Re: Virginia Troops

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: Hey folks,

: The efforts of Virginia to counteract French claims to the Ohio country and the economic dominance of Pennsylvania traders was the primary cause of the escalation of low level hostlities into war.  Both Gist and Washington used their status in the Virginia military to promote the aims of the Ohio Company, a company formed to take posession of lands in the Ohio country which Virginia claimed as part of their charter.

: Virginia troops were with Braddock, who treated them with as much contempt as he did the Indians.  They were also at Grant's Defeat which took place in nearly the same locale.  The Virginians were looked upon by the British as the epitome of the worst of provincial troops in both appearence and behavior.  If they had been able to ignore both qualities there is no doubt that both defeats may not have ocurred.

: It was the losses of Pennsylvania's "suffering traders" at the beginning and during the war that led to the formation of a rival land company after the war was over which was named the Indiana Company. This company looked to create a new territory, Vandalia, based on Croghan's claim of a grant of land by the Indians, and upheld by the Treaty of Fort Stanwix.  The Indiana Company was ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts because of the better claims of Virgina and the effect of the Revolution.  However, the end result was the land was sold out from under the Delaware and Shawnee, who contested that sale and the settlement by Europeans in the upcoming years.

: (F. Jennings, "Empire of Fortune," G. Lewis, "The Indiana Company:  1763-1798," C. Hale Sipe, "Fort Ligonier and Its Times," H. Bouquet, "Bouquet Papers."

: Regards,
: Victoria
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