_Le Chevalier de Peyronney_.
I had much cause to feel grateful for such friends, and I may here add
that, as concerns Van Braam, I had his censure reversed when I myself
became a member of the House of Burgesses.
As soon as possible after bringing my affairs into order, I set out,
determined to lose no chance to perfect my military education.
At Fredericktown I met the general, and on May 10 was announced in
general orders as aide, with brevet rank of captain. I rode thence in
advance to Winchester, where I had need to send a servant to borrow
fresh horses from my friend Lord Fairfax, who himself came later from
Greenway Court to meet me and rode with me about one hundred miles
to Wills Creek, near to which was Fort Cumberland, so named for the
captain-general.
On the last day of our ride, as we rode on over, I do believe, the
most abominable roads in the world, I described to his lordship the
array of well-drilled men, sailors, artillery, etc., I had seen
at Alexandria, landed from Admiral Keppel’s fleet, and said, if I
remember, that it was a great advantage to serve under a gentleman of
General Braddock’s abilities and experience, and that as to any danger
from the enemy, I considered it as trifling, for I believed the French
would be obliged to exert their utmost strength to repel the attacks
about to be made on their forts at Niagara and Crown Point.