ington. The reports from Winchester were greatly exaggerated, and the alarm in that quarter soon subsided; but some new cause of anxiety had arisen in Augusta. On the 5th of May the Governor wrote to Lewis, in a very sulky mood. He was surprised at "the supineness of the people of Augusta," who were "intimidated at the approach of a few Indians," and most shamefully ran away. "They are always soliciting for arms and ammunition. Of the first," said the Governor, " I have none, and powder and lead they have been supplied with more from me than any six counties in this Dominion, and as they have not exerted themselves in any action against the enemy I fear those supplies have been misapplied, but still if they want a little powder I can supply them if they will send for it, as the other counties do, but I have no lead." That unfortunate wagon lost by Colonel Patton the year before, was still on the Governor's mind, and he declares that the county must pay for it. Colonel Jefferson, of Albemarle (father of President Jefferson), was ordered to take half of his militia to Augusta; but Lewis was on no account to remain here. He was, with all possible dispatch, to proceed to the Cherokee country and build the fort there. No time was to be lost. Captain Hogg would assist the people of Augusta. It was hoped that the Cherokees were on the march to Winchester.
We do not know in what part of the country this alarm arose. Probably it was the disaster at Edward's fort, April 18th, mentioned in a note on page 111. Volume I, 'Dinwiddie Papers. This note states that Edward's fort was on the Warm Springs mountain, now Bath county, but Kercheval, who was more likely to be accurately informed, says it was on Capon river, between Winchester and Romney. In 1756, according to the. note referred to, but in 1757, according to Kercheval, thirty or forty Indians approached the fort and killed two men who were outside. Captain Mercer, at the head of forty of the garrison, sallied out in pursuit of the enemy, but fell into an ambush, and he and all his men, except six, were slain. One poor fellow, who was badly wounded, lay for two days and nights before he was found, the whites not venturing sooner to collect and bury the dead.
The apprehension of the people, and the unwillingness of the men to enlist in the army, were naturaal and unavoidable. Au-
