WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ISRAEL WILLIAMS 1 SIR, Boston, September 11th, 1754. Your two last Letters to the Secretary, dated the 8th and 9th of September Current, with an other from Colo. Worthington, giving a more full Account of the Incursions of the Enemy upon the Frontiers, and what he has done for the Relief of the Places in his own Regiment, have been laid before me: And as you particularly mention in your first Letters to the Secretary the Advantage of keeping the Inhabitants of the outmost Frontiers upon their Lands, for the Security of the Places within them, I had immediate Regard to that Matter in my special Power to you, sent by the Secretary, and intended that you order a Number of Soldiers to be posted in the exposed Towns, if you should think it needful, and there to remain 'till my further Order; And now perceive by Colo. Worthingtons Letter that many Difficulties may arise, unless I give him the Power contained in the inclosed, which is a Copy of the Orders I have sent him, and which I apprehend to be consistent with the Command with which I have invested you by my former Orders to you And I would have you accordingly act in concert with him, pursuant to my aforesaid Orders to him. And you are hereby especially directed to post such a Number of Soldiers in the expos'd Towns within the Limits of the Command which I have given you, as you shall think their Safety and his Majesty's Service may require, there to remain untill farther Orders from me. I am, Your Faithfull Friend, and Servant, W. SHIRLEY. 1 Original, L. S., Mass. Hist. Society, Col. Israel Williams Man uscripts, 71 D, 77. P.S. The inclosed to Colo. Worthington, after you have perused, seal up and send to him. Colo. Israel Williams. ISRAEL WILLIAMS TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY 1 SIR, Hatfield, Sepr. 12th, 1754. I conclude by this time you are fully inform'd of the hostile attacks of the Indians, and the mischief done by them in our own Frontiers and the neighbouring Governments in one of which they have made terrible waste burning and destroying all before 'em. It is now open war with us, and a dark distressing scene opening. A merciless miscreant Enemy invading us in every quarter, push'd on by our inveterate Enemy (as if their savage nature and blood thirsty temper needed excitement to cruelty and barbarity) with views and designs to prevent our settling any further to the Northward, the Northern Governments sending any assistance to Ohio, impoverishing them as much as possible, preventing their Indians trading to Albany, preparing the way for the reduction of that City; the securing the Six Nations of Indians the more easily in their Interest, which when effected, farewell Peace and Prosperity to New England, yea, to North America. It gives me no small satisfaction that, under God, we have your Excellency still to apply to for relief in our distress, whose Enterprizes against our constant enemy have been attended with success, and of whose Resolution, Wisdom, Care and Compassion, we have had large Experience. In full assurance of your readiness to grant us succour and relief under our pressures we shall as to our common Father make application. My situation and circumstances makes the Western Frontiers the more immediate object of my attention, and the 1 Original, A. L. S., Mass. Col. Ser. Letters, 54, 329. violent attacks of the Enemy in this quarter calls for the publick more than any other part of the Province. I beg leave therefore to represent the state of this Frontier and to lay before your Excellency what I think would most conduce to the safety and security of his Majesty's here and the Neighbouring Governments. Herewith I send a plan of the Western Parts of this Province by which your Excellency will be able to form a judgment of our situation and whether what I am about to propose will serve the general Interest of the whole Which is, -That there be a Garrison at Fall Town, another at Morrisons in Colrain, two at Charlemont, Massachusetts Fort and a garrison at Pontoosook. The People are preparing for their defence, as I suppose, and the charge of making those places sufficient will not as I apprehend be very great to the Government. I propose that there be at least fifty men at Fort Massachusetts, thirty at Pontoosook, they to maintain a constant scout from Stockbridge thro the Western part of Framingham township, and the West Township at Hooseck to the said Fort and from thence to the top of Hooseck Mountain. That there be 14 men at Fall Town, 20 at Morrisons and 12 at each garrison at Charlemont, these to perform a constant scout from Connecticut River