To George Washington from John St. Clair, 9 August 1758
From John St. Clair
Camp at Reas Town Augt 9th 1758
Dear Sir
Mr Long the Waggon Mr of Maryland arrived here last night with 18 Waggons, which are to be loaded this day and shall set off for fort Cumberland with about 50 Waggons empty, these with Mr Longs 18 are to return to this place loaded as follows, which I beg you will give directions about.1
| Waggons | |
| 350 Boxes Muskett Ball 14 in a Waggon | 25 |
| 200 Eight Inch Shells 30 in a Waggon | 7 |
| 700 Royal Shells 100 in a Waggon2 | 7 |
| 39 |
What Waggons Remain are to be loaded with Corn or Oats, and lest the Baggs be insufficient I have sent 700 Bushel Sand bags which are not to be used but in case of Necessity.
The Convoy of 18 Waggons which are now on the Road from fort frederick to fort Cumberland are to be forwarded to this place, and the Convoy that is said to be at Pearsalls the 15th are likewise to be sent on from fort Cumberland to this place.3 We are in great want of Grindstones ours not being come from fort frederick if you cou’d spare us a Couple, I should be much obliged to you, they may be replaced to you immediately. If you can send us any Entrenching Tools it will very much accelerate our Work. I am with great Regard Dear Sir Your most obedient and most humble Servant.
John St Clair
P.S. you may give the Waggoners for 4 Horses 6 Bushells of Corn for 14 Days.
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. See GW to Bouquet, 7 Aug., and especially note 1 of that document. These wagons arriving at Raystown under the wagon master James Long are presumably eighteen of the nineteen wagons GW sent up from his camp at Fort Cumberland on 7 Aug. under escort of Capt. Thomas Waggener and fifty men. Long was paid on 30 Aug. at Fort Frederick “for carrying a Load of Arms to Winchester, his Waggons attending afterwards on the New Road & fetching a Load of Corn” (Md. Archives, 55:775).
2. Royals were small mortars.
3. Here, certainly, St. Clair is referring to the nineteen, not “18,” wagons which brought a load of musket balls to Fort Cumberland from Fort Frederick on 5 Aug. and which went back down to get the ammunition that had been brought up from Fort Frederick only as far as Cresap’s Old Town. See GW to Bouquet, 6 Aug., and note 4 of that document.