Boston and lay an account of your whole proceedings therein with the final answer of the said Government before me. GIVEN under my hand in Boston the twenty second day of February, 1755;` In the twenty-eighth year of his Majesty's Reign. W. SHIRLEY. P.S. You are to make use or not of the inclosed Vote of the Assembly dated the 27th of February according to your own discretion. You are to Endeavour to induce the Governmt of New Hampshire to raise a greater number of men than what is mention'd as their Quota in the Resolves of the Assembly dated February provisionally, viz in case the Governmt of New York shall not raise the Eight hundred men alloted to them to raise. W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO JAMES DELANCEY 1 [SIR,] Boston, New England, Feby. 24th, 1755. It would be needless for me to observe to you, how His Majesty's Colonies upon this Continent are surrounded with the encroachments of the French, they have long since marked out for themselves a large Empire upon the back of it, extending from Cape Breton, to the Gulf of Mexico, and Comprehending the Country between the Apalachian Mountains and Pacific Ocean, with the numerous powerful Tribes of Indians inhabitting it, and they are now finishing the extreme parts by a communication between Louisbourg and Quebec, across the Isthmus of Nova Scotia and Bay of 1 New York State Library, Sir William Johnson Papers, 1, 144. Copy in Ms. of Johnson. See also Shirley to William Greene, R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 414; to Robert Hunter Morris, Penna. Col. Rec. 6, 310, and substantially the same letter to Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire in Amer. Antiq. Society under date of Feb. 25. Words within brackets were burned from the original or otherwise lost. Fonda, at one End, and a Junction of Canada with the Mississippi by a Line of Forts, upon the great Lakes and Rivers, at the other. It is fallen to the Lott of the most Eastern Colonies to be Hemmed in by that part of their encroachments, which begin in Nova Scotia, and End at Crown Point, among which the fort of Beau Sejour upon the Isthmus of the Peninsula, that on St. John's River, and Fort St. Frederic near Crown Point, are the Principall His Majesty out of his Paternal Care for the Welfare, and security of his good Subjects of these Colonies, in September, 1753 Signified his Royal pleasure, by the Rt. Honble. Earl of Holderness's letter, dated the 21st of that Month to his Governours there, that they should, with the armed Force of the Militia under their respective Commands (if need be), remove all encroachments upon his Territories within the limits of their Several Governments, and use their best endeavours for promoting a general Union among them for their Common defence against an Invader. In July last, by a letter from the Rt. Honble. Sr. Thomas Robinson, dated the 5th of that Month, His Majesty Signiffed his Orders to me and Colo. Lawrence, Lieut. Govr. and Commandr. in Chief of Nova Scotia, that we should concert measures for attacking the French Forts in that Province, And in Decembr last, I had the honour to receive another letter from Sr. Thos. Robinson dated the 26th of October, wherein he acquainted me, that His Majesty, upon taking the State of His Colonies in North America, into his Royal consideration was graciously pleased, ordering two Regiments of Foot from Ireland, under the command of Sr. Peter Halket and Colo. Dunbar, to be sent to Virginia, to order Me and Sir William Pepperell, to raise each of us a Regiment of Foot, consisting of 1000 men, under our respective Commands, for the defence of his Colonies here. In obedience to the first mentioned Orders, Colo. Lawrence and I have concerted measures for dislodging the French from their Forts in Nova Scotia, and driving them out of that Province, and, among other preparations for that purpose, I am now raising a reinforcement of 2000 Men, for His Majesty's Regular Troops there, to be imbarked in time to be landed in the Bay of Funda by the first week of April, which I have reason to think, I can depend upon accomplishing. In consequence of the latter I have made a great progress in raising my Regiment, and believe there is no great doubt of its being compleated by the latter End of March. Mr. Dinwiddie, Govr. of Virginia, in his letter to me, dated Janry. [the 14th, acquaints] me that his government had great dependance upon a strong Diversion's being made by Sr. Wm. Pepperell's and my Regiments this Summer, at some part of Canada [in favour] of the Attempts of the Western Colonies, to repel the French upon the Ohio, and [such a] Diversion of the French Forces, must likewise greatly facilitate the Enterprise [for] driveing the French from their incroachments in Nova Scotia; It is most evident, [that] at the same time, the expedition in Nova Scotia, and the Schemes which principally employ the attention of the French, and a great part of their Forces upon the [Ohio,] afford a most favorable opportunity for the four Colonies of New England, and [those] of New York, and the New