Commissions and Authorities, which he hath had the Honour to receive from your Majesty, been engag'd in various parts of your Majesty's Service for the defence of your Majesty's just Rights in North America. That he hath acted in the Execution of the Trusts repos'd in him by your Majesty with the utmost Fidelity and Zeal, and been at divers times honour'd with signal Marks of your Majesty's gracious Acceptance and Royal Approbation of several parts of his Service, as will appear by the Representation of them herewith presented. That Suggestions against some parts of his Conduct in his late Command, as General of your Majesty's Forces in North America, having been transmitted in Letters from his Successors, your Majesty was pleas'd about six Months ago, to order an Inquiry to be made into his Conduct by a Board of General Officers. That your Majesty's Petitioner conscious of his faithfull Regard for your Majesty's Service, and not doubting, that he is able to acquit himself upon an Inquiry into his Conduct, which he humbly conceives it was one part of your Majesty's gracious Intention, in case of his Innocence, to give him an Opportunity of doing, has solicited for several Months to have the Benefit of that Inquiry; But some Doubts having, as he understands, arisen concerning the Sufficiency of the Matter and Evidence transmitted from America for supporting a Charge of Misconduct against him, he finds no prospect of his obtaining it. Wherefore your Majesty's Petitioner most Humbly prays as that Inquiry is not proceeded in, that your Majesty will be graciously pleas'd to order some other Inquiry to be made. into his Conduct, in such manner, as your Majesty, in your Royal Wisdom and Goodness, shall think fit; whereby he may have an Opportunity (after laying so long under the Pressure of the Suggestions made against him) of justifying his Behaviour, vindicating his Honour from the Imputations cast upon it, and procuring the Continuance of your Majesty's Royal Favour, and which a long Series of faithfull Services had before advanc'd him. And your Majesty's Petitioner, as in Duty bound, shall ever pray, etca. Endorsed: WILLIAM SHIRLEY. Copy of the Intended Petition of Major General William Shirley to His Majesty in Council. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE BRITISH CROWN 1 To the King's most Excellent Majesty. The Petition of Major General William Shirley. Most Humbly Sheweth, That your Majesty's Petitioner hath had the Honour to be employ'd sixteen Years in various parts of your Majesty's Service, and to receive divers signal Marks of your Majesty's Royal Approbation of his Conduct; as will appear to your Majesty from the Representation of his Services herewith presented. That in June 1756, He had the Honour to receive your Majesty's Orders to repair to England; in which Orders it was signify'd to him, that it was your Majesty's Intention, as a Mark of your Royal Favour, to appoint him to be Governor of Jamaica; And your Majesty was thereupon pleas'd to nominate Mr. Pownall to succeed him in his Government of the Massachusetts Bay. That in Obedience to those Orders, your Majesty's Petitioner arriv'd in England in October last; since which your Majesty has been pleas'd to reduce the Regiment, which he had then the Honour to command. That soon after his Arrival in England, Letters were transmitted thither from his Successors, as General of your Majesty's Forces in North America, containing Suggestions against his Military Conduct; and he was inform'd, that 1B. M., Additional Manuscript 32874, 278. Inclosed in Shirley to Newcastle of Sept. 24. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. This is the petition as presented. your Majesty intended to order an Inquiry to be made into it. That conscious of his Zeal and Fidelity in your Majesty's Service, and that these Suggestions were groundless, he has waited many Months in hopes and Expectation, that his Conduct would be inquir'd into; being satisfy'd that in such Case he could shew, that he had been instrumental in every part of your Majesty's Service in North America, which was attended with Success, and no ways accessory to any Misfortune, which had befall'n it during the War; and in particular, that neither the loss of Oswego, which happen'd fifty Days after the Expiration of his Command, nor the failure to prosecute the Expedition against Crown point to Effect could with Justice be imputed to him. Wherefore as these Suggestions have so long continu'd unsupported by any proofs, your Majesty's Petitioner, who is divested of his late Government and Regiment (wherein his Support consisted) most Humbly begs leave to resort to your Majesty, praying That your Majesty will be graciously pleas'd to honour him with the Continuance of your Royal Favour, to which a long Series of faithfull Services, during the late and present War, had advanc'd him, by conferring upon him your Majesty's late intended Mark of it, or such other Mark, as your Majesty, in your Royal Goodness, shall think proper. And your Majesty's Petitioner as in Duty WILLIAM SHIRLEY. Endorsed: Copy Petition of Major General Shirley to His Majesty. