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Subject Area: History
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO DINWIDDIE, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. - George Washington, The Writings of George Washington, vol. I (1748-1757) [1889]

Edition used:

The Writings of George Washington, collected and edited by Worthington Chauncey Ford (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1889-1893). Vol. I (1748-1757).

Part of: The Writings of George Washington, 14 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


TO DINWIDDIE, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.

Alexandria, 7 March, 1754.1

Honble. Sir,

In my last by Mr. Stewart, I slightly mentioned the objection many had against enlisting, to wit, not knowing who was to be paymaster or the times for payment. It is now grown a pretty general clamor; and some of those, who were among the first enlisters, being needy, and knowing it to be usual for his Majesty’s soldiers to be paid once a week, or at most every fortnight, are very importunate to receive their due. I have soothed and quieted them as much as possible, under pretence of receiving your Honour’s instructions in this particular at the arrival of the colonel.

I have increased my number of men to about 25, and dare venture to say, I should have had several more, if the excessive bad weather did not prevent their meeting agreeable to their officers’ commands.

We daily experience the great necessity for cloathing the men, as we find the generality of those, who are to be enlisted, are of those loose, idle persons, that are quite destitute of house and home, and, I may truly say, many of them of cloathes; which last renders them very incapable of the necessary service, as they must unavoidably be exposed to inclement weather in their marches, &c., and can expect no other than to encounter almost every difficulty, that ’s incident to a soldier’s life. There are many of them without shoes, others want stockings, some are without shirts, and not a few that have scarce a coat or waistcoat to their backs. In short, they are as ill provided as can well be conceived; but I really believe every man of them, for their own credit’s sake, is willing to be cloathed at their own expense. They are perpetually teazing me to have it done, but I am not able to advance the money, provided there was no risque in it, which there certainly is, and too great for me to run; tho’ it would be nothing to the country, as a certain part of their pay might be deducted and appropriated to that use. Mr. Carlyle, or any of the merchants here, would furnish them with proper necessarys, if there was a certainty of any part of their pay stopt to reimburse the expense. But I must here in time put a kirb to my requests, and remember that I ought not to be too importunate; otherwise I shall be as troublesome to your Honour, as the soldiers are to me. There is nothing but the necessity of the thing could urge me to be thus free; but I shall no more exagerate this affair to your Honour as I am well assured, whatever you think for the benefit or good of the expedition, you will cause to have done.

[1 ]The letters written previously to this date have been lost. Dinwiddie acknowledged a letter of the 7th. Mr. Sparks dates it the 9th.