2281Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, 8 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), p. 41. Franklin and John Baynton were appointed on Dec. 8, 1756, to reply to Governor Denny’s message of that date on quartering the British troops momentarily expected in Philadelphia. Submitted the same morning, the reply was approved and sent to Denny at once. Since it is quoted in full in the...
2282Orders, 8 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
LB , DLC:GW .
2283From George Washington to Abraham Bosomworth, 8 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
I am informed you have enlisted one Patrick Murphy a Deserter from my Regiment who was confined in the Goal at York, tho’ you had previous knowledge of his being so. You must be sensible such proceedings are repugnant to the public interest, and contrary to established articles of war; to say nothing of the ill effects that follow precedents of this nature. The suspicion of a Soldiers...
2284To George Washington from Peter Hog, 8 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
I am favoured with yours of the 15th Accompanying the £500 with which I have paid off the Company to the Last of Octr as also the Wages of the party working on the fort the rest has been Expended in paying the provisions Bought at fort Dinwiddie. But as Lieut. Bullet has Laid in a Large qty of Beeff, there Is yet a great deficiency of Cash to pay off the Whole. I imagined you would Left...
2285Orders, 9–10 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
A Sergeant, and ten men who can be best spared from the works to parade immediately, and march to Joseph Edwards’s to strengthen the party there, and escort the Cattle as far as Pearsalls, and to return here again immediately —This party to draw four days provision. All the men to parade to-morrow morning at beating the prisoners march, with their arms & ammunition; and march to the Fort there...
2286From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 9 December 1756 [letter not found] (Washington Papers)
Letter not found: to Robert Dinwiddie, 9 December 1756. On 15 Dec. 1756 Dinwiddie wrote to GW : “Yours of the 9th I have recd.”
2287Enclosure: Minutes of the Council, 9 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
At a Council held Decemr 9th 1756. The Governor was pleased to communicate to the Board, and to desire their Advice upon, a Letter from Col. Washington dated from Fort Loudoun the 2d of this Instant, signifying his Apprehensions that the Order of Council of the 15th of last month will be productive of many Evils, and inclosing the Returns of their Strength at Winchester, amounting to Eighty...
2288From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 10 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Capt. Mercer returned the 7th with sixteen of the Deserters; the other two escaped his diligence. They confirm the suspicion of Mr McCarty’s villany, by confessing, he had inveigled them with promises of protection, rewards, and good usage! and a deep-laid plan was concerted for accomplishing his base designs, binding each individual with an oath to follow him; to stand true to each other in...
2289To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 10 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Your Letter of the 2d by Jenkins I recd two Days ago, & observe its Contents, the Return of Your Strength at Fort Loudoun supriz’d me, when I consider’d that Capt. Mercer declared to the two Mr Nelsons & the Speaker, that You had there 160 enlisted Men, which with the fifty Servants recruited after, I thought You might have march’d 100 Men from thence for reinforcing Fort Cumberland, & left a...
2290Orders, 11–13 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
It is once more desired that the men be kept close at work, according to a former Order given by Colo. Washington. LB , DLC:GW . This probably refers to the Orders for 13, 14 Nov. 1756.
2291From George Washington to Thomas Waggener, 13 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
I was not a little surprized to find what a quantity of provision had been consumed by your command, in the short space they have been stationed on the Branch: There certainly must have been great waste & neglect. To prevent which for the future, it is my Orders—That you direct each of the commanding officers where the troops are stationed on the Branch, to appoint a Sergeant of his command...
2292Orders, 14–15 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
A Sergeant, and 8 men that can be best spared from the works, to parade immediately, to escort some waggons, belonging to the South-Branch, as far as Pearsals. The Sergeant when his party is ready, to repair to the Head-Quarters for Orders. LB , DLC:GW .
2293To George Washington from Robert Dinwiddie, 15 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Yours of the 9th I have recd—I am glad Ct. Mercer has brought back sixteen of the Deserters, upon Promise of Pardon, which I agree to on Your Recommendation; but I hope You will make them sensible of their Crime & that they are pardon’d on Your Solicitation. You recommend Messrs Carlyle & Ramsay to be Commissaries in the room of Mr Walker, which I by no means approve of—the first resign’d when...
2294Orders, 16–17 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
LB , DLC:GW .
2295Pennsylvania Assembly: Message to the Governor, 16 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756 – 1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 48–9. Franklin and others were appointed on Dec. 16, 1756, to “prepare a Draught of a Message to the Governor, concerning the Report now prevailing in the City of the Governor’s having given Orders for Quartering of Soldiers upon private Houses.” It was brought in, approved, and sent to...
2296After Orders, 17–19 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
The Quarter-Master is immediately to provide Quarters for 42 Recruits which will be in town this evening: and to procure a room for 8 Indians, that they may be separate by themselves. Victuals to be dressed for the whole, and to be ready against their arrival. LB , DLC:GW . These recruits are the servants that John McNeill recruited in Augusta County; and the eight Indians were “6 Cherokees...
