Orders, 1 June 1756
Orders
Parole: Integrity.
Winchester: Tuesday, June 1st 1756.
The Company of artificers being intended to assist in building a Fort at this place, are to do no Duty as Soldiers—They are to get their Tools in order, and go to work to-morrow morning.
A Return to be given in immediately of all the men fit for Duty in Town; mentioning those who are good Carpenters.1
His Honour, Governour Dinwiddie, has approved of the Sentence of the General Court martial, held here the eighteenth day of may last, whereof Captain Woodward was President— which was of opinion, that James Thomas and Henry Campbell (for Desertion) should suffer death—But he has been pleased, upon James Thomas’s former good behaviour, to pardon him—through Colonel Washingtons Recommendation.
LB, DLC:GW.
1. No return of the company of artificers for this date has been found, but “A Roll of the Artificers employed on the Works at Winchester, under the Command of Capt: William Peachy, wth an Accot of their lost Time” (NN: Washington Collection) lists 127 men in the company in July 1756. Although Peachey had the command of this hastily formed party of artificers working on the fort at Winchester, he also retained command of his own company in the Virginia Regiment. For the approval of GW’s proposal to build a fort at Winchester, see GW to Dinwiddie, 27 April, n.3, and Dinwiddie to GW, 3 May 1756. For the beginning of work on the fort, see GW to Dinwiddie, 23 May 1756.