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to make a Regular return of the State of them once a year, to His Majesty's Commander in Chief; to be liable to the inspection of the Comptroller of His Majesty's Ordnance, as often as shall be thought proper, and each Province to be obliged to keep up their Numbers compleat, and to have them in constant good Order and fit for Service.

Besides this, Sir, I would recommend the Establishment of a public Magazine of Artillery, Arms, Ammunition etc., for the use of his Majesty's Regular Troops; to be fix'd at New York, and to be in proportion to the number of Corps etc. His Majesty shall think proper to keep up in North America.

I have the honour to be with the Highest Respect,

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Boston April 12th. 1756. Majr. Genl. Shirley.
R June 8th.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ROBERT HUNTER

DEAR SIR,

MORRIS 1

Boston, Sunday, April 18, 1756.

Two days ago I receiv'd letters 'from your Nephew, Staats, and Major Rutherford, informing me that Lord Loudon was appointed Commander in Chief of his Majestys Forces in North America, and that Colonels Abercromby and Webb, both made Lt. Generals upon this Occasion, are put upon the Staff; and that General Webb was to set out in the packet boat in ten days for North America, in order to take upon him the whole Command untill the Arrival of 11 Penna. Arch. 2, 630. See Morris to Shirley, Apr. 25, post, P. 431.

Lord Loudon; and I hear the Government of Jamaica is determin'd upon for me.

Upon this Occasion I think it my Indispensable Duty to push on all preparations for both Expeditions with as much Vigour as I was doing it before; and in case of any accidents befalling Genl. Webb in his passage, or not arriving here in time to begin the Operations when they ought to be, to begin them myself; For the News I have receiv'd, coming by private letters only, I can't take notice of it; However, as I am previously appriz'd of these Alterations, and that I may soon expect Orders in pursuance of them, It will be absolutely necessary for me to hold a Council of Warr at New York, consisting of Governours and Field Officers, (if to be had) according to his Maj'ys Instructions, before I enter upon any Operation. In my way thro' Connecticutt I will engage Govr. Fitch, as I will Govr. Hopkins likewise, if I can, to be present at the Council; and as it is a matter of great Importance to his Majestys Service, as well of Consequence to my self, I must intreat the favour of you not to fail meeting me at New York, which would infinitely oblige,

My Dear, Sir,

Your most Affectionate,
Humble Servant,

W. SHIRLEY.

Staats hath acquitted himself in the business I sent him upon, with much honour to me, and to himself in the Opinion of the Ministry.

The Affair of Jamaica must be a dead Secret. I set out from hence for New York on Wednesday afternoon without fail, and shall be there by Monday night after.

If General Webb should be arriv'd before Monday, come se'n night at New York; there will not be the same necessity of your giving yourself the trouble to meet me. Honble Robt. Hunter Morris, Esqr.

Endorsed:

Aprill 18th, 1756, Genl. Shirley.

SIR,

WILLIAM PEPPERRELL TO HENRY FOX1

Kittery, April 19, 1756.

I had the Honour to receive your Excellencys Letter of November last in which you condescend to let me know that His Majesty had been pleased to declare His intentions of appointing you Secretary of State, I heartyly congratulate you Sir and Sincerely hope you will be continued for a long time to come a Great Blessing to His Majesty and all His Dominions.

As your Excellency in your Said Letter has done me the Honour of giving me Liberty of writing to you I take the fredom of leting you know that the first day of Last February Genl. Shirley told me that I must take the Command of the Expedition against Crown Point and that I Should have my own Regiment with me to joyn the Provential Troops, and that as I had the Honour to be president of His Majesty's Council of this Province of the Massachusets Bay that I would use my influence in making dispatch. I told him that although I was lame nothing that was in my power Should be wanting to promote His Majestys Service, I was Likewise desired by some of the most Leading men in the other Governments in New England to Head that Expedition and as I was preparing for it, I received a Letter from him datted the 26th. or 3d. February by his Secretary of which the inclosed is a copy by which you will see his determination, he has Since appointed Mr. Winslow General of Said Army and I heartyly hope this years Campaign will be more Successfull than the last was here but Should be glad they would make more dispatch.

My Son-in-Law Nathl. Sparkawk Esqr. tells me that he

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. A letter of this date from Boston in the Johnson Manuscripts (4, 38a) mentions the appointment of Generals Loudoun, Abercromby, and Webb, and the consequent mortification of Shirley. It was forwarded to Johnson from New York by Goldsbrow Banyar with his letter of Apr. 25 as to new commissions and officers.

designs to address Your Excellency, if it Should be your pleasure to bestow any favours on him it will lay me under new obligations, with the Utmost Esteem I have the Honour to be

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It gives me pleasure to find by yours of the 18th Instant that your Dispatches by my Nephew were safe arrived, and that he had so well acquitted himself in the Business he was sent upon as to gain the good Opinion of the Ministry and your approbation.

Three Generals on the American staff make it probable that this Continent will be the Principal seat of the War, and that the views of the Ministry are very extensive, but whatever their measures may be, as they are taken Independent of the Plan of Operations agreed upon at New York, and as General Webb was to set out so soon after the Date of the Letters you have received that he may be expected to arrive every day, it appears to me that the Council of

1 This letter illustrates the feeling felt for Shirley by Morris in this time of his humiliation. It is printed: 1 Penna. Arch. 2, 643. See also same to same of Apr. 22, ibid. p. 138, for service done by order of Genl. Braddock.

War will not incline to advise you to hasten the Execution of any Part of that Plan, but to wait his Arrival, and in the meantime to make the necessary Preparations with all profitable Vigour and Dispatch.

Probably Sir Charles Hardy and other Gentlemen may have received the Intelligence wrote you, and if so, they will not fail to publish all they know, and your Adversaries apprized of the alterations will take a Pride in impeding any Operations, tho' they will not venture to obstruct Preparations, and if you can put these into such forwardness as that the General may go upon action as soon as he arrives, You will render yourself extremely acceptable to His Majesty, the Ministry, and disappoint those who may take Occasion to put unfavourable constructions on any measures you shall devise and thence endeavour to set the Succeeding Commanders against you.

For my own part, my regards for you would prompt me at all adventures to wait on you, but I find myself so much embarassed by the perplexed Circumstances of this unhappy Province that it is not possible for me to follow the strong Inclinations I have to attend you. Your Dispatches found me preparing to set out for the Susquehanah, where the Provincial Forces are waiting for me, in order to proceed on an Expedition for building a Fort at Shamokin, and cannot on any Account be retarded, as the Season is already too far advanced, and I shall scarce be able to put them in motion before my Assembly will meet on my Summons to take into consideration how to prevent the total Desertion of the Counties on the Frontiers, of which I have reason to be very apprehensive.

I congratulate you on the King's Determination. I hope the Government intends you will be accompanied with the Command of the Regiment there, but sure I am that this change, tho' possibly more profitable to yourself, will not be agreeable to those who wish well to the Northern Colonies, as it must be universally acknowledged that you understand their Interests and Connections perfectly well and can give the best Information and Counsel in any matters respecting them.

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