service peculiarly irksome and embarrassing
to Washington, was the nature of his correspondence with Governor
Dinwiddie. That gentleman, either from the natural hurry and confusion
of his mind, or from a real disposition to perplex, was extremely
ambiguous and unsatisfactory in most of his orders and replies. In
nothing was this disposition to perplex more apparent than in the
governor's replies respecting Fort Cumberland. Washington had
repeatedly urged the abandonment of this fort as a place of frontier
deposit, being within the bounds of another province and out of the
track of Indian incursion; so that often the alarm would not reach
there until after the mischief had been effected. He applied, at
length, for particular and positive directions from the governor on
this head. "The following," says he, "is an exact copy of his answer:
'Fort Cumberland is a _king's_ fort, and built chiefly at the charge
of the colony, therefore properly under our direction until a new
governor is appointed.' Now, whether I am to understand this aye or no
to the plain simple question asked, Is the fort to be continued or
removed? I know not. But in all important matters I am directed in
this ambiguous and uncertain way."

Governor Dinwiddie subsequently made himself explicit on this point.
Taking offence at some of Washington's comments on the military
affairs on the frontier, he made the stand of a self-willed and
obstinate man, in the case of Fort Cumberland; and represented it in
such a light to Lord Loudoun as to draw from his lordship an order
that it should be kept up, and an implied censure of the conduct of
Washington in slighting a post of such paramount importance. Thus
powerfully supported, Dinwiddie went so far as to order that the
garrisons should be withdrawn from the stockades and small frontier
forts, and most of the troops from Winchester, to strengthen Fort
Cumberland, which was now to become head-quarters. By these meddlesome
moves all previous arrangements were reversed, everything was thrown
into confusion, and enormous losses and expenses were incurred.
Governor Dinwiddie had never recovered from the pique caused by the
popular elevation of Washington to the command in preference to his
favorite, Colonel Innes. His irritation was kept alive by a little
Scottish faction, who were desirous of disgusting Washington with the
service, so as to induce him to resign and make way for his rival.
They might have carried th