To George Washington from John Ridout, 27 August 1754
From John Ridout
Annapolis [Md.] August 27th 1754
Sir
As Several of the Soldiers lately belonging to the North Carolina Companies under the Command of Colo. Innes have applyed to the Recruiting Officers who have His Excellency’s Commission for raising Men in this Province; declaring they were discharged by Colo. Innes & petitioning to be admitted into the MaryLand Company have upon their producing a Sort of Discharge signed by Colo. Innes’s Order been inlisted here.1 His Excellency desires You would please to inform him of what You know of Colo. Innes’s Design by giving such Discharges, whether You think He will expect the Men ever to return to him again, or whether You would make any Objection To them if any of them were to offer to serve under your Command. I am Sir Your mo. obedt humb. Servt
J. Ridout
ALS, DLC:GW.
John Ridout (1732–1797) was born in England and came to Maryland in 1753 as secretary to the new governor, Horatio Sharpe, who obtained for him a seat on the Maryland Council in 1766. In future years GW often dined in his house in Annapolis.
1. Following the news of the defeat at Fort Necessity, the Maryland Assembly met on 16 July and voted £6,000 for defense, upon which Governor Sharpe issued commissions to raise “a Company or two” to reinforce the Virginia troops (Sharpe to Frederick, Lord Baltimore, 8 Aug. 1754, in , 1:80). Dinwiddie learned in the third week of August that “all the Forces raised in No. Caro. had disbanded themselves & march’d home” (Dinwiddie to John Robinson, 23 Sept. 1754, ViHi: Dinwiddie Papers).