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that they were to be Commanded by their own Officers and this is a Principle so strongly Imbib'd that it is not in the Power of Man to remove it.1

Your Excellency is full acquainted with the difficulty of Governing new rais'd Troops which on my hands is doubled by their Consisting of several different Governments and put under different Regulations by the Governments that rais'd them and must necessarily conclude my task is no easy one and you may be Assured that I have nothing at heart but the King's Service and the good of my Country which I certainly prefer to any private Advantage to myself or Applause and could the Business be carried on I should not look upon myself Disparag'd to serve under Men of more knowledge but on the other hand should I not freely open the difficulties which are so Obvious and plain to his Majesty's General I should look upon myself as deserving the Gallows as the fate of this Expensive Expedition depends on these matters and must be carried on by Numbers.

Thus have I endeavour'd to set the Fact in the true light and as no Aspersion that I know of lays on me by thos Gentlemen before resited before whom I have been heard and Concern'd with I hope your Excellency will be so far from blaming my Conduct in these Intricate Affairs that they will meet with your Approbation and I obtain the same favourable Opinion from your Excellency this Year as I have hitherto had.

Endorsed:

Extract from Majr. Genl. Winslow's
Letter to Major General Shirley.

dated 2d: August 1756.

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

1 In the copy forwarded by Shirley to Fox, Aug. 13, no words are underlined. This copy is used that the words considered offensive by Loudoun and quoted by Shirley, post, p. 503, may be the more marked. - EDITOR.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE EARL OF LOUDOUN1

MY LORD,

Boston, Tuesday forenoon Augt. 10th, 1756.

On Sunday Evening I had the Honour of your Lordships Letter of the 2nd Instant as I was upon my Journey to this place and last Night your Lordships of the 5th Instant.

I am extreamly sorry to find that my Allowance of a Purchase in Major General Abercromby's Regiment is Irregular. It was represented otherwise to me by Officers upon whose Judgment in this point I thought I could depend and as I looked upon Capt. Hobson's retiring out of the Army on Accot. of his [age ?] and infirm state of Health, to be for his Majesty's Service and the filling up his Captaincy upon his Resignation came within the Letter of the King's Commission which allow'd me to fill up Vacancies made by Resignations, I did it without hesitation upon Lieutenant Colo. Gage's Memorial to [me ?] in favour of the Purchaser.

I have wrote to Mr. Alexander to send your Lordship Duplicates or Copies of such Contracts as remain in his hands with an Account of what advance and payments have been made upon each of them which I was in hopes had been given your Lordship at New York, and I have desired him to wait upon your Lordship directly at Albany in order to Clear up to your Lordship the Memorandums he left with Major Genl. Abercromby contained in a Quarto Book. But I must intreat your Lordship to dispatch him as soon as Possible as it is absolutely necessary for him to go to England with me on Accot. of my own Affairs and I am in daily Expectation of one of his Majestys Frigates arriving at Boston in order to carry me as soon as may be to England pursuant to his Majestys Commands.

In April last upon my leaving this place to go to Albany I ordered four Companies of Rangers consisting of 60 Privates each to be raised, and left it under the Care of Major Genl. Winslow. The service I designed them for was to be kept

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 47. A transcript is in the Library of Congress.

Constantly Employed in Scouting Parties at the Oneida Carrying Place and other passes between the German Flatts and Oswego, in order to keep them clear of the Enemys Scalping parties which I find by the last Years Experience is not to be depended upon being done by the Indians of the Six Nations, though in their own Country. At my Arrival here I found two Companies compleated and shall order them to March to Albany as soon as possible there to receive your Lordships orders.

Inclosed is a set of the Resolves of the Assembly of this Province concerning the Forces raised by them for the Expedition against Crown Point.

I thank your Lordship for returning the Copies of the Instructions and the notice you will take of my Recommendations.

