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. 285
I beg you will inform the General, that I shall, with
great alacrity, obey all the orders, with which he may
honor me. In the mean time, I am, with unfeigned regard, dear Halket, yours, &c.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL.
Williamsburg, 28 May, 1758.
SIR,
I came here at this critical juicture, by the express
order of Sir John St. Clair, to represent in the fullest
manner the posture of our affairs at Winchester, and to
obviate any doubts, that might arise from the best written narrative. I shall make use of the following method,
as the most effectual I can at present suggest, to lay
sundry matters before you, for your information, approbation, and direction. And I hope, that, when your
Honor considers how we'are situated, and the importance of despatch, you will please to give me explicit
and speedy answers, on the several points here submitted.
First, Sir John St. Clair's letter will, I apprehend,
inform you of our principal wants, namely, arms, tents,
and other sorts of field-equipage,-articles so absolutely
and obviously necessary, as to need no argument to
prove, that the men will be useless without them, and
that the vast sums of money, expended in levying and
marching them to the place of rendezvous, will be entirely lost, besides impeding if not defeating the expedition.
Secondly, the officers will be unprovided with the
means of taking the field, till they have an allowance
made them of baggage, forage, and bat-money. Governor Dinwiddie, from what cause I could never yet learn,