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.

PART I.] THE FRENCH WAR. 149
cent and guilty; for it is extremely hard, that the whole
corps should suffer reproaches for the inadvertence and
misconduct of a few. *
The deplorable situation of this people is no more to
be described, than my anxiety and uneasiness for their
relief. You may expect, by the time this comes to
hand, that, without a considerable reinforcement, Frederic county will not be mistress of fifteen families.
They are now retreating to the securest parts in droves
of fifties. In short, every thing has too melancholy an
appearance for pen to communicate. I have therefore
sent an officer, whose good sense and judicious observations will be a more effectual way of transmitting an
account of the people's distresses.
I wish the Assembly had given two thousand, instead
of fifteen hundred men, and that I had been acquainted
with the dispositions they intended to make. Since I
am ignorant of these, I hope it will not be thought presuming in me to offer my sentiments upon the subject.
We are, Sir, first to consider, that, if a chain of forts
is to be erected upon our frontiers, it will be done with
a design to protect the people; therefore, if these forts' His orders for preserving discipline must be allowed to have been
sufficiently rigid. The following is a specimen.
"Any commissioned officer, who stands by and sees irregularities committed, and does not endeavour to quell them, shall be immediately put
under arrest. Any non-commissioned officer present, who does not interpose, shall be immediately reduced, and receive corporal punishment.
"Any soldier, who shall presume to quarrel or fight, shall receive five
hundred lashes, without the benefit of a court-martial. The offender, upon
complaint made, shall have strict justice done him. Any soldier found
drunk shall receive one hundred lashes, without benefit of a court-martial."
To the major of his regiment he wrote on another occasion; -" Your
own good sense has sufficiently prompted you to study the nature of your
duty; but at the same time permit me, as a duty incumbent on myself, to
recommend in the strongest terms to you the necessity of qualifying yourself by reading for the discharge of the duty of major, a post which requires
a thorough knowledge of the service, and on the due execution of which
your own credit, as well as that of the regiment, greatly depends."
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