From George Washington to William Cocks, 12 May 1756
To William Cocks
[Winchester, 12 May 1756]
To Captain William Cockes. Of the First Company of Rangers.
Sir,
Captain Baylis,1 of the Prince-William Militia, will give you this; and leave you a reinforcement of twenty men—with these, and the Detachment of your own company, which has now certainly rejoined you; you will be sufficiently able to send out several scouting parties: And it is my desire, you do your utmost to scour these parts, and protect the people.
You will deliver Mr Baylie2 what carpenters tools you have in the Fort: as he has orders to build a small Fort at the Mouth of Little Capecapon. I am &c.
G:W.
May 12th 1756.
N.B. Take Receipts for the several Tools you deliver the Officers.
LB, DLC:GW.
1. Evidently GW had intended Baylis to command the contingent of the Prince William County militia being ordered to Patterson Creek until his superior, Lt. Col. Henry Peyton, insisted upon going. See the Memorandum respecting the Militia, 11 May 1756. This is probably Capt. William Baylis, and the “Major Baylis” sent up by Lord Fairfax on 13 July 1756 is probably John Baylis. The Maryland Gazette (Annapolis) reported on 15 July 1756 that Capt. William Baylis led a contingent of the Prince William militia in a skirmish with the Indians at Pearsal’s fort in June 1756.
2. The letter-book copyist probably meant to write “Baylis.”