1. On this day General Forbes called a council of war at Loyalhanna composed of colonels Bouquet, Archibald Montgomery, John St. Clair, GW, William Byrd, John Armstrong, James Burd, and Hugh Mercer. “After explaining the situation as regards to troops and provisions, his instructions and the news about the enemy’s forces,” Bouquet wrote, “he asked us to weigh each point carefully and, after discussing it thoroughly, to give him our opinion as to what would be the best course to pursue.” The arguments given for the army’s advancing to Fort Duquesne were: (1) “driving the enemy from the Ohio,” (2) “getting rid of the Indians . . . along this river,” and (3) “justifying the expenses of the expedition” in the eyes of the colonists “ignorant of the difficulties.” The arguments given against advancing were much the same as those GW presented in his letter to Bouquet on 6 November. The officers concluded that “the risks being so obviously greater than the advantages, there is no doubt as to the sole course that prudence dictates” (Bouquet: Council of War, 11 Nov. 1758, in Stevens, Bouquet Papers description begins Donald H. Kent et al., eds. The Papers of Henry Bouquet. 6 vols. Harrisburg, Pa., 1951-94. description ends , 2:600–601). For the developments on 12 Nov. that led Forbes suddenly to decide to move out immediately with his army to Fort Duquesne, see Orderly Book, 12 Nov., n.1.