Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 4).djvu/68

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64
BRADDOCK'S ROAD

tion became very plain by the middle of April, when the Governors of the Colonies met at his request at the camp at Alexandria to determine upon the season's campaigns. But it was not until later that he knew the full depths of his unfortunate situation. As early as March 18 Braddock wrote Sir Thomas Robinson a most discouraging letter, but on April 19, after the Governors' Council, another letter to Robinson shows the exact situation. As to the fund which the Colonies had been ordered to raise, the Governors "gave it as their unanimous opinion that such a Fund can never be establish'd in the Colonies without the Aid of Parliament."[1] They were therefore "unanimously of the Opinion that the Kings Service in the Colonies, and the carrying on of the present Expedition must be at a stand, unless the General shall think proper to make use of his Credit upon the Government at home to defray the Expense of all the Operations under his Direction."[1] In Braddock's

  1. 1.0 1.1 Minutes taken "At a Council at the Camp at Alexandria in Virginia, April 14, 1755." Public Records Office, London: America and West Indies, No. 82.