Jerseys, with their united Strength to Erect such a Fort near [Crown] Point, as may command the French Fort there, and curb the City of Montreal [itself.] These were the motives which induced me to make the proposal [of] such an Attempt to the Assembly within my own Government, which is particularly set [forth] in my speech to them upon this occasion; a Coppy of which, together with a Coppy of the Resolves of the Assembly consequent upon it, I enclose to Your Honour. In these Resolves Sir you will find what Number of Troops this Government thinks necessary to be raised in the whole for the Execution of this Attempt, with [the] Quotas they propose, for the consideration of the Severall Colonies concerned, and I [hope] it will not be thought they have under rated their own Quota, when it is considered that out of the 2200 Men, which are raising for Sir Wm. Pepperrell's and my Regiments, and 2000 now raising for the expedition to Nova Scotia, upwards of 3000 of them will be taken out of this Province; which with the 1200 proposed to be raised in it for Crown point, will amount to considerably More than one Eighth part of its fighting Men, and that they were at an heavy charge last year in carrying on an Expedition upon the river Kennebeck, and erecting Fort Hallifax there, which as it is a great advance towards securing the principal pass into the heart of Canada over against their Metropolis of Quebec, and through which River, the French have the shortest passage into the Atlantick Ocean of any River in North America, must be deemed an advantage to all the Eastern Colonies in general. Your Honour will observe, that the Assembly hath desired me to appoint an officer for the Chief Command of the proposed Expedition. It is essential to the Service, that such an one should be appointed, and as it seemed necessary that He should be proposed at the beginning, and this government is the first Mover in this expedition (as it was likewise in that against Cape Breton, of which also I appointed the Commander in Chief) it is hoped the other colonies will have no objection to it. The Gentleman whom I shall nominate for that Command, will, I am persuaded, show Your Honour that the only motive which will sway me in this appointment, is a strict regard to His Majesty's Service, and the Interest of the Common Cause, without the least partiality to any one of the governments concerned. The Gentleman I have thought of on this important Occasion, is Colonel William Johnson, of Mount Johnson, in the Mohawk Country, whose distinguished Character for the great Influence He hath for Severall Years mantained over the Indians of the Six Nations, is the circumstance which determines me in my Choice, preferably to any gentleman in my own government tho there are not wanting there Officers of Rank and Experience out of Whom I could have nominated one. Your Honour is sensible that one of the Principall things we have in View in this Expedition, is to retain such of those [castles as] are not yet gone over to the French, in the English interest, and to reclaim [those which] are; and it would be of Unspeakable advantage to Us at this Conjuncture, if we could [engage any] of them in the proposed Service. Colonel Johnson raised and Commanded a [Regiment of Indians in the late intended Expedition against Canada; and with regard [to his] power to engage them now, No Gentleman can stand in Competition with him; [besides, his Military qualifications for this particular Service, and knowledge of [the] Country and place, against which this Expedition is destined, are very [con]spicuous. The Fort intended to be built in this Expedition [is pr]oposed to be so situated as to command Fort St Frederick at Crown point, to be made defensible against the strength which the French can suddenly bring against it from Montreal, to be erected by the army employed, and as to the Support, garrisoning and command of it, that must depend upon His Majesty's pleasure, which will be soon known concerning it. It must be fresh in Your Honour's memory, that the reduction of the French Fort, at Crown point, was looked upon as a necessary Step in the late intended Expedition against Canada, And how far and advanced the preparations of the Colonies concerned in that Scheme were, till I know not by what fatal Disunion of our Counsels, a most unhappy Stop was put to it. One remarkable Circumstance occurs to me upon this Occasion. When the late Sr Peter Warren and myself were endeavouring to engage one Monsieur Vaudreuil, then at Boston, a very intelligent Frenchman, as a Pilot to our Forces up the river St Lawrence, in the aforesaid late expedition, He smiled, and told Us He should not be convinced that the English did in good earnest design an expedition against Canada from these colonies, Untill he should hear that Fort St Frederick was attacked. But I am perswaded nothing more need be urged, to Your Honour, concerning the great importance of the proposed expedition, [except] that besides secureing our Selves against future depredations of the French [from] their Fort at Crown |