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.

266 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. rZET. 25.
TO JOHN ROBINSON, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
OF BURGESSES.
Fort Loudoun, 25 October, 1757.
SIR,
I applied to the Governor for permission to go down
and settle my accounts before he leaves the country, and
to represent the melancholy situation of our distressed
frontiers, which no written narrative can so well describe, as a verbal account to a judicious person inclined
to hear. In conversation, the questions resulting from
one relation beget others, till matters are perfectly understood; whereas the most explicit writing will be
found deficient. But his Honor was pleased to deny
his leave, thinking my request unreasonable, and that I
had some party of pleasure in view.*
I have, in a letter to the Governor by this conveyance,
endeavoured to set in as clear a light as I am able, the
situation of our frontiers, and the disposition of the inhabitants; and I shall aim also, in as succinct a manner
as possible, to make you acquainted with the same.
The inhabitants of this fertile, and once populous valley, are now become our most western settlers, save the
few families that areforted on the Branch. The enemy
have, in a great measure, ceased committing hostilities
on the Branch, and fallen upon the people of this valley,
and a considerable part of them have already removed.
This, by persons unacquainted with the country, and
the enemy we have to deal with, may be attributed to
the cowardice of the inhabitants, or inactivity of the soldiers, but by others it will be imputed to neither. No
% In writing to the Governor, he also observed, — " It was not to enjoy
a party of pleasure, that I wanted leave of absence. I have been indulged
with few of those winter or summer."