Setting the stage
I mentioned last time that I had been unable to find information on Col. Thomas Prather Jr.'s service during the French and Indian War. I dug around a little more and found a the Prather Genealogy website, which has a listing for Thomas. It states that Thomas served as a 2nd Lt. in Capt. A. Beals Co. from 1757-58 and as a 1st Lt. in Capt. Ware's company in 1759. The listing also mentions that Thomas commanded the militia of Frederick County, Md. during the French and Indian War, though it lists no dates. No citations are given as the source of this information, and a limited search of the Maryland State Archives online turned no extra information. I may not have looked in the proper place, though. An interesting note in his listing states that he received several letters from George Washington that are archived in the Library of Congress genealogy department. I note that some material is available online, and I'll try to see if I can find anything. One other note: I menti...