Lord Loudoun
Loudoun --- he is like St. George on the [tavern] signs, always on horseback, and never rides on."
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"I have called here by order every morning these two weeks past for his lordship's letter, and it is not yet ready." says Innis to Ben Franklin.
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Innis is a messenger from Gov of Pa.
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"Is it possible, when he is so great a writer? for I see him constantly at his escritoire." says Ben Franklin.
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"Yes," says Innis, "but he is like St. George on the signs, always on horseback, and never rides on."
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Ben Franklin writes -
"This observation of the messenger was, it seems, well founded; for, when in England, I understood that Mr. Pitt[ gave it as one reason for removing this general, and sending Generals Amherst and Wolfe, that the minister never heard from him, and could not know what he was doing."
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End quote.
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And so we adorn a street and a county with his name.
There are 3 forts named after him.
A Fort Loudoun here in Winchester VA, one in PA, and one in what is now TN.
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He was Governor of Virginia 1756 to 1759, while being named as Head of all the armies in North America.
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But he never visited Virginia.
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Lt Gov Dinwiddie did the Governor's work 1751 to 1758, First under another absentee Gov Keppel and then under our Lord Loudoun.
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This is why you often see the confusing reference to Dinwiddie as Governor, but technically he was always Lt Gov.
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Lord Loudoun arrived in NYC July 23, 1756.
He was fired by the Prime Minister Pitt in December 1757.
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However Lord Loudoun went on to Portugal.
This was a world wide war.
Spain had joined France in the Seven Years War.
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Lord Loudoun in 1762 was 2nd in command and lost Almeida to the Spanish but then the tide turned and the Spanish were pushed out of Portugal.
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Lord Loudoun had become first in charge of the army in Portugal.
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Portugal was also a safe haven for British spies all the way to WWII, a long time ally of England.
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Sources:
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Quote on Loudoun in Ben Franklin's writings:
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See 1757 when Loudoun County split off of Fairfax Co VA.
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The defense of Portugal
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by Jim Moyer 11/22/2020
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