More Rangers, More Indians, More Needs
We resume our trek through 1757. Colonel George Washington is sitting on the 2nd floor in his office in this building overlooking the front gate of Fort Loudoun, Winchester VA.
He is sitting at his table writing to Lt Gov Dinwiddie. He is writing a request.
And it's first about Rangers -- the need for them.
So before we get to Colonel George Washington's letter of request, let's look at the various groups defending this area:
They were the Rangers and Militia and the Virginia Regiment.
What is the difference between the three?
The Militia were created only by the locals and financed by themselves.
The Rangers were created by the House of Burgesses and somewhat funded by the House of Burgesses.
The Virginia Regiment was the most formalized and stricter military. They wore a uniform designed by George Washington. They were paid the most and funded by the House of Burgesses.
GW was never keen on the militia.
And he wasn't always keen on Rangers either.
He didn't like some Rangers like Captain John "Jack" Ashby, ancestor to the more famous Turner Ashby of the Civil War.
Militia
Colonel George Washington didn't like most of the militia coming from the Piedmont and Tidewater area, like the Gentlemen's Association.
But he liked one particular militia man. Jeremiah Smith.
Colonel George Washington trusted Jeremiah Smith to establish a depot at his fortified house.
GW writes Captain Henry Harrison who is current head of Fort Edwards, 23 April 1756:
"You must bring down the Waggons and Horses that are there; and must call at Captain Smiths, and bring down what Stores belonging to the Country, are at that place."
Jeremiah Smith's house still stands. See picture of it when tapping the icon on the map. There are later additions to it. We believe there may have been a palisade fence surrounding it.
This served as a stopover between Fort Loudoun in Winchester and Fort Edwards (Capon Bridge WV). Jeremiah Smith is alleged to have been one of the few militia leaders who had success in an attack on the Indians at Lost River.
Another militia man was Robert Pearis whose fortified home was on today's Indian Hollow Road.
That militia man had success in another Indian attack.
At North River Mills it took place. See the map and story here.
Robert Pearis was the one who lead the successful attack on a French officer, Sieur D'ouville embeded with his Indian allies. Robert Pearis found on the killed neck of the French officer a set of orders to attack the depot at Conocheague and Fort Maidstone. This attack was at North River Mills. Colonel George Washington forwarded this militia group's request to Dinwiddie for them to be paid a bounty on the scalp of the Frenchman equal to the bounty paid for Indian Scalps. Some think Richard Pearis the more famous brother was on that attack, but Founders Online thinks it was Robert instead.
Rangers
He liked some Rangers such as William Cocks and the Rutherfords.
William Cocks was owner of the tavern at 21 S Loudoun St in Winchester VA and rented a room to GW for 1 year before he moved into Fort Loudoun 2 Dec 1756. He was also the Captain of the first 2 Ranger companies authorized by Lt Gov Dinwiddie in 1755.
William Cocks is the Cocks of Fort Cocks.
He’s also the first of two Captains of the first two Ranger Companies, Ashby being the other.
He’s also the same guy as Cocks Tavern in Winchester VA.
He’s also a commissar of the goods, working with Thomas Walker.
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There are a lot of different Cocks, Cocke, Cox all spelled differently.
This William Cocks mentioned above is not be confused with Thomas Cocke or Friend Cox.
Thomas Cocke is a Captain of one the Virginia Regiment Companies
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Friend Cox on the mouth of Sleepy Creek emptying into the Potomac.
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Note: We are still compiling this story.
We want to list all the Ranger Companies and their dates and general headquarters and some of their forays in the woods searching for the enemy. These dates and times will be added at a later date to this story.
And now to the letter:
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From George Washington to Robert Dinwiddie, 24 October 1757
To Robert Dinwiddie
To The Governor. Honble Sir.[Fort Loudoun] Octob. 24th 1757.
Your favour of the 19th instant was delivered to me this evening.
Need Rangers
The raising a company of Rangers,
or augmenting our strength
in some other manner, is so far necessary,
that without it,
the remaining inhabitants of this (once fertile and populous valley)
will scarcely be detained at their dwellings
’till the Spring.
GW always felt an Offense (send another expedition against Fort Duquesne)
was better than Defense.
And, if there is no Expedition to the westward then—
nor a force more considerable than Virginia can support,
posted on our frontiers
(if we still adhere to our destructive, defensive schemes)
there will not, next campaign I dare affirm,
be one soul living on this side the Blue-Ridge the ensuing autumn;
unless it be the Troops in Garrison,
and a few inhabitants of this town,
who may shelter themselves under the protection of this fort.
This I know to be the immovable determination of all the Settlers of this county;
which, to give a more succinct account of than I cou’d in writing,
was the principal among many other reasons
that induced me to ask leave to come down.
It was not to enjoy a party of pleasure
I wanted leave of absence:
I have been indulged with few of those,
winter or Summer!
I must here add;
that an incredible number of Inhabitants has fled
in consequence of the two last incursions of the Enemy,
[(]of which your Honor has already been advertised.)1
And that I have taken indefatigable pains,
and found it no easy task
to prevail on the bulk of the country
to wait the consultations of this winter,
and the event of this Spring.
I do not know on whom this miserable and undone people are to rely for redress—
If the Assembly are to give it to them,
it is time that measures were concerting—
if we are to seek it of the Commander in chief,
it is time our Grievances were made known to him:
for, as I before said,
another campaign, such as was the last, will depopulate this country.
Then, let the consequences be considered,
where are we to get supplies of provisions for our armies,
when this valley, which is the only support of them,
is entirely abandoned to an Enemy,
which by that means
ill be entirely possest of every thing necessary
to pursue their conquest:
and that the adjacent counties will fly much faster,
than this, not being half so well settled,
is a fact indisputable.
I shall also add,
what I did not in my last (lest it shou’d be thought I spoke from prejudice)
Get rid of Captain Hogg
that Capt. Hogg is the most unfit person in the world,
to raise and command a company of Rangers.
He in the first place is generally disliked—
were he not,
he has neither activity, spirit, or knowledge enough of the woods,
to answer this end.
And again; the men most proper
for such an undertaking,
would be backward to enlist under him,
fearing his discipline:
whereas, I conceive, a person in some degree
upon a level with themselves,
wou’d have it in his power to engage for the good pay which is offered:
We need Huntsmen
Huntsmen, who have been used to arms from their childhood,
and in a particular manner acquainted with the country from which many have been drove.
We need Rutherford
These are my reasons against Capt. Hogg,
and in behalf of some such person as Mr Rutherford—
to whom I have no particular attachment,
or desire to serve.
He refuses to accept of the second command.
I have expressed my sentiments upon this latter,
as well as the first affair,
with the utmost candour and sincerity;
in doing which I conceive I have done no more than my duty—
The whole is submitted to your Honors better judgment.
Our Indian Allies
Yesterday arrived here the Indians spoken of in the enclosed (copies of letters which came with them, to me.)2
I purchased four Horses, bridles and saddles, for £14 and send them off today,
escorted by an officer who is charged with the care of conducting them thro’ this Colony.3
The Cherokees that were on the Branch,
are on their return to their nation,
having left this for that purpose several days ago.
They met (about 8 miles beyond Ft Cumberland)
a party of Indians under command of a french cadet, whom they engaged;
the french cadet was killed and scalped—
his orders found—
which Captn Dagworthy detained
without even sending me a copy of them.
I understand however,
he was ordered to take a view of Fort-Cumberland,
and then proceed into the Inhabitants,
to kill,
captivate,
and lay waste
the country.4
Hamilton was a thief for a Commissary
Mr Kenedy I shall appoint in the place of Mr Hamilton.
I am your Honors’ most obedt hble Servt G:W.
P.S. Your Honor has not mentioned what pay the officers commissioned and non-commission’d, are to have.
I cou’d settle the provisions in dispute at Ft Cumberland,
with Doct. Ross upon no other terms than these:
He is to replace the flour and so much of the Beef as the marylanders used at this place,
and to pay for the flour and Beans—
The remainder of the Beef I must have transported to the Branch.
LB, DLC:GW.
Founders Online Footnotes:
1. “Advertised” is used in the sense of notified or advised.
2. GW is referring to his letter from William Denny, 9 Oct. 1757, enclosing a letter from Sir William Johnson to William Denny, 25 Sept. 1757.
3. See GW to James Roy, 23 Oct. 1757.
Founder Online Footnote 4.
About our Cherokee Allies
This is the party of
twenty Cherokee
who arrived in Winchester on 27 Sept. 1757.
On 29 Sept., after GW left to attend William Fairfax’s funeral
and before his return,
they departed for the South Branch.
A report from Annapolis dated 20 Oct.
about these Cherokee
was printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia), 3 Nov. 1757:
“We hear from Fort-Cumberland, that the Week before last, upwards of Twenty Cherokees marched from thence, and about Eight Miles above the said Fort, upon George’s-Creek, fell in with a Party of Shawanese and Delawares, and some French, with whom they had a Skirmish, which lasted about a Quarter of an Hour; the Cherokees kept the Field, and brought into Fort-Cumberland a French Ensign’s Scalp, and his Instructions, and several Match-Coats and Mockaseens.”
After their return to Winchester from Fort Cumberland where they were “Week before last” and before they left for home “several days ago,”
GW delivered to the party of Cherokee an address
that he wrote on the verso of the letter to him from Lewis Stephens, 20 Sept. 1757.
He endorsed it: “A Rough Schetch of a Speech made to the Indns Octr 1757,”
and docketed it, in his later hand,
“To The Cherokee Indns Octr 1757.”
The text of the speech is as follows:
“Brothers— “His Majesty’s agent for Indian Affairs is not here,
nor is there at present any of His assistants to Act in behalf—
It is necessary that some person should talk to you;
and the vast Love & Brotherly Affection
I always had and ever will retain for yr Nations
induces me under these Circumstances
to take that Task upon me
tho’ not properly authoris’d
it being my proper Bussiness to Fight & not to make Speaches.
“My Fond Heart overflows with Joy to see you
(who are doubly my Brothers as Cherrokees & Warriours)
returned in honr & safety from War
after acquiring the great Glory of
Vanquishg a Superour Number
of our perfidious false & cruel Enemies the French & Shawnese—
Tho’ that we had reason to beleive
you wou’d remain
three moons wt. us
in wch time Capn Gist
His Majestys Depy agent for Indians affairs
would have procur’d a very handsome reward
for yr Services &
had an Interpretor to Speake to you
But as I have no Body that can make you understand this,
and you seem Determined to leave us immediatly
I get these few goods for you
wch is all I could get
and begs you’ll accept of them
more as token of my strong Love &
unalterably Regard for you my Dear Friends
than as an adequate Reward for Great Services
of wch I & all your Brothers,
the English have the highest Sense of Gratitude
I hope your Success agt
our mutual & Barbarous Enemies the French & Shawnese
will be a fresh encitement to our Brors the Cherokees &
that we shall have the great pleasure
of seeing more of you here soon
and we will better provided wt. goods agt the arrival of yr next Parties[.]
I wish you safe to yr Nation and am wt. the greatest Sincerity.”
Source:
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