To George Washington from Jacob Hite, 29 June 1758
From Jacob Hite
June 29th 1758
Sir
As the Stationing Twenty of capt. Rutherfords men at Fort Loudoun Gives the Greatest uneasyness to the Inhabitants In General for Several Reasons First it being Contrarey to our Ingagements to the Men on Capt. Rutherfords behalf Secondly the Grate Incouragement we have by So Maney Active Men Rangeing on our Frontier Thirdly the Greate Dislike the Men have to be Stationed There and fourthly the Inactive Company of Militia could Part better be Spared from Pattersons Fort as we cannot Expect to Receive So much Sattisfaction from the hole Company of Melitia as we Should Do from Them Twenty Men Besides other Melitia I hope to be had.
Not as I wood have you Think that we Emagen you to be the Auther of Such orders But that we Expect it will be in your Power to have those orders Countermanded and a More Sattisfactorey one Put in Execution that Those men may go to Their former Station.1
I hartely wish you your hea[l]th a Succesfull Campain and a Safe Return and am Sir your Friend and Verey Hum. Servt
Jacob Hite
ALS, DLC:GW.
Jacob Hite, the second son of Jost Hite who was one of the earliest and most prominent settlers in this area, lived in the northern part of Frederick County.
1. GW asked Henry Bouquet on 13 June how many “Sick & lame” men he should leave to protect Fort Loudoun, and Bouquet replied on the same day that GW could leave “30 men lame, or otherwise unfit.” On 24 June GW ordered Robert Rutherford “to detach 20 of your worst Rangers” for duty at Fort Loudoun. Nothing has been found to suggest that this was anyone’s decision but GW’s.