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.

ET. 22.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 59
of the climate, and with an army destitute of supplies,
feeble in numbers, and worn down by fatigue, Colonel
Washington wrote a letter of strong remonstrance to
a member of the governor's Council, representing the
absurdity and even impossibility of such an enterprise.
His regiment wa/s reduced by death, wounds, and sickness. He was ordered to obtain recruits, but not a
farthing of money had been provided. He was ordered to march, but his men had neither arms, tents,
ammunition, clothing, nor provisions, sufficient to enable
them to take the field, and no means existed for
procuring them. It is enough to say, that the scheme
was abandoned.
The governor was destined to struggle with difficulties, and to have his hopes defeated. The Assembly
were so perverse, as not to yield to all his demands,
and he never ceased to complain of their "republican
way of thinking," and to deplore their want of respect
for the authority of his.office and the prerogative of
the crown. He had lately prorogued them, as a punishment for their obstinacy, and written to the ministry,
that the representatives of the people seemed to him
infatuated, and that he was satisfied "the progress of
the French would never be effectually opposed, but
by means of an act of Parliament to compel the colonies to contribute to the common cause independently
of assemblies." When the burgesses came together
again, however, he was consoled by their good nature
in granting twenty thousand pounds for the public service; and he soon received ten thousand pounds in
specie from the government in England for the same
object.
Thus encouraged he formed new plans, and as the
gift of ten thousand pounds was under his control, he
could appropriate it as he pleased. He enlarged the