To George Washington from Adam Stephen, 29 March 1756
From Adam Stephen
Fort Cumberland [Md.] March 29th 1756
Sir,
Inclosd you have the montly Return—George Hedgeman resigned last month.1
Captain Gist is the only Officer who, as [I] hear, has had good Success in recruiting—I have sent him, at his Earnest Request, £100 to pay off Some Expences on the Recruits left in Maryland.2
The Sickness continues among the men, and I have a thought of fiting up the New Store3 for an hospital, but wants your Orders how to Act at this Juncture.
Mr Boyd being down at Belhaven, and lately up at Capt. Waggener has not finishd his Accts so far as he has paid. Ensign Milner[,] Hedgeman, an Lt Fraser have paid off the Balances of the Recruiting Accts. The rest have not Settled, I shall give in their Balances due, to Mr Boyd, who has not paid the Officers off for January & February—but is about it now, as far as the money in hand will go. I have examined Mr Walkers Voucher’s for the Inclosd Account, and think them Sufficient.4
I sent him down, thinking that he might probably be of Use in the House,5 and nothing of importance to be done here, untill further Orders from You.
Lieut. Stark, who is not one of Us, as you learnd by mine ⅌ Capt. Lewis,6 declares he will give Up in case he is ordered to Augusta in room of Fraser—It will be very agreeable to me, and I think for the Interest of the Service that You order him there immediatly.7
To order Capt. Joshua Lewis to Green Brier, To Relieve Capt. Hog; or elsewhere, upon our distant Frontiers, would disappoint him who has declard himself Counsellor & Aid de Camp to Govr Sharpe—He is big with hopes and Expectations, Exults for Joy at the Change, Struts like a Bull Frog, and is ready to Enter the Service of Maryland.
Capt. Coxs Company about 38 Noncommissond Officers inclued—He is here at this time, perfectly happy, and cannot tell me his Exact Number.
Capt. Ashby had 40 men Serjs. included, but taking a disgust at him Eight of them Came to Fort Cumberland to join the Regimt—I sent a Detachmt of Volunteers in their Room.
I shall Wait your Orders with Impatience, and am with Respect, Sir, Your most Obt Huble Servt
Adam Stephen
ALS, DLC:GW.
1. Stephen’s return of the Virginia Regiment for March has not been found. The most recent return found was dated 31 Jan. 1756.
2. Capt. Christopher Gist’s company payroll for March lists 50 soldiers. In the size (muster) roll of his company dated 13 July 1756, Gist named 68 men, all but 6 of whom he had enlisted before 29 Mar. Twelve of the men joined in Frederick County, and the rest enlisted either in Lancaster, Pa., or in Baltimore, Md. Gist’s company of scouts was not one of the 16 companies of the Virginia Regiment, but he and his scouts were attached to the regiment, and they had the same status as the officers and men of the other companies. When the number of companies in the regiment was reduced to 10 in May 1757, the frontiersman Gist was the only one of the captains to accept the reduced rank of lieutenant. Shortly thereafter he left the regiment, however, to become deputy agent of Indian affairs in the Southern Department. Gist died of smallpox in 1759.
3. The Ohio Company’s “New Store” was built at the mouth of Wills Creek across the Potomac River on the Virginia side sometime after 1750.
4. The accounts of Thomas Walker, the chief commissary for the Virginia Regiment, have not been found.
5. Thomas Walker was a member of the House of Burgesses for Hampshire County. The new assembly convened in Williamsburg on 25 Mar. 1756, and Walker was present in the House by 12 April.
6. Presumably Stephen was referring to his letter of 18 Jan. 1756.
7. Lt. William Stark was the object of a court of inquiry at Fort Cumberland on 16 Jan. 1756 for taking the position that Capt. John Dagworthy was the senior, or commanding, officer at Fort Cumberland. See Stephen to GW, 18 Jan. 1756, n.3, for an extensive account of the affair. GW in time did order Stark to Fort Dinwiddie in Augusta County to relieve George Fraser, and Stark did resign—before 12 July—rather than comply.