I have the Honour to be with the greatest Respect.
My Lord

Your Lordships most humble:

and most Obedient Servant

WILLIAM SHIRLEY.

P. S. I hear that his Majesty's Frigate which is appointed to carry me to England is just coming up the Bay.

Endorsed:

Copy

Major General Shirley's Letter

to the Earl of Loudoun.

Boston, in the forenoon, August 10th 1756.

in the E. of Loudoun's Letter of

Augt. 19th. 1756.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE EARL OF LOUDOUN1

MY LORD,

Boston, Augst. 10th, 1756.

In my Letter dated in the Forenoon, I acknowledged my Receipt of the Honour of your Lordships of the 2d Instant, and answer'd every Part of it, except that, which refers to a Council of War held at Fort Edward on the 22d of July by the Field Officers of the Provincial Troops, raised for the Expedition against Crown Point, upon the Question proposed to Mr. Winslow by Major General Abercromby, in a Council held by him. at Albany a few Days before "concern"ing the Effect, which a Junction of his 'Majesty's Regular Troops wou'd have "with those Provincials, if the former "shou'd be order'd to join them in that "Expedition:" and in which Your Lordship mentions the little appearance, you find, from the Result of that Council of War, that the Provincial Troops will pay Obedience to his Majesty's Commands.2

In Order, my Lord, fully to answer this Part of Your Lordship's Letter (which gives me equal Surprize and Concern) so as to lay before You my

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 47. Inclosed in Loudoun's letter to London of Aug. 19. A copy lacking the marginal notes is in C. O. 5, 46. Transcripts are in the Library of Congress and in the Parkman Papers in Mass. Hist. Society. The notes are added by Loudoun.

2 See Loudoun to Shirley, Aug. 2, and John Winslow, Answer to the Council, ante, pp. 493 and 495. There is a transcript of the Minutes of the Council of Fort Edward in the Parkman Papers, Mass. Hist. Society.

Mr. Winslow and Colonel Gridley, antecedent

to the meeting of the 30:

Hudsons river, and Fort

Provincials evacuating the

same.

:

Sentiments at large, upon the Whole of the Affair, it will be necessary for me to enter into the following Detail of it. On the 30th of June, after having some Days before, communicated to Major June, at Mr. Shirley's Gen: Abercromby, then General and lodgings, declared that they Judged it impracti- Commander in Chief, the Minute of a cable to bring the Provin- Council of War held at Albany the 25th: cials, to Join with His Majesty's Troops, this of May, during the Continuance of my they confirmed in pres- own Command; in which was set forth ence of Mr. Shirley that very day; upon which the Strength of his Majestys Forces, M. G. Abercromby pro- Regular and Irregular, then raised or posed no more than to take possession of the arriv'd in America, for the Service of posts and Forts upon this Campaign, either upon the Lake William-Henry, with His Ontario or Lake George, together with Majestys Troops upon the the unanimous Opinion of that Council in Favor of making an Attempt for As they were breaking the Reduction of the French Forts at up, Colonel Webb OCcasionally threw out to Ticonderoge and Crown Point, with the them, that if they were joint Forces of the Provincials raised. repulsed in their attempt upon Ticonderoge, for that Service, and his Majesty's 44th whether or not in that and 48th Regiments, I had, by the to a junction. In that Desire of Major Genl. Abercromby, a case, they replied, that Meeting at my own Lodgings of Mr. Winslow and Colo. Gridley, Commanding Officer of the Artillery of the Provincials and their Chief Engineer, with the General, Colo. Webb, and myself; At this Meeting General Abercromby, among other things, proposed to Mr. Winslow, that upon the Provincials leaving Fort Edward and Fort Willm. Henry and marching to Ticonderoge, the Regulars shou'd move to those Forts, and be ready there to support or assist them in their Attack of Ticonderoge, in Case they shou'd want assistance: and ask'd Mr. Winslow and Colo.

event they would submit

they believed they would.

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