for Schenectady, without making any halt; and I hope by this time their transports may have enter'd Hudson's River. The New Jersey regiment arriv'd at Schenectady some days ago, as I have reason to hope all the heavy pieces of artillery did, which I have order'd to be immediately put on board the battoes prepar'd there for them, and transported with other military stores and part of the provisions to Oswego with that Regiment before the waters grow low. The two Companies of Sir William Pepperrell's regiment and one of the Independent Companies of New York have been some weeks at that Fort and employ'd in strengthening it and making it as defensible as the very weak state of it will admit in so short a time. Two other Companies of Pepperrell's have been several days detach'd to the Great Carrying Place near the Wood Creek in the way to Oswego, with orders to clear it of any French Indians which may be sent to obstruct the passage of the Creek by falling great trees across it, to guard the battoes as they pass thro' it, mend the roads for the more easy conveyance of the artillery, stores, and battoes over the Carrying Place, and making the passage of the battoes thro' the narrow parts of the Creek more practicable in the difficult places.

The battoes for transporting the forces have been all made and ready at Schenectady some time, together with the stores procur'd at New York and those purchas'd here, and the builders and workmen whom I have hir'd for building the vessells and boats to be employ'd on the Lake Ontario, which must be built at Oswego, have been sent there several weeks ago, and at work upon them; so that I hope to get them upon the Lake before I leave Oswego, which I look upon to be a point of great importance. I have procured seamen to navigate them, and the Officers appointed by the Commodore to command them are arriv'd from Virginia, and are gone with the stores for Oswego to have them rigg'd and fitted out with the utmost expedition. Part of my regiment is order'd to proceed with their baggage in battoes as soon as may be from Schenectady to Oswego, and having now set the forces for Crown Point in motion and settled the affairs of

my government as much as I can before I go, I shall set out the 24th Instant for Providence and imbark on board the Province Sloop for New York, from whence I shall proceed in 24 hours after my arrival for Albany up Hudson's River with the remainder of Sir William Pepperrell's regiment now at New York and some levies of my own, which are to join me there; and having settled every thing which remains to be determin'd between me and Colonel Johnson concerning the expedition to Crown Point under his command, and the forces to be employ'd in it, I shall pass on to Schenectady and proceed directly from thence to Oswego, with the remainder of the forces destin'd for that service; and having seen the vessells and boats to be employ'd on the Lake Ontario or at least some of them fitted out, or very near it, and gain'd what intelligence I can and the time will allow, of the situation of the French at Niagara, I shall proceed with all the forces artillery and stores there, as soon as may be.

The New England troops rais'd for the service at Nova Scotia were order'd, before I left Boston to repair thither on the 7th of April, in order to sail for the Bay of Funda, and about 2000 of them accordingly appeared there, and were imbark'd by the 22d of that month, and waited for the arms from England, which did not arrive at Boston until the 17th of May, being the day before my return thither from Virginia; the vessell in which they were sent happening to have a long passage of about ten weeks, so that the troops did not sail untill the 23d of May. Their stay the last month gave me uneasiness. Had I been upon the spot as there were 1000 stands of arms at Annapolis Royal and 800 might have been had here, tho' not so good as those sent from England, I should have chosen to have sent them away before; but I have reason to hope that they will succeed as it is. I have receiv'd an account, dated 15th instant from Col. Lawrence, of their arrival at Scheignecto on the 2d and that he concluded from not having received any news from thence, that they were by that time masters of the Isthmus, and was of opinion the reduction of the French Fort at St. Johns River would after that be an easy task, if the two French

34 Gun Frigates, which he had intelligence were in the Bay of Funda, for the protection as he supposed of that River, should not be too hard for our sea force there, which consisted of three twenty gun ships only, and a sloop of war. The news I received here four days ago of a French squadron being spoken with off Bank Vert near Newfoundland, full of soldiers standing for Louisbourg, gave me no small concern for the success of the expedition to Nova Scotia ; but it was reliev'd in two hours by an account of Admirals. Boscawen and Mostyn with eleven sail of the line being spoken with off St. Johns River at Newfoundland nine days. ago, close at the heels of the French, and having sent a letter to Capt. Aldrich the Commandant there, acquainting him that they were going to cruize off Louisbourg; otherwise the stay of the New England troops here the last month, might have ruin'd the attempt for recovering the Isthmus, if not occasion'd the loss of the whole Province.

