From George Washington to Thomas Waggener, 26 June 1758
To Thomas Waggener
[Camp at North River, 26 June 1758]
To Captn Waggener, or Commanding Officer at Pearsalls Fort
Sir
I have just Incamp’d at this place on my way to Fort Cumberland, with a weak escort to a large Convoy of Provisions &ca the intent of this therefore, is to desire that you will immediately upon receipt of it, detach one hundred Men, and three Waggons to our assistance—dont suffer the least delay—I order the Waggons upon a Supposition that you have some at Pearsalls in Pay, but if I am wrong in this Suggestion, be pleasd to engage any you can, in time, for this Service; as we are plagu’d in a most extraordinary manner with bad Teams.1 I am Sir Yr most Obedt Servt
Go: Washington
LB (original), PHi: Dreer Collection; LB (recopied), DLC:GW. Beneath GW’s signature at the end of this letter in GW’s hand is the following notation signed by Robert Gilmor, Baltimore, 22 Feb. 1832: “A leaf from General Washington’s orderly books when he was in his 26th year—Given to me this day, the Centennary of his bi[r]th, by Jared Sparks Esqr. the editor of his correspondance.” Inserted in the original letter book in the Library of Congress after GW’s letter to John St. Clair, 26 June 1758, is a sheet with the following memorandum initialed M.S.B. and dated 14 June 1890: “This leaf containing the draft of a letter to Captn Waggener, under date of June 26th 1758; and Orders for Sergeant David Wilper, under date of June 30th 1758 missing.” The memorandum is followed by a notation in the same hand: “The above memorandum made by request of Mr S[tanislaus] Hamilton, Bureau of Rolls.” A notation in pencil in another hand identifies M.S.B. as “Mrs. Mary Stevens Beall, copyist for Dr. J. M. Toner.” The original letter-book copy of GW’s Orders to Sgt. John David Wilper, 30 June, is also in the Dreer Collection.
1. At Job Pearsal’s on 29 June, GW had two of his officers, Thomas Waggener and Andrew Lewis, and two frontiersmen, John McCollough and John Kuykendal (Kirkendal), appraise the value of eight wagons and a number of horses that had “Pass’d into His Majesties Service” (DLC:GW).