George Washington Papers
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From George Washington to Hugh Mercer, 9 September 1758

To Hugh Mercer

To Lieutt Colo. Mercer of Pensylvania or Officer Commanding at Rays Town

SirCamp at Fort Cumberland 9th Septr 1758.

I this moment receivd notice from the Commissary, that only three day’s Flour remaind upon hand for the Troops at this Incampment. Mr Hoops is wrote to on the occasion, and I must beg the favour of you to facilitate any measures he shall propose to supply us in time; by affording an Escort &ca—Not knowing how soon we may be orderd to join you, I can’t tell how much Provisions is wanted—possibly ten days will serve till the Generals pleasure be known.1 We have no Waggon’s at this place, otherwise I wou’d have given you no trouble in this affair. I am Sir Yr Most Obedt Hble Servt

Go: Washington

LB (original), DLC:GW; LB (recopied), DLC:GW.

1Bouquet wrote Mercer on 14 Sept.: “Please to send immediately an Express in the night well escorted to Cumberland, Col Washington has order to join you at Reas Town” (Stevens, Bouquet Papers description begins Donald H. Kent et al., eds. The Papers of Henry Bouquet. 6 vols. Harrisburg, Pa., 1951-94. description ends , 2:498). When Bouquet wrote to Forbes on 17 Sept. to give him the details of Maj. James Grant’s expedition to Fort Duquesne and of its disastrous end on 14 Sept., Bouquet noted: “I wrote Colonel Washington to march to Raystown, leaving 100 men at Cumberland, until the arrival of the Maryland militia. This reinforcement was necessary to protect our convoys on the communication” (ibid., 517–22). No such orders have been found, but Forbes’s arrival in Raystown on 15 Sept. led to GW’s meeting with him on 16 Sept. when Forbes instructed him to bring his Virginia soldiers from the camp at Fort Cumberland to Raystown.

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