2297From George Washington to William Bronaugh, 17 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
You are strictly required, immediately upon receipt of this, to transport your provisions and Stores to Capt. Waggeners Fort, and there leave them: Then march your Company to Pearsals, in order to escort a quantity of Flour to Fort Cumberland; where you & your whole Company are to remain, to strengthen that Garrison. I expect you will pay due regard to this Order, and put it in execution with...
2298Memorandum, 17 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
N.B. A Copy of the above Orders was sent to Captains Cocke & Lewis on the Branch. Wrote Capt. Vanmeter to procure waggons, &c. and to assist in the removal of the provision & Stores; & to take due care of them. Wrote Lt Walter Stewart, to receive those Stores and Provisions, and take care of them. LB , DLC:GW . See GW to William Bronaugh, 17 Dec. 1756 . Thomas Cocke, probably of Suffolk...
2299From George Washington to Robert Stewart, 17 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Ensign Crawford has referred a dispute to me concerning his rank in the Army. I must determine in his favour: and allow their officers to rank by the dates and dignity of their Commissions. For these reasons—vizt That Companies, tho’ esteemed and called Scouts, are raised and supported upon the same funds as those of the Regiment; have the same pay—entitled to the same priviledges and...
2300To George Washington from John Robinson, 17 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
I recd your favour by Mr Ramsey and as soon as I could get the Committee together I communicated the Contents of it to them, they were generaly of Opinion that the Commissary ought to reside, and they also approved of Mr Carlyle and Ramsey in Case Mr Walker resigned, but did not care to appoint them, till Mr Walker informed them himself of his intentions to resign; I am sorry to hear your last...
2301Pennsylvania Assembly: Message to the Governor, 19 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 50–3. After Pennsylvania became a theater of war in 1755, it was apparent that the province would soon have to provide quarters for British troops. When the remnants of Braddock’s army passed through Philadelphia that summer, the Assembly hastily extended what it considered were the relevant...
2302From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 19 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Duplicate: Pierpont Morgan Library I have now the Pleasure of yours of the 7th and 10th. of September, and have received the old Book of Voyages, the Magazines for August, and Messrs. Hoadly and Wilson on Electricity. We have hitherto preserv’d a good Agreement with our new Governor; tho’ it seems that some evil Counsellors about him would fain get him into a Quarrel with us; but I hope it...
2303From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 19 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Your letter of the 10th came to hand the 15th. In consequence whereof I dispatched orders immediately to all the Garrisons on the Branch to evacuate their Forts, and repair to Pearsalls, where they wou’d meet the Flour &c. from this place; & to escort it to Fort Cumberland. I expect the provisions purchased for the support of these Forts, and now laying in bulk, will be wasted and destroyed,...
2304From George Washington to John Robinson, 19 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
You are no stranger I presume to the late resolutions of the Governor & Council; the consequence of which I meditate with great concern. We are ordered to reinforce Fort Cumberland with 100 men: and, to enable me to carry that number thither, all the Stockade-Forts on the Branch are to be evacuated, & in course all the Sett[lemen]ts abandoned, except what lie under the immediate protection of...
2305Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on a Conference about Quartering, 20 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 53–5. Joseph Fox, John Hughes, Franklin, William Masters, and William Allen were appointed a committee to confer with Governor Denny on the quartering impasse. Before they were admitted to the chamber, Denny told the Council “he chose not to enter into any Altercation, nor to refute the many...
2306From George Washington to George Mercer, 20 December 1756 (Washington Papers)
Instructions. As I have received Orders from his Honor Governor Dinwiddie to repair to Fort Cumberland, and leave an Officer here with the command of this Garrison; I have appointed you to this command, and expect your particular diligence and care. You must observe all former Rules & Orders which have been given for the regulation of this Garrison; and let no Stores or other thing issue...
2307Pennsylvania Assembly Committee: Report on the Governors’ Message, 24 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives , 1756–1757 (Philadelphia, 1757), pp. 58–9. When the Assembly met on December 21, the day after the acrimonious conference with Governor Denny, it considered the conference minutes and the written message Denny had presented at that time. After some debate, the Assembly expressed its displeasure with Denny’s conduct in a message...
2308Richard Peters to the Provincial Commissioners, 26 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission The Governor commands me to acquaint you that He has received a Letter by Express from Lord Loudun which obliges him to know if the Quarters and Necessaries in Quarters for the Officers and Men demanded by Colonel Bouquet on Friday last will be actually provided and the Hospital repaired and furnished on or before the first day of January....
2309Lewis Ourry to ———, 26 December 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society By visiting the Quarters of the Men belonging to the first Battallion of the Royal American Regiment with the Mayor, Sheriff, and other Magistrates I found that — — 94 Men laid on Straw And that — — 73 had nothing to lay on and not Sufficient quantity of Covering, the Houses on which they are quarter’d not being capable of containing near the number...
2310From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Bouquet with Memoranda, [26 December 1756] (Franklin Papers)
Letter: Draft: Library of Congress. Memoranda: I and II : Library of Congress; III : American Philosophical Society After the commissioners agreed at Franklin’s urging to meet all of Colonel Bouquet’s and Lord Loudoun’s demands for quarters, it remained only to decide the details: what quarters and “necessaries” would be provided, how soon, and for how many soldiers? Franklin and Bouquet drew...