From George Washington to Peter Hog, 24 July 1757
To Peter Hog
[Fort Loudoun] July 24th 1757
To Captain Hogg
Sir,
I should have written fully to you long since, and sent an Officer to relieve you, but the expectation we were in (by reports from Fort Cumberland) of a french invasion from Ohio, kept us in continual alarm, and readiness to oppose the attempt.1
I must now, as I formerly have done, say, that all accompts relative to provisions must be settled with the Commissary; and all that concern the payment of your company, with the paymaster—I have nothing to do with either, nor do I choose to interfere with their Business. I shall send money by Major Lewis (if the pay-master does not go himself) to discharge your recruiting accompt, and the sums due to the Masters of such Servants as you may have enlisted.2 The reason why this was not done before, was the want of money, which I have been without since December, ’till about a fortnight ago; and now an insufficient sum is come to hand, to answer the numerous demands against the public.
I mentioned to Captn McNeill your demand upon David Evans; and he has stopped the money: But, as he writes to you by this opportunity, I refer to him.3 In respect to your other demand, against Trotter, it wou’d have been regular to have made out your accompt and sent it to the commanding officer of the company he is in; and then if Trotter refused to pay it, I shou’d have appointed a Court of Enquiry to sit and examine into the justice of your claim, and the reason of his denial, and order’d payment, if they thought it due. But I never will assume an arbitary power, and oblige any person to pay a sum, unheard. I have heard nothing more about the matter; and the company in which Trotter is Sergeant, lies at a great distance from this: So I presume, the affair either is, or may be settled without my interposition.4
I have great complaints made concerning your manner of carrying on the works at the Fort you are building.5 It has cost infinitely more money than ever was intended for it. and, by the injudicious spot of ground you have chosen to fix it upon, it has caused a general clamour.
Mr Bullet and Mr Fleming inform me, that you refuse to do the necessaries belonging to it.6
I therefore desire you will immediately upon receipt of this, deliver up the company, arms, stores and fort, to the command of the former; that the Kings Service may not suffer: You are to take Lt Bullet’s receipt for every thing delivered to him.7
I shall suspend giving any directions concerning the provisions at Ft Dinwiddie, or matters relative to the company. Major Lewis will have the command of it, and will be instructed in these points. I am &c.
G:W.
LB, DLC:GW.
2. In his letter to Andrew Lewis, 29 July 1757, GW indicates that he is giving Lewis £21 18s. to pay Hog’s recruiting account and £30 4s. 2d. to pay three men what was owed each for his servant who had enlisted in the regiment. See also 26 July 1757 in Va. Regimental Accounts, 1755–58, DLC:GW. For an earlier mention of the settlement of Hog’s accounts, see GW to Hog, 26 Jan. 1757, and note 2.
3. For the identity of David Evans, see GW to Hog, 26 Jan. 1757, n.5. No letter from John McNeill to Hog has been found.
4. Richard Trotter was a 30–year-old mason, Scottish born, who was in Hog’s company at Great Meadows in 1754. He was listed in William Bronaugh’s company in July 1756, and now that Bronaugh’s company had come under the command of Henry Woodward he was with Woodward on the South Branch.
5. This was Vause’s fort.
6. GW mentions in his letter to Thomas Bullitt of this date that he has received “two or three letters” from Bullitt and Ens. William Fleming.
7. Among the documents in DLC:GW for August 1757 are (1) “Accot of Tools recd for Building the fort on Roano⟨ke⟩,” which is undated but endorsed in GW’s hand: “Tools wch Captn Hog recd to build a Fort at Vases [Vause’s]”; (2) an inventory, and a copy of the inventory, of the stores at Vause’s fort, which Bullitt acknowledges Hog delivered to him; (3) and two necessary rolls of Hog’s “Late” company, one dated 4 Aug. and the other undated but with this notation: “These Certifie that this Roll Contains a True State of the Compys Arms and Clothing When Deliverd Lt Bullitt Given Under our hands this 3 day July 1757” and signed by Peter Hog and Thomas Bullitt. It may be that the two officers intended to give the date 3 Aug. rather than 3 July. For a description of the rolls, see GW’s Instructions to Company Captains, 29 July 1757, n.2.