Posted by Seamus on March 05, 2000 at 05:58:30:
In Reply to: The Crossing at Hunter posted by Cpl. MacWilliam on March 05, 2000 at 04:55:35:
: 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
Malcolm!
What a delight to receive your dispatch when I arrived back here at Augusta! My compliments, too to Capt. Croy, and to Privates MacGregor and Johnson. I think of them often, and am wondering...did the salve I sent them help with Private MacGregor's...um...er...ahh..problem? Malcolm! Colonel Armstrong's upcoming campaign is going to be an exciting one, indeed! He has nearly completed his recruitment, and we are to march to Fort Shirley, to the west of the Susquehanna, and from there we will begin our march to Kittanning. Eight companies of the colonel's 2nd Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment and one of woodsmen and rangers, numbering 307 men will undertake this expedition. We have received excellent intelligence from Col. Washington and Mr. Croghan about the layout of the village, and a map drawn for us by a Mr. Baker, who escaped from the place. He says there are upwards of 100 English prisoners there, Dear Cousin, and racks upon racks of scalps drying in the sun. We are to bring as many of those home as we can so they may be properly buried. I must confess, I am going to enjoy this attack more than I have enjoyed anything. The lust with which these savages have carried out their destruction on the poor settlers is hard to imagine. Why, Mr. Baker told of cruelties that turn even my old stomach. Old Girty's mother took up with a man and had a child by him, and Captain Jacobs took him in a raid, and after sending her and her children to DuQuesne, tied the man to the "Black Post" and allowed him to be run through with musket barrels heated red hot! The others are so disgusting I cannot relate them. I only hope my joy at revenge does not get in my way for looking out for myself and my comrades. I must temper my rage to a slow boil! The colonel's visit was quite delightful. I will follow the man anywhere. I hear tell that Pierre LeBlanc is near DuQuesne...perhaps he will meet the former Mrs. Girty. I am sure she would like him! I am sorry that Many Flags and Three tales cannot come with us...I know they would enjoy the sport!
Malcolm, when I returned here yesterday, the sweet dark-haired lass was outside the gate watching the trail from the north. When I came into view, she hiked up her skirt and RAN to me. Those fine slender ankles and lovely calves flashed in the sun, and her softness just bounced across the plain toward me! It created such stirrings...oh, my...I could hardly place one foot in front of the other...it was like I seemed to have stiffened up all over,and could not move! She sprung into my arms and held her softness against me, and...well, then, Malcolm, and THEN! She planted her lips on mine and KISSED me!!!! Oh, I think I am done for...I cannot describe what THAT did. I have had many a woman, dear cousin, set her sights and designs on me, as you and Cousin Davey Gunn know, and I will admit that I have sampled some of their charms, but I have never had these feelings...I think things are getting serious....Thank God I must go with the colonel and will be away from her for several weeks. Perhaps that will cool her ardor....and, again, perhaps not.
Seamus