To George Washington from Robert Stewart, 22 October 1758
From Robert Stewart
Camp at Reas Town Ocr 22d 1758
My Dear Sir
I had the pleasure of receiving your kind favour of the 16th Inst. and am extremely sorry your March prov’d so disagreeable and doubly so at it’s cause unless the Weather continues good I dread the consequences.1
Your Letter for Winchester I deliver’d to Jenkins who sets out this morning yours by Mr Chew will be sent by the first Conveyance for Philadelphia.2
Yesterday Orders were issued for the Troops & Artillery to March to morrow so that I flatter myself with the hopes of being with you soon.3
Majr Wells who is left to Command here promises to take the greatest care in forwarding any Letters that may come up for you after we March.
Speirs & Smith have got a thousand Shirts and engages to supply any qty of Flannels, half thicks Shoes and Stockgs and thinks they can get you about 200 Blankets in 6 or 7 days but the Blankets they cannot engage for and would be glad to know as soon as possible what qty of each kind you will want to whom they will deliver the Goods & how they are to be sent up I have with difficulty prevaild upon them not to part with any till they hear from you.4
Colo. Byrd is inform’d from below that your Regiment is to be kept up and that his will be kept in Pay during the Campaign whatever time it may continue.5
The Assembly of Pensylvania have voted another hundd thousand Pounds6—C. W. Steuart is, by the Doctor’s Advice and the Generals Permission gone to N. York Colo. Byrd & Sr John has given him an unlimited Cr.7
Colo. Byrd desires his Complimts may be made you & that he wrote to Govr Fauquier the cause of your not being able to write to him8—Mercer is not yet come up9—your Cow will come up with us—Please offer my Complements to our Officers & allow me the pleasure of Subscribing myself with the greatest Esteem My Dear Colo. Your most Affecte & most Obt hble Servt
Robert Stewart
ALS, DLC:GW. This letter and the one of 24 Oct. were enclosed in Stewart’s letter to GW of 25 Oct. 1758.
1. The “cause” that GW gave was undoubtedly the badness of the road from Raystown. See GW to Fauquier, 30 October. GW’s letter to Stewart of 16 Oct. has not been found.
3. Forbes wrote to Bouquet from Raystown on 21 Oct. that he had “ordered the whole [army at Raystown] to march upon Monday next [23 Oct.] with a design to make very few halting days, untill that we see the Enemy” (, 241). But see Stewart to GW, 25 October.
4. Speirs may be William Speir (Spears), a Philadelphia merchant. For an indication of GW’s response to this inquiry about goods for his troops, see Stewart to GW, 24 October. See also GW to Fauquier, 30 October.
5. Fauquier on 12 Oct. signed the bill for paying the two Virginia Regiments (see Ramsay to GW, 17 Oct., n.2).
6. The Pennsylvania house met on 14 Oct. but promptly adjourned because the governor and council were in Easton holding a conference with the western Indians. Because of a dispute with the governor, the Pennsylvania assembly did not pass a supply bill until March 1759. Only after Gen. Jeffrey Amherst had urged him to “wave the Proprietary Instructions, and give your Assent to the Bill” did Governor Denny sign it, on 17 April 1759 (, 8:331–32).
7. Capt. Walter Steuart was wounded in the engagement at Fort Duquesne on 14 September. He remained in New York, serving first as a volunteer, then as an ensign in the 17th Regiment of Foot, and in 1760 becoming a lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Volunteers. The illegible word is “leave” in , 3:121.
8. The contents of William Byrd’s letter to Fauquier are summarized in the minutes of the provincial council, 1 Nov. (, 6:116).
9. Col. Hugh Mercer still had not arrived on 25 Oct. at Raystown with the wagons carrying provisions (Stewart to GW, 25 Oct.).