GW was making his second attempt in two years to seat his frontier lands on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers, for which he had gathered, through purchase and hire, a collection of black and white artisans and laborers. He was now sending them west under the temporary direction of William Stevens, who had replaced the ailing James Cleveland. In his instructions to Stevens dated 6 Mar. 1775, GW wrote: “I cannot pretend to say with certainty, when I shall be with you; but hope it may happen in May—if not in May, it shall be so soon after as I can make it convenient” (DLC:GW).

Mr. Whiting is probably Francis Whiting, who died in this year.

Catesby Woodford (1738–1791), a younger brother of Brig. Gen. William Woodford of the Revolution, was born in Caroline County. Catesby married Mary Buckner in 1771 and settled in Fauquier County (Stewart, Life of Woodford description begins Mrs. Catesby Willis Stewart. The Life of Brigadier General William Woodford of The American Revolution. 2 vols. Richmond, Va., 1973. description ends , 1:70, 238, 276, 313; CROZIER [3] description begins William Armstrong Crozier, ed. The Buckners of Virginia and Allied Families of Strother and Ashby. New York, 1907. description ends , 171).