the Council of your Government. If Colonel Innes's account is right, it is fatal News indeed; but I think there is room to hope from the account of the Disposition of General Braddock's Army given in the Letter contain'd in Governor Sharpe's; and one from the General himself to me dated from Bear camp the 22d of June, wherein he tells me, that he was advanc'd with 1100 pick'd Men; that at the worst it is only part of the General's Army that is defeated, and that Col. Dunbar had not join'd him, and very possibly, Sir John Sinclair was not with him. In Short, I hope for a better account by the next Advices, as Col. Innes seems to have wrote in an Hurry, and does not mention by whom he recd. his Intelligence: It is nevertheless prudent to act with the same Circumspection, as if the News were true. I shall set out from hence to morrow for Schenectady, and march with the last Division but one of my Forces the Day following, for Oswego, where I expect to be detain'd some little time: Advices sent by Express directed to Mr. Stephenson of this Place Merchant, will be dispatch'd after me to Oswego or Niagara; and as sending any important Intelligence from the General's Camp with the utmost Speed may be of Consequence to his Majesty's Service. I hope your Govt. will be pleas'd to order what they may receive from them to be transmitted to me. Be pleas'd to make my Compliments to Govr. Morris, upon his Return to Philadelphia, and let his Honour know I ask the same Favour of him. I am, Your most Humble Servant [To Richard Peters.] W. SHIRLEY.1 P.S. Excuse my detaining your Express so long; I could not avoid it. 1 Shirley sent a second letter on July 24 to the same effect. It is in the Archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and is as follows: ROBERT DINWIDDIE TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY 1 SIR, Williamsburg, Virginia, July 29th, 1755. I doubt not before this you have heard of the unexpected Defeat of our Forces on the Banks of Monongahela under the Command of General Braddock, of his death and many more brave Officers etc. I send you also a Copy of Mr. Orme's and Col. Washington's Letter on that unlucky Affair; as also a List of the Officers kill'd and Wounded: This News gave me a most sensible Concern as I never doubted of the Success of our Arms on the Ohio, as I think we were more numerous than the Enemy, besides having so large a Train of Artillery. But the Battle we may observe is not to the strong, nor the Race to the Swift. On this misfortune I considered we had four Months of the best Weather in the Year to retrieve our Loss (we have very little Winter here before Xmas) I therefore wrote my thoughts and Opinion to Col. Dunbar; Copy thereof you have here inclosed; on the Death of the General the suDEAR SIR, I receiv'd your second Letter late last night for which I am much oblig'd to You. I am just now setting off for Schenectady and can only observe that as I never imagin'd but that the first account you sent me of the General's Engagement had been much exaggerated by Mr. Innes's hurry and Surprize so I can't but hope the next account will be more favourable still and that the General may recover his Artillery with the force Col. Dunbar had behind. Your first Express did infinite Mischief by spreading the Report as he came along. I could wish Caution might be given to these People not to prate. I am Albany July 24, 1755 Richd. Peters Esqr. Sir, Your most Humble Servt. W. SHIRLEY. 1 P. R. O., C. Ó. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson of Aug. 11. See also Colonial Records of North Carolina, 5, 429, and the Pennsylvania Magazine of History, 20, 409; 23, 310; 26, 499. preme Command devolves upon you, I therefore thought it necessary to send you a Copy of that Letter, believing Col. Dunbar would do nothing without your Orders. Our Assembly meets next Tuesday when I have no doubt of their qualifying me to reinforce him with 4 or 500 Men if you approve of my Plan. It's very probable that the French will sit down easy and expect no further Attempts this Year, and it's likely that many of them will go to Canada, if so, I hope the Vessels on Lake Ontario will give a good Account of them. If you should not approve of my Proposal, I hope you will Order Col. Dunbar and the Forces to remain on our Frontiers to defend His Majesty's Colonies from the Insults and Devastation of the Enemy; for if he should leave our Frontiers, it's more than probable they will come over the mountains and rob and murder our People. There has already been many flying Parties of French and Indians, that have murdered forty of our People, rob'd them of what they had and burn'd their Houses; I immediately Ordered three Companies of Rangers to go on our Frontiers to resist their Insults, with Orders to kill all the French Indians they met with. I do not doubt but you will be of Opinion with me, that Something should be immediately done, and that the Forces remaining are not to sit down quietly after the Loss we have sustained but if the Panic that seized the private Soldiers should be removed, after a Month's Refreshment and recovery of their Spirits they may be able to retrieve our Loss, but this I leave to Your superior Judgment. I think if we remain easy under this Loss it will give great Spirits to the Enemy, and therefore am of Opinion that something should be done while they remain in Security thinking no more will be attempted this Year, they may be the sooner vanquish'd. I send this Express on purpose for your Orders and Instructions on this emergent Occasion and hope you will give him quick dispatch and no doubt your Orders will be complyed with. I hope this will find you in possession of the Fort at Niagara and shall be glad to hear General Johnson prevailed with the Six Nations to take up the Hatchet against the French, and that he is on his march to Crown Point. We cannot expect to be fortunate in all our Plans of Operations, but the Success of his Majesties Arms in Nova Scotia gives us great pleasure and in some measure eleviates [sic] the great loss at Monongahela. The loss of our Artillery is monstrous, as no doubt the Enemy will turn them against us, I know not how much of them are lost but I think if Col. Dunbar had made a Stand at the Meadows, the Enemy wou'd not have attack'd us in an open Field; But I hear he destroyed every thing that was there, Provisions and all, and marched into Fort Cumberland. As he is esteemed a good Officer, no doubt he had good reasons for so doing; but I am fully convinced, they would not have attacked him there. The People in this Dominion are greatly alarmed and I have good reason to think they will do every thing in their power to forward a second Attempt against the Enemy. I shall wait with great Impatience for the return of this Express, as the future designation of the Forces is entirely with You, I therefore hope you will give the Messenger all possible dispatch. Wishing you Health and Success in all Your Operations, I remain with great Esteem, and due Respect. Your Excellency's Most Obedt. humble Servt A true Copy Exam'd by ROBT DINWIDDIE. WM ALEXANDER Secy. Endorsed: Copy of a Letter from the Honble Robert Dinwiddie Esqr to His Excellency Major General Shirley dated the 29th July 1755. in Majr Genl. Shirley's Letter of Augt. 11th, 1755. PROCEEDINGS OF A COUNCIL HELD IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK [Extract]1 PRESENT The Honble James De Lancey Esqr Lieut Govr. etc. Mr Alexander Mr Kennedy Mr Murray Mr Holland Mr Chambers The Board also took this Opportunity to represent to his Honour the great Concern they were under to hear that the Army was going into Quarters, for that it will probably give the French Army at Fort Duquesne or the greatest part of them an Opportunity to march with the Artillery they have taken from General Braddocks Army, to reinforce the Garrison at Niagara, and thereby endanger the Success of the Expedition intended against that Fortress, and perhaps risque the Fort of Oswego, a post of the last Importance on the Lake Ontario: and as the Season is not yet so far spent, but a great part of the Army late under the Command of General Braddock, may as yet march into this Province, in order to reinforce or sustain his Majesty's Troops under the Command of Major General Shirley at Oswego, or the Provincial Forces under Major General Johnson at Crown Point, they humbly Conceive they may be of much more use in this way than in Quarters. And the Board are the rather of this Opinion because from the situation of places they apprehend the French may be attacked and driven from all the Incroachments, with the greatest advantage by the way of Oswego or Crown Point. And therefore it should seem that not only the Kings Forces to the Southward, but also II. 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Aug. |