To George Washington from Andrew Lewis, 31 October 1758
From Andrew Lewis
Montreall October the 31t 1758
Dr Sir,
I have the hapenass of Aquenting you that I ame in perfict helth. and tho. I had the Missfortun of being made prisenor the 14 Last month, ame as hapy and much more So, then I could have Expected under Such Sircomstances. Nothing this Country Can afford but I have in plenty, with the Greatest Complesance.
The time as well as mannar of my Being releved I ame a Strangear to. Cash I have non nither Know I how to get a Suply unless you be So good as to procure a Bill of Exchange which may inable me to Draw my pay. Cloaths I must if posable have, and Should any Genteleman in this place advance me Cash for that purpos I should be Sorry to leve this Country with out paying him—Colo. Skilar by home I have the plasure of Sending this, has promised if you Send the Bill to him, he will Send it So that I shall have it.1
I supos I shall be Soon Sent to Qubeck where I shall have the plasure of Seeing Capts. Stobo and Vanbram, I here they are in Good helth2—pray make my Best Complements to all the officers of my aquentance—I ame Your Most Obedt Hble Servant
Andw Lewis
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. GW knew by this time that the report of Lewis’s having been killed on 14 Sept. was false and that he was a prisoner. On 27 Aug. 1758 when the French commandant at Cataraqui on the St. Lawrence surrendered Fort Frontenac to Lt. Col. John Bradstreet of the Royal Americans, making any effective reinforcement of Fort Duquesne unlikely, Bradstreet arranged for Col. Peter Schuyler of New Jersey to be exchanged. Schuyler had been a prisoner of the French since the fall of Oswego in 1756.
2. By the terms of GW’s capitulation at Fort Necessity, 3 July 1754, the French took Capt. Robert Stobo (1727–1770) and Capt. Jacob Van Braam (1725–1784) as hostages first to Fort Duquesne and then to Montreal and Quebec. Stobo made his escape to Louisburg in May 1759; Van Braam was exchanged in 1760.