Pendleton had no estate in the county, and kept an ordinary. As to Lewis, whatever his fault may have been, he "deserves no commission from me," says the angry Governor. Moreover, Thomas Estis and Aaron Bledstone had been appointed captains, although they were insolvent and not able to pay their levies. "This conduct," says the Governor, "is prostituting my commissions entrusted with you, and pray what gentleman of character will role with such persons that have neither land nor negroes"!
The Governor's last letter to Major Lewis is dated December, 1757. In this parting shot, he denounced again the "many villainous and unjust accounts" sent in from Augusta. He said: "Preston and Dickinson are rangers, and so must Captain Hogg's; but I don't agree to have any militia in pay, for they have hitherto been pick-pockets to the country."
Here we take leave of rare Governor Dinwiddie. He took his departure from the country, in January, 1758. On account of the historical value of his letters we could have better spared a better man.
The vestry of Augusta parish had established a "chapel of care" at the forks of James river, and paid Sampson Mathews a small salary for his services as reader at that point; but in the fall of 1757, the greater part of the inhabitants thereabouts "having deserted their plantations by reason of the enemy Indians," it was resolved that the chapel referred to was unnecessary, and the services of the reader were discontinued.
At the same meeting, it appearing that the glebe buildings had not been completed, it was ordered that suit be brought against the contractor, Colonel John Lewis. Our ancestors believed in law-suits, and were no respecters of persons. For a year or more the vestry were engaged in litigation with another prominent citizen, Robert McClanahan, who had been High Sheriff and collector of the parish levy, without accounting therefor, it was charged.
