“The Nature of the Country prevents all Communication with the French but by Indians, and their Intelligence is not much to be depended upon; they all agree the Number of French now in Fort Duquesne is very inconsiderable, but that they pretend to expect large Reinforcements.

“I have an Account of the arrival of the two thousand Arms for the New England Forces, and that they are sailed for Nova Scotia. Batteaus and Boats are preparing for the Forces destined to the Attacks of Niagara and Crown Point, but the province of New York, which by its situation must furnish the greater part, do not act with so much vigor as I could wish.

“In order to secure a short and easy Communication with the province of Pensilvania, after the Forces have pass’d the Alligany Mountains, I have apply’d to Governor Morris to get a Road cut from Shippensburg in that Province to the River Youghyaughani; up which he informs me he has set a proper Number of Men at work, and that it will be compleated in a Month: This I look upon to be an Affair of the greatest Importance, as well for securing future Supplies of Provisions, as for obtaining more speedy Intelligence of what passes in the Northern Colonies.[14]

“I wait now for the last Convoy and shall, if I do not meet with further Disappointments, begin my March over the Alleghaney Mountains in about five days. The Difficulties we have to meet with by the best Accounts are very great; the Distance from hence to the Forts is an hundred and ten miles, a Road to be cut and made the whole way with infinite Toil and Labor, over rocky Mountains of an excessive Height and Steepness, and many Stoney Creeks and Rivers to cross.”

Braddock’s army under Halket and Dunbar proceeded to Fort Cumberland from Alexandria by various routes. Governor Sharpe had had a new road built from Rock Creek to Fort Cumberland;[15] this was probably Dunbar’s route and is given as follows in Braddock’s Orderly Books:[16]

MILES
To Rock Creek[17]—
To Owen’s Ordinary15
To Dowdens15
To Frederick15
From Fredk on ye road to Conogogee17
From that halting place to Conogogee18
From Conogogee to John Evens16
To the Widow Baringer18
To George Polls9
To Henry Enock’s15
To Cox’s at ye mouth of little Cacaph12
To Col. Cresaps8
To Wills Creek16
——
174

Halket’s regiment went from Alexandria to Winchester, Virginia by the following route as given in Braddock’s Orderly Books:

MILES
To ye old Court House18
To Mr Colemans on Sugar Land Run where there is Indian Corn &c.12
To Mr Miners15
To Mr Thompson ye Quaker wh is 3000 wt corn12
To Mr They’s ye Ferry of Shanh17
From Mr They’s to Winchester23
—
97

At Winchester Halket was only five miles distant from “Widow Baringer’s” on Dunbar’s road from Frederick to Fort Cumberland.