I had for some time Concluded in my own mind that there must be a Very Expeditious and Commodious passage for an Armament in whale boats down the River Iroquois to that side of the Island of Montreal which lies next the River St. Lawrence, whereby the Obstacles which Crown point lays in the way to it, thro' Lake Champlain are Avoided; And I had Yesterday the Satisfaction to have that Route for Attacking Montreal proposed to me by a very faithfull French man who hath lived many Years in the Jerseys, and knows the River Iroquois very well: which Article in Case of an Attack upon Montreal may be of Singlar Advantage. Mr. Johnson having several times mention'd to me that he hath no Allowance made him for the Execution of the trust of Cultivating the Friendship of the Indians and management of their Affairs for that purpose, which General Braddock Appointed him to by Commission in Consequence of his Majesty's Instructions: I take the Liberty to mention this Matter, Sir for his Majesty's Consideration it is a trust of wide Extent as well as great Importance, which will take up Mr. Johnsons whole time and Attention and be Attended with Expence to him, and I should be glad to have his Majesty's pleasure Signify'd to me upon that head, if Mr. Johnson is to draw his pay here. I am with the highest respect, Sir, Your most Humble and Most Obedient Servant, W. SHIRLEY. Rt. Honble. Sir Thomas Robinson Knt. of the Bath one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State Endorsed: New York Janry 12th. 1756 Majr. Genl. Shirley. R. March 10th. ROBERT DINWIDDIE TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY [Extract]1 Extract of a Letter from The Honble. Govr. I am in hopes of prevailing with the Catawbas and Cherokees to assist us with some of their Warriors; the latter have already taken up the Hatchet, and I have no great doubt but the Catawbas will do the Same; having sent two Commissioners from this, who are to be join'd by two from North Carolina, to go to these two Nations with a very handsome Present. One hundred and thirty Cherokees, with two hundred and fifty of our Rangers are under Orders to attack the Shawanese in their Towns; these People have been very troublesome, by robbing and murdering many of our back Settlers-If Success attends this Expedition, I conceive it will be of great Service in reclaiming many of our Friendly Indians from the French and will raise the Spirits of other Indians to join us when they see the Southern Indians have taken up the Hatchet. Endorsed: a true Copy WM. ALEXANDER Secy. Extract of Govr. Dinwiddie's Letter to his Excellency Genl. Shirley. dated 23d Janry. 1756. 1 Inclosed in Shirley to Fox, March 8, 1756 (second letter). A copy is in the Library of Congress. On Jan. 19 Secry. Willard had written Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire, warning him of a probable Indian attack in the north (N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 471). See also Robert Burton and John Bradstreet to Shirley, Jan. 23 (Docts. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 7, 39), for French preparations for an attack. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO STEPHEN HOPKINS1 SIR, Boston, February 2d, 1756. I am favored with Your Honor's letter of the 16th of January, informing me that you had laid before the Assembly within your government, the scheme I had communicated to you, when I had the pleasure of seeing Your Honor, at Albany, for making an attempt, this winter, for the reduction of Crown Point, and their great readiness to join in it upon the terms proposed to them by you. In answer to this, I am to acquaint Your Honor, that since I left Albany, Sir Charles Hardy and Governor Fitch 2 have laid the scheme for prosecuting the above mentioned expedition upon the terms I last proposed before their respective Assemblies; and that though neither of those governments objected to their part of the expense, as proposed in the last mentioned terms but expressed great readiness to join in it; yet such difficulties in other respects have arisen from both, as renders the prosecution of it impracticable, so that I have been obliged to drop the thoughts of it. I now enclose Your Honor a copy of some intelligence sent me by express from Albany, which I received yesterday, and seems to demand the attention of all the colonies concerned in the expedition against Crown Point, and to show the necessity of their preparing with the utmost despatch and unanimity for prosecuting it in the most effectual manner, the ensuing spring; which I can't but hope they will. I can't determine upon the raising of the two American regiments I talked of at Albany, till I hear from England, which I hourly expect. I am, with a most real esteem and regard, sir, To the Hon. Stephen Hopkins, Esq. 1 R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 473. 2 Gov. Thomas Fitch of Connecticut. HORATIO SHARPE TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY 1 SIR, Annapolis Febry. 2d, 1756. Within these three or four Days I have receiv'd several Letters from the Magistrates in different parts of this Province informing me that those of his Majesty's Officers, who have been order'd hither to recruit have lately receiv'd your positive Instructions to inlist without Exception or Distinction all Apprentices and Servants that they can perswade to enter into the Service; that the Inhabitants having a great part of their Property vested in Servants oppose the Execution of such Instructions; that on such Opposition Violences have been committed, and that unless their Cause of Complaint be remov'd an Insurrection of the People is likely to ensue: The Magistrates as well as myself have and shall endeavour to prevent Mischief, but as the Officers are determin'd2 to persist, I cannot promise that the People will be restrain'd from expressing their Resentment by Actions; I think it my Duty to make this Representation to your Excellency, and hope you will not be averse to countermanding such Orders, otherwise I shall find myself under a Necessity of exerting the Power, with which I am invested to preserve the Peace of the Province. With great Regard, I am, Your Excellency's most Humble and Obedient Servant, HORO. SHARPE 3 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Fox, Mar. 8 (first letter). 2 The copy of this letter in Arch. of Md. 6, 342, reads from this point: "to persevere unless they are countermanded I think it my Duty to acquaint your Excellency with this Affair and to intimate to you my Fears and that I shall find myself under a necessity, (if a Stop be not put to such Proceedings) of making a Representation home on this subject." 3 In response to this letter, the following was issued: "To all Officers employed in raising of Recruits for any of his Majesty's Regiments in North America. "It is his Excellency General Shirley's Orders if amongst the Letter from Govr. Sharpe to General Shirley dated Febry. 2d, 1756. in Majr. Genl. Shirley's Letter of March 8th, 1756. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS 1 1 GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I am obliged to put you in Mind of the State and Circumstances of the Garrisons at Fort William Henry and Fort Edward, left there when the rest of the Forces raised for the Expedition against Crown Point were disbanded. At a Meeting of the Governors, then at Albany, with the Commissioners from the Governments of the Massachusetts and Connecticut, held there the 20th of November last, it is determined that Six Hundred Men (or such further Number as should be afterwards agreed on) should be left to defend those Forts, to be detained no longer than their respective Enlistments: The Proportion of the Massachusetts Troops to 750 Men (the Number afterwards stated,) was Two indented Servants you may have enlisted any of them are willing to return to their Masters; that you are to destroy their Attestations, provided the Masters to whom such Servants belong do furnish an able Bodied Man fit for the Kings Service, in lieu of every Servant they get back: See Arch. of Md. 31, 106. ROGER MORRIS 1 In manuscript of Josiah Willard, French Collection, Massachusetts Historical Society. |