"These are facts well known, but not better known than that these wretched people, while they lay pent up in forts, destitute of the common supports of life (having in their precipitate flight forgotten, or being unable rather to secure any kind of necessaries), did dispatch messengers of their own (thinking I had not represented their miseries in the piteous manner they deserved) with addresses to your Honour and the Assembly, praying relief. And did I ever send any alarming account, without sending also the original papers (or the copies) which gave rise to it?

"That I have foibles, and perhaps many of them, I shall not deny; I should esteem myself, as the world also would, vain and empty, were I to arrogate perfection.

Knowledge in military matters is to be acquired by practice and experience only and if I have erred, great allowance should be made for my errors for want of them, unless those errors should appear to be wilful; and then I conceive it will be more generous to charge me with my faults, and let me stand or fall according to evidence, than to stigmatize me behind my back.

"It is uncertain in what light my services may have appeared to your Honour; but this I know, and it is the highest consolation I am capable of feeling, that no man that ever was employed in a public capacity has endeavoured to discharge the trust reposed in him with greater honesty, and

more zeal for the country's interest, than I have done, and if there is any person living who can say with justice that I have offered any intentional wrong to the public, I will cheerfully subunit to the most ignominious punishment that an injured people ought to inflict. On the other hand, it is hard to have my character arraigned, and my actions condemned, without a hearing.

in

"I must therefore again beg, in more plain and very earnest terms, to know if

-has taken

the liberty of representing my conduct to your Honour with such ungentlemanly freedom as the Jetter implies? Your condescension herein will be acknowledged a singular favour."

In a letter some short time after this to the Lieutenant-governor, he says, "I don't know that I ever gave your Honour cause to suspect me of ingratitude -a crime I detest, and would most carefully avoid. If an open disinterested behaviour carries offence, I may have offended; for I have all along laid it down as a maxim, to represent facts freely and impartially; but not more so to others, than to you, Sir. If instances of my ungrateful behaviour had been particularized, I would have answered them. But I have long been convinced that my actions and their motives have been maliciously aggravated."

In this letter he solicited (as the Lieutenant-governor was to leave the province in November) permission to come to Williamsburgh, since he had some accounts to settle which he was desirous of ad

justing.

justing. This permission the Governor refused in abrupt and disobliging terms, telling him that he had frequently been indulged, and ought not now to ask for leave of absence.

In answer to this letter, Colonel Washington, after stating the immoveable determination of the inhabitants to leave the country, unless more efficiently protected, added, "To give a more succinct account of their affairs, than I could in writing, was the principal, among many other reasons, that induced me to ask leave to come down. It was not to enjoy a party of pleasure that I wished leave of absence; I have been indulged with few of these winter or summer."

Mr. Dinwiddie soon afterwards took leave of Virginia, and the government devolved on Mr. Blair, the president of the council. Between him and the commander of the colonial forces, the utmost cordiality continued to exist.

After the close of this campaign, Lord Loudoun returned to England, and General Abercrombie succeeded to the command of the army. The department of the middle and southern provinces was committed to General Forbes; and, to the inexpressible gratification of Colonel Washington, an expedition against Fort du Quesne was determined

on.

Finding there was no probability of being placed on a permanent establishment, he had for some time past meditated a resignation of his commission; but

the

the prospect of more active service now determined him to hold it for the ensuing campaign.

The high estimation in which he was held by the officers who had served with him under General Braddock, several of whom were now in the army of General Forbes, led him to hope that he should be in some degree distinguished by the commander in chief, and placed in situations which would enable him to render essential service to his country, and at the same time to reap those laurels for which he had always panted.

He urged strongly an early campaign; and, among other motives to induce the utmost possible activity, he stated, that by delay they would lose a body of friendly Indians, who had collected at Winchester, during the month of April, to the amount of seven hundred men, and would, he apprehended, return to their homes, if they did not perceive a pros. pect of being soon employed. "In that event," he added, "no words can tell how much they will be missed."

Long before the troops assembled, a very large body of French and Indians broke into the country, and the wretched inhabitants were again exposed to the miseries which they had so often experienced. The county of Augusta was ravaged, and about sixty persons murdered. The attempts made to intercept those who committed the mischief were unsuccessful, and they recrossed the Alleghany with their plunder, prisoners, and scalps.

At

At length orders were received to assemble the regiment at Winchester, and be in readiness to march in fifteen days; in consequence of which the recruiting parties were called in, and Colonel Washington made a journey to Williamsburgh, to obtain arms, ammunition, and clothing for his troops, as well as money to enable them to move. It is strange that, at this late season, these preparations were yet to be made; and it is not less strange, that the task should have been imposed on Colonel Washington, of urging the necessity of allowing to his regiment, which had performed so much severe duty, the same pay which was allowed to a second regiment voted the last session of Assembly, only for this campaign, and to be commanded by Colonel Bird.

The apprehensions which had been entertained of the impracticability of detaining the Indians, unless the campaign could be commenced early in the season, were well founded. Before a junction of the troops had been made, these savages became impatient to return to their homes; and finding that the expedition would yet be delayed a considerable time, they left the army with promises to rejoin it in the proper season. So sensible was Colonel Washington of their importance in the country through which the troops were to be conducted, that he strongly urged General Forbes to dispatch a confidential person to the Cherokee towns, in order to cultivate their good will, and to prevail on them to join him on his march. This he considered as very practicable,