Page:History of Cumberland, Maryland 2.djvu/271

1758.] AV ESTIMATE OF THE EXPENSE OF CLEARING ROAD FROM FORT FREDERICK TO FORT CUMBERLAND, AND THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT STAGES : £ B d For clearing a Road from Fort Frederick to Licking creek, 3} miles From Licking creek to Prakes^s creek, 8} miles. 12 From Prakes's creek to Sideling Hill creek, 12 miles 16 For a bridge over Sideling Hill creek 60 From Sideling Hill creek to Fifteen Mile creek, 4 miles 22 From Fifteen Mile creek to Town creek, 15 miles 140 From Town creek to Col. Cresap^s, a good road, 4 miles From Col. Gresap's to Fort Cumberland, wants no clearing, 15 miles £250

Tour committee are of opinion that a Road through Maryland will contribute much to lessen the expense of carrying Provision and warlike stores from Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland, and will induce many people to travel and carry on a trade in and through the Province, to and from the back country.

This road was eventually constructed. Washington returned to Mount Vernon, from Fort Duquesne, where he was married to Mrs. C ustis, and settled down to domestic pursuits.

After the capture of Fort Duquesne, a small force of British troops was returned to Fort Cumberland, and continued there as a garrison, the Maryland Assembly having manifested a decided disinclination to incur the expense of keeping it up. The King's officers did not feel at liberty to abandon it, since it was a King's Fort, and might be useful in preventing Indians from descending upon the settlements in force, without being observed. As a matter of fact, however, the garrison was useless, it being so weak in point of numbers that the men hardly dared go out of sight of the Fort. Hostile savages drove the people from their homes, killing many and destroy- ing their property. Colonel Cresap, whose house