Esqr Governour and in his Absence to the Committee of War of that Colony for a Sufficient Number of Soldiers to be raised and sent by that Government to Stockbridge and Pontoosuck for the Protection and Defence of the Inhabitants of those Places in their Pay and Subsistance; and you are fully to represent the Necessity of this Measure as it will afford equal Protection to the Frontiers of that Colony as to those of this Province; you must urge their Complyance herewith in Consideration of the great Charge which Yearly arrises in this Province for its Defence; Return of your proceedings herein to be made into the Secretarys Office at Boston.

In testimony whereof I have Caused the public Seal of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay aforesaid to be hereunto Affixed; Dated at Boston the seventeenth day of March 1756: In the twenty ninth Year of his Majestys Reign.

By his Excellencys Command.

W. SHIRLEY.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO JOHN WINSLOW 1

1

By His Excellency William Shirley Esqr.
Capt. General Governor and Commander
in Chief in and over the Province of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England.

Instructions to John Winslow Esqr. Commander in Chief of all the Forces raised or to be raised within the Province

1 Copy inclosed in Loudoun to Henry Fox, Aug. 19, 1756. P. R. O., C. O. 5, 47, 121. On Mar. 29, 1756, Governor Shirley had written from Boston to Chief Engineer James Montresor in reference to the expedition against Crown Point:

"I now therefore desire Sir, that you will so dispose of the Brigade of Engineers, that I may have one or two for Crown Point, and a sufficient number for the Expeditions that may be carried on at and from Oswego." This letter to Winslow was written about the same time. See Wentworth to the Assembly of New Hampshire and its report as to troops for Crown Point, N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 487, 502, 505.

of the Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, New Jerseys, and Rhode Island, or other Provincial Troops from any of the Neighbouring Governments for the defence and Protection of His Majesty's Territories from any further encroachments of the French at Crown Point, and Upon Lake Iroquois commonly called by the French Lake Champlain, and for the removing the encroachments already made there.

You are hereby directed to take upon you the Command of the Forces raised and to be raised within the Province of the Massachusetts Bay and to take care that they be properly Armed and Accoutered, and cause them as soon as Possible to March for the City of Albany, where you will be Joined by the Forces of the other Governments above named, of which also you are to take the Command, and with them proceed to Lake George, and from thence to Crown Point, in the way you Judge most 'expedient, and to Oppose all persons by Force of Arms, either the Subjects of the French King, or Indians, or any other who shall appear to molest you on your way, and by every proper Method to reduce any Fortifications you shall find on the said Lake Iroquois or in your Passage thereto or places adjacent, more especially the Fort of Crown Point.

And Finally you are to use the utmost Dispatch in Executing these Orders, and such other or further Instructions as you shall at any time hereafter receive from me or the Commander in Chief for the time being of all His Majestys Forces raised and to be raised in North America. And as it is impossible to foresee all the accidents that may happen, and therefore proper instructions touching them cannot be given, I refer you to your Prudence, and good conduct with the advice of your Officers to take the most proper measures to repel or destroy all His Majesty's Enemies, and reduce their Fortifications to His Obedience, And Act as you apprehend will be for the good of His Majesty's Service either in an offensive or defensive manner.

W. SHIRLEY.

Endorsed:

Copy of Majr. Genl. Shirleys

Instructions to Majr. Genl. Winslow,

to reduce Crown Point.

in the E. of Loudoun's Letter of Augt. 19th. 1756.

SIR,

HENRY FOX TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY 1

Whitehall, March 31, 1756.

It having been represented to the King that your presence in England, may be very usefull and necessary to his Majesty's Service at this time, as you are able to give many lights and Information relative to the State of affairs in North America, I am to signify to you his Majestys pleasure, that as soon as you shall receive this Letter from Colonel Webb, who is appointed Commander-in-Chief in North America, you do repair to England with all possible Expedition, having first deliver'd to Col. Webb all such papers as relate to the King's Service.

I am with great Truth and Regard,

Sir,

Your most Obedient
Humble Servant,

H. Fox.

P.S. That there may not be the least Delay, H. M. has given Directions to the Lords of Admiralty, who have order'd a Frigate to receive you on board, and proceed with you directly to England. H. F.

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 212. Printed: 1 Penna. Arch. 2,606. In a letter of Mar. 13 to Shirley (C. O. 5, 212), Fox had stated that the expedition against Niagara was to be laid aside and that Col. Daniel Webb had been appointed Commander in Chief in North America. In this letter Shirley was informed of his probable appointment as Governor of Jamaica. A circular letter of the same date (Docts. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 7, 75) gave the information of Shirley's recall to other governors. Fox continued Secretary of State until October, 1756, having succeeded Robinson on Nov. 25, 1755.

JOHN BRADSTREET TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY1

SIR,

On my return to this place from Schenectady this day Captain Bradly shew'd me a letter he just received from Captain Laforay at Oswego giving him an account of the harbours being stopt and as I look upon it of the utmost importance that your Excellency should be made acquainted with it immediately I have advised him to send you a copy of it by express.

Should we have a dry spring its more than probable it will remain so all the year and certain it is that there is no snow to help it and too late to expect any, consequently the necessity of my proceeding to where your previous instructions commands me is become more necessary and [for] my hands to be strengthened with men and everything so as to make the Success pretty certain before the French get there. Your Excellency will forgive me saying that much will depend as matters are circumstanced on a sudden and quick push along shore.2

I have this day got off the remainder of the two hundred whaleboats and many battoes and shall get the rest off and myself gone in three days. Should your Exy have any orders to send me on this head it may meet me at the great Carrying place.

I have the honour

Albany 6 April 1756.
GENERAL SHIRLEY.

1 Autograph draft, Amer. Antiq. Society.

On Apr. 1, the New Hampshire Assembly had granted 30,000 pounds in bills of credit for the Crown Point expedition, and on Apr. 14, Governor Wentworth had agreed to the grant (N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 506).

SIR,

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX1

Boston, April 12th, 1756.

A few days ago, His Majesty's Ships Woolwich and Lynn, arrived here, with part of the 10,000 Musquets, Ammunition etc., that were sent from the Office of Ordnance.

In Consequence of Sir Thomas Robinson's Letter to some of the Governors of the Provinces in North America, I have been applied to, to furnish them with Arms, Ammunition etc. for the Troops of their Several Provinces, that are now raising for the Service of the ensuing Campaign; And though I have made the most equal Distribution, in proportion to the numbers of Men each Government has consented to raise, I have not been able to comply with the full Demands of any one of them; And after having supplied His Majesty's Regular Troops, with their Deficiencies, amounting to 1200, including the four Independent Companies, whose Arms are returned by their respective Officers unfit for Service: I shall have remaining but 800, to supply the common Accidents of the Campaign, which I believe, Sir, you will think too small a number in proportion to the Troops that are to be employed.

I must therefore recommend, Sir, to your Consideration as a Measure absolutely necessary, and of the utmost Consequence to his Majesty's Service, the establishing of a public Magazine of small Arms and Ammunition in each Province; And I think, Sir, that 50,000 Stands of Arms at least, should be sent over for that purpose; as I believe that Number is scarce the fourth part of the fighting Men, in his Majesty's several Colonies in North America.

And that his Majesty might be assured of the Arms being properly taken care of, I would have, Sir, the several Governors Indent to the Crown for whatever number of Arms etc., they receive, and to be obliged to build Storehouses, in the most proper Places in each Province to lodge them in; 1 P.R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress.