The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

126 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [ET. 23.
at some convenient place in Virginia, as that in Maryland [Fort Cumberland], not to say any'thing of its
situation, which is extremely bad, will ever be an eyesore to this colony, and attended with more inconveniences than it is possible to enumerate. One instance
of this I have taken notice of, in a letter that accompanies this, and many more I could recite, were it
necessary.
If we take the field, there is not time to carry on a
work of this kind, but we should immediately set about
engaging wagons, horses, forage, pack-saddles, &c.
And here I cannot help remarking, that I believe it will
be impossible to get: wagons or horses sufficient, unless
the old score is paid off; as the people are really ruined
for want of their money, and complain justly of their
grievances.
I represented in my last the inconveniences of the
late act of Assembly, which obliges us first to send to
your Honor for a commission to hold general courtsmartial, and then to delay execution until a warrant can
be had from Williamsburg. I hope you will take the
thing into consideration. We have several deserters
now on hand, whom I have taken by rigorous measures,
and who should be made examples to others, as this
practice is continued with greater spirit than ever.
Unless clothing is soon provided, the men will be unfit
for any kind of service. And I know of no expedient to
procure clothes, but by sending to the northward, as
cloth cannot be had here. I left, among other returns,
an exact account of the clothing at every place, when I
was in Williamsburg. I shall not care to lay in provisions for more than a thousand men, unless I have
your orders. We have put out such of the beeves as
were unfit for slaughtering. If they survive the winter,
they may be useful in the summer.