers who served under him, had Enlisted
some of Mr. Lowndes's Ship-Builders, whom he could very ill spare,
and was glad to recover at any Rate; his Case being represented to
me, I writ to Capt. Orme, one of the General's Aid-de-Camp's, in
order to obtain their Releasement or Discharge, and at the same
Time ordered Mr. Ridout to write to Col. Cresap, who lived as it were
on the Spot, to desire him to receive the Servants, and convey them
back to their Master. Capt. Orme's Answer made it necessary for
Mr. Ridout to write a second Letter to Col. Cresap, and as the
Colonel had hitherto neglected to send me down such an Account as I
had required, I thought it not amiss to remind him thereof, and
desired Mr. Ridout to do so in the Letter that he was then writing,
which was, I find, dated the 28th of May, 1755, and contained, among
others on different Matters, the Paragraph that you have in your
Address quoted.
The Colonel still neglected to comply with my Requisitions, and
tho' he was again called upon to do so when I went to Fort Cumber-
land in July 1755, and once or twice afterwards, yet he still declined
rendering such an Account as I had for my own Satisfaction, as well
as the Satisfaction of the Assembly, always insisted on. This being
the Case, and the f 6000 expended, I proceeded to close my Account
thereof, in order that it might be ready to lay before the Assembly,
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p. 202
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at the then ensuing Session, which was begun the 23d of February
1756 : In this Account I charged Col. Cresap with the £1750 which I
had advanced to him, as you will see upon recurring to my said
Account; and tho' I apprehended that there was a Ballance due to
him, yet I thought he could have little Reason to complain of my
referring him to the Assembly for Payment, since he had been so
exceedingly dilatory in settling his Account, and making his Demand.
After the Assembly was met, the Colonel came to me with a large
Bundle of Papers, which he said was his Account, and the Vouchers
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