the measures agreed upon against the French, of which in my principal Speech I shall give them some general Notices, should be laid aside, depend upon it, we shall loose them for ever, nay I fear if we are not successful their opinion of us will be very fatal for our Interest. If on the Contrary we should chastize the Insolence of the French, drive them from their Encroachments and maintain our Conquests, I dare prophecy with common prudence on our side, the French will not rule a Nation of Indians on the Continent, and the Inhabitants of these Colonies will reap a thousand fold for their present Expences, and enjoy their possessions in uninterrupted security. . . .

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO SIR THOMAS ROBINSON 2

SIR,

Boston, New England, June 20, 1755.

I had the honour to acquaint you in my last that Major General Braddock had inform'd me by letter from Williamsburg soon after his arrival in America, of the plan of operations he propos'd this year, vizt the attack of the French Forts upon the Ohio with the two British regiments, two of the New York Independent Companies and the Provincial troops of Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, amounting all of them to about 2400 men, under his own command; and the reduction of the French Forts at the Strait of Niagara with the two American new rais'd regiments, which service he

1 In a letter of June 15, Shirley had written Peter Schuyler that Lt. Col. Thomas Ellison, Johnson, John Henry Lydius and Schuyler were to confer upon the proper measures to be taken to convey the troops destined for Niagara in the expedition under Shirley's command. Manuscripts in N. Y. State Library (1909).

2 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 15. Printed: Docts. rel. Col. Hist. of New York, 6, 953; 2 Penna. Arch. 6, 245. With this letter Shirley forwarded copies of the Minute of the Council of Alexandria of April 14, Braddock's instructions and letter of April 16, his own message to the Massachusetts Assembly of June 13, and the answer of the General Court to that message, ante, p. 190, note,

See Shirley to Robinson, Mar. 24, ante, p. 144.

purposed to put under my command. The measures for removing the French from their incroachments upon the Isthmus of Nova Scotia and St John's River were as I had before acquainted you Sir, concerted, and the expedition. against the French incroachments at Crown point form'd, before the General's arrival. The business of my own Government (the General Court being sitting when I received His Excellency's letter) and in particular the disposition and orders relative to the two last mention'd expeditions, which were requisite to be settled before I left the Province in order to keep all the preparations going on in my absence, for carrying them into execution in case the General should approve of them at my interview with him, necessarily detained me from setting out from Boston untill the 30th of March. On the twelfth day of April I arrived at the Camp at Alexandria in Virginia, about 565 miles distance from this place, where I had the honour of meeting the General and the same day, after consulting with Commodore Keppell and myself, His Excellency determin'd upon the whole plan which consisted of the before mention'd operations upon the Ohio, at Niagara, in Nova Scotia, and Crown Point, to be executed as near as might be about the same time. The first part of the plan indeed, was in effect concluded upon, and several steps taken in it (the whole corps of the British Regiments, except two Companies, being march'd with their baggage and greatest part of the train of artillery for Winchester in their way to Wills Creek) before my arrival.

The attempt to remove the French from their incroachments in Nova Scotia and at Crown Point were, upon my communicating the propos'd schemes for effecting them, to the General, both intirely approv'd of by him; and an express was thereupon sent the same day, with his directions for Colonel Lawrence1 immediately to proceed in the former

1 Charles Lawrence was a member of His Majesty's Council in Nova Scotia in 1749. He became Administrator of the government, November 1, 1753; Lieutenant Governor, October 21, 1754, and Governor of the Province July 23, 1756. Major of the Royal

according to the plans concerted between him and me, without staying till the regiments in Nova Scotia should be compleated to 1000 men each for which he had lately received orders. The attempt of the reduction of the French Forts at Niagara with mine and Sir Wililam Pepperrell's regiments (as His Excellency had propos'd in his letter) was at the same time determin'd upon by him, and in order to secure the important pass there in the most effectual manner, it was agreed to have some vessells forthwith built to command the navigation of the Lake Ontario; the care of doing which the Commodore hath committed to me.1

According to this plan, the French will be attack'd almost at the same time in all their incroachments in North America; and if it should be successfully executed in every part, it seems highly probable that all points in dispute there with them may be adjusted this year, and in case of a sudden rupture between the two Crowns the way pav'd for the reduction of Canada, whenever it shall be His Majesty's pleasure to order it.

