The Crossing at Hunter

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: Cousin Seamus,
: 	I expect this message to be received by you before you leave with Col. Armstrong.  I have shared the message with Capt. Croy and he sends his regards and best wishes on this, your next campaign, to Kittanning.  There is no doubt that native allies of the French are massed in that area and their demise by Col. Armstrong and the Provincials will aid in the defence of the colonies.  May St. Andrew go with you, Cousin!  As to the 77th, with many "fallings in" we have finally found the shallow crossing area of the Susquehanna.  It is a bit south of the Fort at Hunter but north of John Harris's ferry crossing.  There were a few low spots but we loaded stone in the baggage wagons and filled those holes.  Our engineers have done a yeoman's job and now at no place along the crossing does the water come above our kilts.  General Forbes has ordered that we will cross tomorrow morning and head south west to the settlement of Carlisle.  We have had a message from Many Flags and Three Tales who have headed east along the Chilliaquaque to Fort Bosley.  After assuring themselves that all is safe there, they headed south to find the west branch of the Susquehanna and follow that to where it converges into the north branch at Fort Augusta.  You will have left on your mission for Kittanning by the time cousins Flags and Tales arrive.  They seem to have some kin near a place where Capt. Daniel Montgomery has settled and will be detained there on a short visit.  These kin are related to our Aunt Maggie's husband, the German immigrant, and I believe their name to be Sechler, living along the Sechler Run which flows into the west branch of the Susquehanna where Capt. Montgomery has settled.  This Montgomery, from what I understand from Many Flags, owns quite a large piece of frontier land in that area and I wonder if he is related to our own Col Archibald Montgomery.  Be that as it may, the 77th is now ready for our push west and lay out a line of forts as we march.  General Forbes' plan is to reach Carlisle, then head to a small settlement called Chambers Mill where we will cut a road through the wilderness parallelling Braddock's failed expeditionary road of three years past.  Brother Gunn and I do hope that your parting from the "intoxicating" lady was not too hard on your heart.  Speaking of intoxication, I must end this message as the lads are calling me for a few quaffs of rum.  Captain Croy has allowed us, the Grenadier company only, to enjoy a bit of drink, before we are off on the next leg of our journey.  Pvts. Johnson and MacGregor send their greetings to you and remind you to drink the health of that Frenchman you last told us about, Pierre LeBlanc.  God Save the King!
: Your Obed't and Humble Cousin, Malcolm MacWilliam, Cpl. of the Grenadier Company of the 77th  Reg't of Foot


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