against Northfield to the top of Hooseck Mountain. These scouts thus performed will cross all the roads the Enemy ever travel to come within the aforesaid Line of Forts. There will doubtless be more wanted for the Protection of some Places within the Line. However if the scouting be faithfully performed there will not, I apprehend, any considerable body of the enemy get within the Line aforesaid undiscovered and there will be a great restraint upon small parties who will be afear'd of being ensnar'd. I propose that some of the men posted at Massachusetts be employ'd to waylay the roads from Crown Point south of which places I conclude has not been ceded to the French. The Enemy generally when they leave that place come to the South side of the Lake or drowned lands, leave their canoes and come down to Hooseck, or they may turn off to the East; let which will be the case that Fort is best situated to send parties from for the purpose aforesaid to gain advantages. The reasons why I would neglect Shirley and Pelham Fort is because the Indians were scarce ever known the last war to come down Deerfield River, and that road is very bad and almost impassable. Shirley is rotten and if maintained must be rebuilt. That at Morrisons will answer as well and can be much easier supply'd. After all if our Government would build a Fort upon the top of Hooseck Mountain between Pelham and Fort Massachusetts it would shorten the scouting and answer as well the first proposed line thro Charlemont. I would further propose that two Forts be built between Massachusetts Fort and Hudsons River, as laid down in the plan, between which places there is a large opening where the Enemy can (now Hooseck is destroyed) come down to the Dutch Settlements, Stockbridge and Sheffield, and where they are gone to Connecticut without difficulty, nay I apprehend the Westerly towns of Connecticut are exposed now to such bold fellows as were at Stockbridge; that one Fort be built and garrisoned by Connecticut, the other by New York. This line of Forts will shut up all between Connecticut and Hudson's Rivers and be the cheapest and best defence and security to all within, if well supplyd with men, of anything I can at present think of, and if your Excellency approves of it and should press it upon those Govts. it is so reasonable and also necessary for their safety I cant but hope they would at once comply with it. As to the Forts above the line, if the Govt. of New Hampshire would support them it might be well, but the Advantages that would arise to this Govt. by doing it, would not countervail the expence, nor lessen the charge we might be at in defending our Frontiers in the Left Sides of the River where they can be much easier and Cheaper Supply'd with Provisions. Notwithstanding the Garrison at No. 4. the Enemy can and will come down Black River, Williams River, or West River, go over East or turn down South, without hazard, and return with like Security the same ways or go above. The grand design Colo. Stoddard had in Garrisoning No. 4, was that Parties might be sent out from thence to waylay the roads from Crown Point and said there ought to be 100 men, posted there, well supply'd, fifty to be out at a Time. But he liv'd to see himself disappointed, the Govt. never did afford a sufficient Number of men for that Purpose, and it was with the utmost difficulty Provisions were obtained for those that were there, many were lost there and in going without doing any great good. That Fort might divert the Enemy Sometimes, but 'till the French join openly with the Indians, they will not fight Forts much, but in Small Parties carry on a Scalping War, and the more Compact the better it will be for us. The Attempt to settle those distant places in the Wilderness in the manner it has been carried on, I never tho't prudent and to protect them will be extremely difficult and chargeable. I Submit the whole, who am your Excelcys. most obedt. Humble Sert. His Excelcy. Wm Shirley Esqr. ISR. WILLIAMS. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ISRAEL WILLIAMS 1 SIR, Boston, September 26, 1754. I have received a Packet from you by Major Williams, containing a Plan of the Western Parts of the Province, a List of the Officers and Centinells in your Regiment, and three Letters, one dated the 12th and two the 17th of September Instant. I am extremely well satisfied with the great care and vigilance you have already shew'd for the protection and safety of the people upon the Western Frontier, and have great Confidence in your abilities and fidelity in the discharge of 1 Original, L. S., Mass. Hist. Society, Col. Israel Williams Manuscripts, 71 D, 87. |