The Journal of the Commons House of Assembly

OCTOBER 13, 1760775the Gentlemen of the Council to consider who were the most proper Personsto be appointed Field-Officers to the Regiment; & no time was lost byme after that in doing every thing towards the most expedition in raising it.It concerns me too much to refrain from declaring how greatly I amaffected with your unkind imputation of Remissness in my not having alreadyacquainted General Amherst with our situation. I rely upon the justice ofthe several honorable Persons with whom I am directed by His Majesty’s Instructionsto correspond, to clear me from a Charge of having been, uponany Occasion, deficient in my Duty in that respect. Upon ColonelMontgomery’s departure, I gave his Excellency the fullest Account I was ableof the State of our Affairs. I did not receive the Intelligence of the breachof the Capitulation, until after I had been visited by the hand of God, with adisorder that endanger’d my life, which continued upon me so long, as toprevent even my being present in Council, till the Day before I met you inGeneral Assembly. Add to this the slender hopes that cou’d be form’d ofobtaining any Succour from his Excellency, when it was generally thoughtthe Force he had was too small for the great Enterprize he was engaged in:And also the endeavours I had used to obtain Assistance from the Provinceof North-Carolina, & to prevail upon Virginia to keep up the Forces they hadrais’d, who by halting, in their present Station, wou’d be in a readiness toact as soon as Preparations shou’d be made for co-operating with them.Under these Circumstances, can it be thought I was too sanguine in imaginingthat I had sufficient reason to conclude that no supposition cou’d justlyhave taken place, for charging me with indolence or neglect?The Escort which I appointed for the Indian Prisoners was to consistof twenty six private Soldiers, who are to guard them as far as the Congrees,to Major Hamilton’s Camp; with Orders, upon any apprehension or rumorof the Enemy’s approach, to halt & apply for assistance to the nearest Officersof the Militia; who are directed to support them. When they arrive there,in case of bringing down the Remains of the Garrison of Fort Loudoun toNinety Six, in order to be exchanged, shall make it requisite, I have order’dthe Escort thither to be increas’d with Rangers, to one hundred Men. Bythis Draught, the Guard for the Town does not exceed twelve Men. If youthink it will be expedient to have any variation in this Disposition, I shall givethe greatest attention to your Opinion upon it.By a Letter I receiv’d from Colonel Grant, dated the 3d of July, I wasinform’d, that there was Flour enough in Fort Prince-George, to last six oreight Months, and forty Bullocks; so that altho’ they are in want of Beef, theGarrison, I think, cannot be said to be in the greatest Distress. And, as I toldyou before, that I had form’d a Plan for it’s relief, it appears that it has notbeen neglected.