General Forbes' Whereabouts in Sept 1758
General Forbes is at Fort Loudoun PA in September 1758. He arrives at Juniata Crossing 11 Sept 1758. This is close to what Forbes calls Reas Town or Raystown, later dubbed Fort Bedford at the conclusion of the Forbes Expedition.
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Compiled by Jim Moyer 9/2022, update 8/13/2023, this story is still not finished and will have future updates
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General Forbes still at Fort Loudoun PA
To George Washington from Hugh Mercer, 10 September 1758
From Hugh Mercer Camp at Reas Town Septr 10th 1758
Sir I am favoured with Yours and have sent to collect all our Packhorses (for the Waggons are gone forward) and propose sending off forty, if so many are to be found, loaded with Flower—They will be at CumberLd on Teussday night;1 And a further suply, may be afterwards sent when the General’s pleasure is known with regard to your march.
I could have wishd to inform you of the generals arrival here. We looked for him Yesterday but understand in the Evening that he remaind at Fort Loudon on friday Morning, with little probability of his disorder permitting him to march for ⟨some⟩ Days. I am Sir Your most obedt humble Servt Hugh Mercer
ALS, DLC:GW. 1. Tuesday was 12 September.
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To George Washington from Hugh Mercer, 11 September 1758
From Hugh Mercer Camp at Reas Town 11th Septr 1758 Sir, I have sent thirty Pack horses and one Waggen loaded with Flour, amounting to about Seven Thousand Wt; More would have been sent, had horses or Waggens been here.1
By intelligence from Major Halket I find the General leavs Loudon to day, so that Colonel Bouquet may be expected from the Westward before the Genl arrives here; And a further suply sent your forces if their stay at CumberLd makes it necessary. I am Sir Your most obedt Servt Hugh Mercer ALS, DLC:GW. 1. See Mercer to GW, 15 Sept., n.3.
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General Forbes arrives at Juniata Crossing
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To George Washington from Hugh Mercer, 15 September 1758
From Hugh Mercer Camp at Reas Town 15th Sept. 1758 Sir I have the Pleasure to inform you that General Forbes arrived Yesterday at Juniata Crossing, and is looked for here by twelve OClock; It is but this minute I understood he had left Fort Loudoun; It seems the Generals health exceeds our Expectations, as he bears the Journey well & has proceeded with great expedition these two days past.1 Your Letters were forwarded immediatly on my receiving them2 some live stock will be sent by the Return of the Party of Virga Troops from hence & I proposd conveying you a Quantity of Flour under the same Escort, but am prevented by an unexpected demand from our advanced Posts; Col. Bouquets anxiety on account of supplies of provisions oblidges me to employ even the Artillery Horses for transporting the flour3—I mention this, that what Horses or Waggons can be mustered up at Cumberland may be sent up if you find a further Supply necessary. I am Sir, Your most obedt humble St Hugh Mercer ALS, DLC:GW. 1. Juniata Crossing was one of the stopping places between Fort Loudoun, Pa., and Raystown on Bouquet’s road. 2. See GW’s letter to Hugh Mercer, 9 Sept., telling him of the shortage of provisions at Fort Cumberland. See also Mercer to GW, 11 September. 3. Lt. James Sinclair, Forbes’s assistant deputy quartermaster general, wrote to Bouquet, 13 Sept. 1758, that he had on this day sent to Loyalhanna from Raystown “two & twenty Waggons of which fourteen are loaded with pork, four with Indian Corn, three with Oats and one with Whisky likewise Eighty pack horses loaded with flower, which is all we can muster up at present, having been oblidged to send six and thirty with a suply of flower to fort Cumberland” (Stevens, Bouquet Papers, 2:497–98). Bouquet’s missing letters of 13 Sept. to Sinclair and to Mercer, or his letter of 14 Sept. to Mercer ordering him to use “every Horse” at Raystown to bring flour and bread to Loyalhanna, must have diverted the “six and thirty” intended for Fort Cumberland (ibid., 498). See also Mercer to Bouquet, Sinclair to Bouquet, both 14 Sept., ibid., 505–7.
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After the Forbes Expedition, did George Washington recommend to Hugh Mercer to come to Fredericsburg VA?
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