After I parted with the General, I found from the deficiency of Sir William Pepperell's levies, that there was no prospect of his raising more than 600 men by the time that the troops destin'd for Niagara must begin their march, and as two of the Companies of his regiment were order'd to be posted at Oswego upon an expectation that the French would attack it which will reduce them to 1400 men, and that force would in the general opinion as well as my own be too weak an one to secure the pass at Niagara; in my return thro' the Government of New Jerseys, I apply'd to the Assembly which was then sitting there, to permit the Regiment of 500 men, which they had lately voted to raise for the expedition against Crown Point, to join their forces under my command in the reduction of Niagara, and prevail'd with

American Regiment in 1750, he was advanced to the post of Colonel on Sept. 28, 1757, and became Brigadier General in America on Dec. 31 of the same year. He died Oct. 19, 1759.

1 Braddock's instructions to Shirley for the Niagara campaign are in A. H. Hoyt, Pepperrell Papers (1874), p. 20.

them and Govr Belcher to pass an Act for that purpose, by which means my troops were augmented to 1900.

As the diversion which must be occasioned to the French Forces in Canada by the attack of Niagara, must make a less force sufficient for the reduction of the French Fort at Crown Point than was at first determin'd to have been employ'd in it; before the attempt on Niagara was projected, I thought this regiment might be spar'd from the service at Crown Point; and the General hath since approv'd of this augmentation of the Niagara forces.1

It being generally apprehended that the troops under my command would be still too weak for the service at Niagara, as with that pass the French must lose the only practicable communication they have be[twe]en Canada and the Missisippi (that lying across the Lake Ontario from thence over the Strait of Niagara to Lake Erie, and over that into the River Ohio which falls into the Missisippi), and consequently all hopes of establishing themselves in the rich country behind the Apalachian Mountains, or of maintaining their extensive furr trade there, without both which Canada can be of but small value to them; so that it must be expected they will use their utmost efforts to defend it: this I say, Sir, being the general apprehension, at my return to Boston, the Assembly of my own Government pass'd a vote enabling me to employ as many of the troops rais'd within this Province for the service at Crown Point, as I should think proper in that against Niagara; leaving 3700 in the whole for Crown Point, and provided the men were willing to go with me and the other governments concern'd consented to it. Since which I have obtain'd the consent of all the other governments, but one.

With this reinforcement I shall not have an opportunity of acquainting the General in time to receive his approbation, before I set out for Niagara. But as 3700 men, in conjunction with 300 Indians which we have reason to depend

1 See note, Johnson to Shirley of June 19, ante, p. 195, and Shirley's letter to Johnson giving news from Braddock and other details, Johnson Manuscripts, 2, 3.

upon being engag'd in the expedition against Crown Point, is doubtless a much more adequate force now for the reduction of the French Fort there, than 5000 the utmost that was proposed before would have been when the whole strength that is left in Canada would have been muster'd at Crown Point to defend it against our attack; and are certainly a much more sufficient force for that service than 2400 (the whole of my troops, if they should be increased with 500 more) will be for gaining and securing the pass at Niagara, upon which depends the Southern Dominion now in dispute between us and the French, which is of infinitely more value than the Fort at Crown Point; I think there can be no doubt of his approving it.

In addition to these reinforcements I am in hopes of procuring a number of Indians to join with me at Schenectady and Oswego, which are necessary in the service for scouts, outguards in marches thro' narrow defiles, and to guard the battoes in their passage thro' the narrow parts of rivers and creeks, and gaining intelligence; and as the General could not spare me any part of his train of artillery, I have, with the pieces I have taken from Castle William in this Province, others which I have borrow'd of Governor De Lancey from New York, and some pieces of ordnance which I have caused to be cast within my own Government, collected a proper train for the service.

In my passage back to Boston thro' the several Governments concern'd in the expedition against Crown Point, I had an opportunity of settling several points among them. which retarded their movements in it; and I hope the troops destin'd for that service will be fitted out in proper time; they are most or all of them upon their march for Albany the place of rendezvous, and many of them arrived there and on the point of proceeding from thence towards Lake Champlain.

My own regiment began 13 days ago to march in divisions from hence to Providence in Rhode Island government where they were all imbark'd and sail'd five days since with a fair wind for Albany, thro' which they will directly march