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. 9
asserted in so just a cause, I will defend to the last
remains of life.
Hitherto the difficulties I have met~with in marching
have been greater, than I expect to encounter on the
Ohio, when possibly I may be surrounded by the enemy,
and these difficulties have been occasioned by those,
who, had they acted as becomes every good subject,
would have exerted their utmost abilities to forward our
just designs. Out of seventy-four wagons impressed
at Winchester, we got but ten after waiting a week,
and some of those so badly provided with teams, that
the soldiers were obliged to assist them up the hills,
although it was known they had better teams at home.
I doubt not that in some points I may have strained the
law; but I hope, as my sole motive was to expedite the
march, I shall be supported in it, should my authority
be questioned, which at present I do not apprehend,
unless some busybody intermeddles.*
Your Honor will see by the resolves in council, that I
am destined to the Monongahela with all the diligent despatch in my power. We will endeavour to make the
road sufficiently good for the heaviest artillery to pass,
and, when we arrive at Red-stone Creek, fortify our" By the militia law of Virginia the commander could impress provisions, boats, wagons, draft-horses, utensils, tools, and the like, necessary
to facilitate military movements and operations. But no article could be
impressed, till its value had been appraised, and an estimate of the proper
allowance for its daily use had been made, by two reputable persons under
oath. A receipt for the same was then to be given in writing to the owner,
by the commanding officer. — Hening's Statutes at Large, Vol. VI. p. 114.
Under the difficulties of the service mentioned in the text, it was doubtless
not possible to comply literally in every instance with these formalities of
the law.
Although the troops now raised were volunteers, and enlisted for a
special purpose, yet they were'regulated in every respect by the militia
laws of the colony. This was the cause of great inconvenience and embarrassment to Washington afterwards, particularly in regard to discipline,
as the militia laws were extremely ill suited to an army in active service.
VOL. II. 2