To George Washington from John Stanwix, 23 May 1757
From John Stanwix
Lancaster [Pa.] May 23d 1757.
Sir
His Excellcy the Earl of Loudoun having ordd five Companys of my Battalion to serve in the back parts of the Southern Provinces and likewise that I am to be supply’d with Amunition & Military Stores from Fort Loudoun in Winchester,1 to prevent any dissapointmt in Carriages I have sent from this place nine Waggons which will be sufficient to bring to Lancaster the following Amunition &c.
| 100 | Barrells Gunpowder |
| 12000, | Musquit Flints |
| 100 — Reams Cartridge paper | |
| 50, | pounds of Macth2 |
| 50. | pound Brimstone |
| 50. | pounds Saltpeter |
| 50, | Three pounds Ball |
| 3. | Tons of Lead |
which youl please to Order to be diliverd to the Waggoners, whose names are mentiond in the Warrant herewith sent you of this date,3 with all immaginable Speed, they haveing undrtaken without an Escort to deliver these Stores to Edward Shippen Esqr: (for which you’l please to take their Receipt) at Lancaster,4 from thence I can as it may be want’d supply my self at my Camp at Carlisle or between that and Shippenburg,5 please to send me a list of the particulars you send, as likewise the remains of all the Ammunition Artillery Millitary Stores &c. belonging to his Majesty at Fort Loudoun in Winchester, that if the Service should require more I may not send for what you have not in Store, I have with me,
2 Brass Cannon, 6 pounders, &
1 Brass Canon—3 pounder—shall therefore be glad to have the nine Waggon’s loaded with as many iron Shot as can be sent, (over and above the 50, three pound ball) without over-loading the Carriages, and what ever addition you send shall return you after the War[ran]t for the Same who am Sir Your most Obedt humble Servt
John Stanwix
since I wrote this letter the Waggoners (who first refused an Escort) have changed their minds and have therfore sent one Sergt 1 Corpl and eleven men.
ALS, DLC:GW.
John Stanwix (d. 1766) had been in the army for fifty years in 1756 when he became colonel of the 1st battalion of the Royal American Regiment (62d Foot, later 60th). Stanwix remained in America until 1760, advancing to brigadier general in 1758, major general in 1760, and lieutenant general in 1761 after his return to England.
1. These orders of Loudoun to Stanwix reflected the decisions reached at Loudoun’s conference with the southern governors at Philadelphia in March 1757. See the instructions from Stanwix, this date. Stanwix was now in effect GW’s commanding officer (see Dinwiddie to GW, 20 June 1757), and GW had frequent dealings with Stanwix until Stanwix left Pennsylvania in the spring of 1758.
2. This must be “match,” the material used for firing a cannon or igniting gunpowder.
4. See GW to Edward Shippen, 28 May 1757, and notes as well as the enclosure.
5. Carlisle, west of Harris’s ferry, was the site of one of the forts built by the Pennsylvania government. Shippensburg is southwest of Carlisle.