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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Robert Dinwiddie to Thomas Robinson, Baron Grantham
Dinwiddie, Robert, 1693-1770
September 23, 1754
Volume 11, Pages 122-123

[From the Dinwiddie Papers Vol. 1st page 322 & 323.]
Governor Dinwiddie to Secretary Robinson.

Sept'r 23 (1754) per Capt. Whitwell.

R't Hon:

My last Let'r to You was the 15th ulto., w'n I wrote You our Forces at Will's Creek were about 900 Men: y't they had my Orders to march over the All'y Mount's, and if possible, to dislodge the French from the Fort they took from us last May (sic); if they found y't impractible, to call a Council of War, and choose a proper place for erecting a Fort, and place therein a proper No. of Men to defend the same, and to be ready for Act'n in the Spring. To my great Surprize, the Week following, I had Acc't y't all the Forces raised in No Carolina had disbanded themselves and marched home; the conduct'g of the Supply from y't Colony is with't Preced't. They raised 12,000 £. I wrote the President the

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Establishm't of the Pay of the regim't raised here: the Private Men at 8d. Per Day, and the officers, viz't: Colo., 15s., Lieut Colo., 12s. 6d.; Maj'r, 10s.; Capts., 8s.; Lieuts., 4s.; Ensigns, 3s.; Serg'ts, 1s. 6d.; Corporals and Drum's, 1s. Without Due Notice thereof, he gave the private Men, 3s. per Day, and the officers near the same, as in the reg't raised here. The Dillatoriness of their Forces marching, with the excessive high Pay to the Private Men, exhausted the 12,000 £, before they had properly jointed the other Forces, and without Assurances of the Continuance of s'd Pay, they w'd serve no longer, w'ch by no means c'd be complied with, as the other Men had only 8d. Per Day; at y't Pay they w'd not serve, so deserted in large Parties. This unforseen Affair put an end to my Scheme to march'g over the Allegany Mount's as there did not remain above 480 Men. The French is th't to have near 1,500 Men.