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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Robert Dinwiddie to Arthur Dobbs
Dinwiddie, Robert, 1693-1770
February 05, 1756
Volume 05, Pages 561-562

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[Reprinted from Dinwiddie Papers. Vol. 2. p. 333.]
Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Dobbs.

Feb'y 5th, 1756.

Sir:

Y'r two L'rs of the 13th and 18th of Dec'r I have rec'd. I have accepted Y'r Bill on me to Co. Hunter for the Beeves. They came much dearer than those purchas'd at Winchester at the same time; but as those You sent were by Gen'l Braddock's Order, I shall pay for them, and charge it to the English Acc't of the Money sent me. Our People complain y't Y'r Co'y is maintain'd from y'r Provis's. Please give some Orders on y's Affair. The Cloath'g for Y'r Men Amo'ts to £156 y's Mo.; w'ch I shall discount with Colo. Hunter. I have no Acc't of the 200 Steers. I advanc'd the driver some Mo'y on y't Acc't, and hear he sold some of them. The driness of the Weather hurt them in driv'g. Many of them died, and many [were] not fit to be Slaughter'd. I forwarded Lieut. McManis's L'r, but I think it did not reach him; however, he is with You long before y's. The Commissioners for the Catawbas and Cherokees left last week. The Weather and an accident attend'g the Boat y't carried the Pres't up Ja's river, detained them a long Time, but I hope they will meet Y'r Com'rs on the Road. I am glad the Step I took in send'g the Com'rs meets with Y'r approbation, and I hope it will effectually engage those People in our Int't. I shall be very glad to hear of Mr. Littleton's arrival at his Gov't. The Forces appointed on the Expedit'n against the Shawnesse are all ready, and under Orders to march. I wish them the desired Success. The Duke of New Castle remains at the head of the Treasury. The Ministry have a very great superiority in the Ho. of Commons, so y't the foreign Subsidies, I believe, will be granted. You complain of my advising you to send Pork to raise Mo. for payment of Your People. I did not then, nor do I now, know w't else You cou'd send here to raise the Mo. I am sorry for any Loss attending, but You are now sufficiently acquainted what you may think most suitable for y't purpose. It was not my request, but Advice, y't Pork was sent here. Gen'l Shirley has sent me the Minutes of the Congress at N. York, and writes me he has wrote You and no doubt sent You a Copy of Y'r Proceedings. He says they expect 1,750 Men from y's Colony to join the Forces destin'd ag'st Crown Point, besides those to be rais'd for the Ohio Expedit'n; w'ch is impracticable to be done here, for the officers I appointed to raise 1,000 Men have been four Mo's recruit'g, and have not rais'd above ½ of y't No. I sent him my Opinion y't if

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Pensylva'a, My'l'd, Virg'a and No. Carolina rais'd sufficient for the Expedit'n to the Ohio, with a No. of the So'ern Ind's, was as much as I conceiv'd they really c'd do, and in y't case a good Officer to com'd the whole, with some Ingineers, was absolutely necessary and much wanted. I sent Y'r L'r by Port to Gov'r Morris. Inclos'd I trouble You with an Affair of one Mr. Fisher's of y's Place, a poor, but very honest Man. He was robb'd in My'ld, and he says the Robber has taken sanctuary in y't Colony. His Watch is found, and he believes the Robber sold it to one Geraldus O'Brien. This I take to be only a Surmise; however, Sir, the poor Man says he is acquainted with several of Y'r Friends, and doubts not You will be so kind as to cause some Enquiry to be made about it, and beg'd me to write You on the Head. I refer You to the enclos'd Papers, and if any Thing can be recover'd, it will be a charitable Act. You will excuse my giving You y's trouble. An unhappy Dispute subsists in Fort Cumb'l'd between C't Dagworthy, who com'ds a small Co'y from My'l'd and Colo. Washington. The former claims the Com'd in Chief by Virtue of a Com'o. he formerly had from the King on the Canada Expedit'n. He is not on the half-Pay List, but rec'd a Pss. of Mo. in lieu thereof. Washington refuses to act, and Dagworthy keeps possession of the Fort and will allow no Provis's or any Th'g else to be taken thence but by his Orders, tho' the Provis's are actually purchas'd by this Co'try. To prevent higher Animosity, I have sent Colo. Washington to the Gen'l, y't by his Autho'y he may regulate y's ill-tim'd Dispute ab't Rank. Y's w'd have been partly prevented if Colo. Innes had been at the Fort. I wish you to write him on the Subect. We have had 1150 neutral French imported here from N. Scotia, w'ch gives great Uneasiness to our People. We maintain them till the 1st Mar. but w't to do with them at y't time I cannot say, as they are very sickly and Lazy; cannot be prevail'd on to work. Inclos'd I send You the King's Speech, Addresses of both the Houses, which gives me Pleasure to think they will agree in supporting H. Majesty's Measures and defeat the Expecta's of the Fr. Court, who hop'd the Contrary. I shall be glad to hear You are in an establish'd State of Health, for w'ch we all sincerely join in our good Wishes.

I am in great Truth,
Y'r Ex's most h'ble serv't.