To George Washington from John David Wilper, 9 September 1758
From John David Wilper
Fort Pearsall the 9. of Setber 1758.
Honnorable Collonell
I Sent the 21 of augst, a return of the Garrison in this fort, the Gentlmen who tack the return with him, Come in a Spall hart regin [rain] on the road, So that the return git so Waeth [wet], and Torn all to pieces, here by I Sent another one to you,1 Capt. mcKenzie Call one of his men away to Jain his Compy again, it is alls Well here, I mus pagk [beg] your parton, for what I wants to Trouble your Honr it is now 3 Mounths June. July. and augst. that I recd no monye, I do not [k]now, from how [who] I Shall recd me monye, I Sent 2 Letter to Lt Wm Fliming, about it, I never git annye anderws [answers] again. I pagk the favour of your honr to favour me Whit Some monnye I be In Graet Niet of it.2 Were you obleigt me most, and I be In Duty bound for ever, to you
John David Wilper
S:p: your horss and Cow3 are not Come this Way, if the[y] Come up, Whe will not miss to tack them up, I aquint your Honr that I tack one the Contery Cow up, and the Bill [bull] Cavf, Here [her] Son, So So[o]n as she hat Caft [calved], I Will Sent here to you, it is a fein Cow.
ALS, DLC:GW.
Sgt. John David Wilper (Woelpper), who joined the Virginia forces in 1754, was left behind at Job Pearsal’s to command the little garrison there when GW marched to Fort Cumberland in late June 1758.
1. Sergeant Wilper’s “A Return of the Invallits under My Comd at Fort Pearsall, September the ⟨mutilated⟩ 1758” reports at Pearsal’s one sergeant and fourteen men from the two Virginia regiments. Wilper noted that the return “In Cludet me Selfs and one Corpl of Capt. [John] McNiel’s Compy” (DLC:GW).
2. Charles Smith wrote GW on 16 Nov. 1758 that Wilper wished to know how he and his little detachment were to be paid.
3. GW seems to have kept a cow for his own use. See Robert Stewart to GW, 17 Oct. 1758.