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE BRITISH CROWN 1 To the King's most Excellent Majesty The Representation of Major General William Shirley's Services in North America refer'd to in his Petition. Most humbly sheweth, That the Governor of Cape Breton having immediately after receiving notice from France of the Declaration of War in 1744, fitted out an Armament from Louisbourg, which burnt your Majesty's Fort at Canso, made the Garrison prisoners of War, and destroyed the English Fishery there, your Majesty's petitioner, then Governor of the Massachussetts Bay in New England, in order to prevent Annapolis Royal (at that time the Capital of Nova Scotia) and the whole province from undergoing the same Fate with Canso, raised timely Succours for it's Relief, whereby they were preserved twice that year, when upon the point of falling into the Enemy's hands. That in 1745, upon gaining Intelligence that the French Commander had, soon after the Defeat of his Attempt against Annapolis Royal, embarked for France, in order to represent there the weak State of Nova Scotia, and propose the sending an Armament that year for the Reduction of it (in Consequence of which a Squadron of five Ships of War sailed from France the succeeding Summer upon an Expedition against it) Your Majesty's Petitioner, to counteract the Enemy's Designs, and save your Majesty's American Dominions from suffering so fatal a Loss, fitted out an Armament from Boston early in the Spring upon an Expedition against Cape Breton, in which an Acquisition was made of that Island to your Majesty's Dominions, before the arrival of the French squadron in America; And your Majesty's province of Nova Scotia was thereby again preserved, the French fishery destroyed and the English fishery restored and enlarged. 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32874, 282. Inclosed in Shirley to Newcastle, Sept. 24, 1757. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. That in the year 1746, the French having fitted out a large Squadron under the Command of the Duke D'Anville upon an Expedition principally against Nova Scotia, and Mr. de la Corne having that Summer entered the Province with a Body of 1700 Canadeans and Indians, and advanced within About two Miles Distance of the Fort at Annapolis Royal, in Expectation of the Assistance of the French squadron, Your Majesty's Petitioner, before it's Arrival in America, sent to Annapolis Royal a considerable Reinforcement of the Massachusets Troops, raised that Year for the Reduction of Canada; which again saved that province from falling into the Hands of the French; and the Care of that Government being then committed to him, he afterwards prevented the Acadeans from a total Defection, and joining the French in attacking Annapolis Royal, which they were upon the point of doing, and the province was intirely cleared of the Enemy before the End of the War. For the first of these Services done in 1744, your Majesty was pleased to honour your Majesty's Petitioner with declaring your Royal Approbation of them in your Majesty's Privy Council; for those done in 1745, with a Mark of your Royal Favour in giving him the Command of a Regiment to be forthwith raised by him in America; and as a proof of your Majesty's Intention to give him a further Mark of your Royal Favour for his Services done in 1746, it was signified to him by one of your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, that your Majesty had thoughts of appointing him Governor of Nova Scotia, to hold it with the Government of the Massachusets Bay. That in 1754, in order to put a Stop to the French extending their Settlements upon the River Chaudiere as far as the head of the River Kennebeck (which is within your Majesty's Territories) he induced the Assembly of the Province under his Government to raise 800 Men for an Expedition up the latter of those Rivers, and build a Fort upon it for it's protection against the Enemy, at the Province's Expence; which Service he personally attended, and, by renewing Treaties of peace with the Indians inhabiting those Parts, |