The Acts pass'd lately in the several Colonies to prevent the exportation of provisions to Louisbourg, together with the embargo in Ireland, have greatly distress'd the French at Louisbourg and the effects must be soon felt in all their settlements in North America.1

A few days ago I had a letter from the General dated 20th of May from Fort Cumberland at Wills Creek in which he complains that the inexpressible disappointmts he hath met with, hath retarded his march a month beyond the time he at first intended; but by the advices I have since received from Govr. Morris and Govr. Dinwiddie, I hear he hath surmounted his difficulties, and it was judg'd would proceed the beginning of this month from Fort Cumberland for the French Fort called Fort Du Quesne upon the Ohio, which is computed to be from 90 to 110 miles distance from Wills's Creek, where very possibly he may be arriv'd by this time. and begun his attack, in which I have little or no doubt in my own opinion of his succeeding, tho' it is pretty certain the French have sent a reinforcement of 900 men (100 of

1 See Act of Massachusetts General Court, June 14, 1755, in Mass. Arch., and printed: N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 401.

them regular troops) and stores, very lately either to the Ohio or Niagara, and many of their battoes have pass'd by in sight of Oswego.

When I had the honour of conferring with His Excellency at Alexandria, he purpos'd to build some vessells at Presque Isle for securing the navigation of the Lake Erie; which if effected must, together with those designed for the Lake Ontario, make us masters of the Great Lakes and Ohio and the country there, until the French can get a superior force upon those Lakes, which it seems very difficult if not impracticable for 'em to do, when our vessells shall be cruizing upon them. I hear from Govr. Morris that at the General's request he hath establish'd a magazine of Provisions in the back parts of Pennsylvania, from whence he will be easily supply'd by a new road, which he, Mr Morris, is making thro' the mountains to the waters of the Ohio, and which the General proposes to him to extend to Veningo and Niagara; all which, if executed, must be of infinite use for marching the troops to and subsisting them upon the Ohio and at Niagara from a Colony more abounding with provisions than any at present in North America.

The General's presence and activity hath infus'd spirit into the Colonies concern'd in the attempt against Crown Poent, and by the Commission which he hath given to Colonel Johnson for taking upon him the management of the Indian Affairs, and the ready money he hath most opportunely advanc'd to him for engaging 'em in the English Intrest, he has greatly promoted that service. The expedition to Niagara this year is wholly owing to His Excellency's proposal of it.

I am now to acknowledge, Sir, the receipt of your letters dated the 23d and 24th of Jany, and 10th of February the contents of which are answer'd in the foregoing part of this letter, except that I beg leave to observe that in the last mentioned you seem to think that the soldiers in New England are enlisted for His Majesty's service in general terms, whereas it is at present impracticable to raise any number of them without acquainting them with the place of their im

mediate destination, nor will any born in these Colonies inlist to go to the Southward of Niagara, at furthest. The command under which they are to act, is likewise another very material point with them.

I beg leave further to observe Sir, that the common fund, which you seem to suppose to be provided by the several Governmts in the Colonies for the support of His Majesty's service will never be agreed upon by the Assemblies among themselves, tho' acknowledg'd to be necessary to all; that, and a plan of Union must be establish'd by an authority from home or neither of them will be effected; and this you will perceive by the inclos'd extract of the minutes of Council at Alexandria, is the opinion of the other Governors who were present there as well as my own. And if I might presume, Sir, to suggest my opinion further in this matter, nothing would be a firmer cement of His Majesty's colonies, or go further towards consolidating them in the support of his service and government there, and the defence of their common interests against a foreign power, than the establishment of such a fund and a plan of Union among 'em; nor do I think they would be difficultly recd by them from the Parliament.

You will perceive, Sir, by the inclosed copies of my message to the Assembly of my own government and their message in answer to it, upon the subject of their finding provisions for mine and Sir William Pepperrell's regiments, according to the directions of Genl Braddock's inclos'd letter, and paying their Quota of the levy money for the raising of them, that they refuse to do it.1

'Shirley's letter to the Committee of War as to Supplies for the Crown Point Expedition is in Mass. Arch., Col. Ser. 54, 467. Whether or not Shirley approved a threefold attack upon the French is not clear. It is probable that he would have preferred that the resources placed at Johnson's disposal should have been used for the Niagara expedition. At all events, he makes plain that the expedition was supported by Braddock's authority if not by British troops or money, with which he considers himself poorly supplied. If the Crown will not advance the funds, it must unite the colonies that they may support him.