left there a Garrison of 300 Men, the remaining thousand
should proceed to the Peninsula, on the Lake Erie, and
secure that Post, by which means the General would with
more ease, penetrate through that Country from the Ohio,
and so return by the way of Niagara, and that the General
seem'd to approve of the Plan." And you advise me to
pursue it. The General communicated to me the Plan he
proposed, with regard to the Operations upon the Ohio, and
the reduction of Niagara, at first by Letter from Williams-
burg, afterwards the whole Plan was settled the first day of
my Meeting him at Alexandria, between him, Commodore
Keppel, and myself, and I beg leave to assure Your Honour,
however the General might seem to approve of your Plan
of my passing over to the Presque Isle and Riviere au Boeuff,
(as You elsewhere in Your Letter propose,) to assist him,
he did not let one Word drop to me, either in his Letter, or
at the settlement of the Plan, or in Conversation afterwards
concerning it; and my Orders for employing the Forces
under my Command, after securing the Pass at Niagara,
are discretionary. I thank Your Honour for Your advice
to myself, which will have great weight with me.
But I am
informed I shall meet with an insuperable difficulty in exe-
cuting Your Scheme, as without Horses, which are not to be
had at Niagara, I shall not be so able to transport the Bat-
toes and Train of Artillery, over the Strait to Lake Erie,
which, I presume, Your Honour thinks necessary to be done;
I beg Leave, upon the whole, to assure you, that I will use
my utmost endeavours to execute my Command, in the best
manner I can for his Majesty's Service, and that any Ob-
stacles, which may be thrown in my way, will allow.

I am, with great Regard, Sir,
Your Honours most Humble,
and most Obedient Servant,

W. SHIRLEY.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS 1

1

Friday, June 6, 1755.

GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESEN

TATIVES,

I send you the Extract of a Letter, which I received last Night by Express from the Governor of Conecticut:

I must desire you will forthwith take the Proposal of that Government concerning the Pensylvania Provisions, under Consideration and let me know your Determination thereupon, that I may send an answer by the Return of the Express. I should be glad if by the same Express, I could send them an Account of your Resolutions upon the Several Matters which I have laid before you, out of Major General Johnson's Letter. It is of absolute necessity that you should forthwith determine upon them, and make the necessary provision, and that he and the Colonies may know it.

The Season is so far advanced, and the Forces destined to Crown Point should keep Pace with those designed for Niagara, in order to secure as much as may be the Success of both Expeditions. The first Division of the latter of these Forces will march on Monday next for Providence, in the Colony of Rhode Island where Transports are waiting for them, and they will be all imbarked in seven days from that Time, and sail for Albany, and from there proceed directly for Oswego, their battoes for transporting them and their stores being in such Forwardness as to be ready to receive them upon their Arrival at Schenectady.

I would not mention to you how much General Johnson's success in ingaging the Indians depends upon your making Provision for that Purpose.

W. SHIRLEY.

In the House of Representatives: Read and Ordered that Colo. Lawrence, Colo. Williams, Capt. Livermore, Mr. Tyng

1 Mass. Arch., Records of General Court, 20. See Message of May 23, ante, p. 174.

and Mr. Taylour with such as the Honble. Board shall join, be a Committee to take the foregoing Message from His Excellency under Consideration, together with the Extracts from Governour Wentworths and Governour Fitch's Letters, and report thereon; and that the Committee be directed to sit forthwith;-In Council; Read and Concur'd, and John Otis, Thomas Hutchinson, Eleazer Porter and William Brattle Esqr. are joined in the Affair.1

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT ACTION ON WILLIAM SHIRLEY'S MESSAGE OF JUNE 62

At a Great and General Court or Assembly for his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, 1 See Action of General Court, following.

2 Mass. Arch., Records of General Court, 20.

On the receipt of these resolutions by the New York Assembly the following action was taken in July (Doct. Hist. N. Y. 2, 389): Resolved, that in case the Army destined for Crown Point shall stand in need of Reinforcements, This House will provide ways. and means for Supplying the Quota of this Colony of such Reinforcements, and Ordered, That Capt. Walton and Capt. Winne wait on his Honour the Lieutenant Governor and desire that he will be pleased to acquaint Major General Johnson that on this Colony's having furnished and Supplyed the Sum of nine hundred and forty four pounds towards the Train of Artillery for the Expedition to Crown Point, over and above the sum of Two thousand pounds the proper Quota of this Colony and the sum of One thousand pounds advanced on the security of Part of the provisions allowed by the Colony of Pensilvania, His Excellency Govr. Shirley has engaged to furnish and Supply the sum of £1652, New York Currency or thereabouts for the said Train over and above the sum of £3500 Lawfull money already provided by the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay for that Service which Sums Compleat the whole Estimate of the Train of Artillery, and that Major General Johnson is to Apply to his Excellency Govr. Shirley for the aforesaid Sum of one thousand six hundred and fifty two pounds.

By order of the General Assembly

ABRM. LOTT, junr. Clk. The action of the assembly of Massachusetts on June 12 and June 13 is of equal interest in this connection. Notes of this action

begun and held at Boston upon Wednesday the 28th day of May 1755, being convened by His Majesty's Writts.

The Committee appointed to take under consideration his Excellency's Message to both Houses of the 6th Instant, have so far attended the Service as to consider the Extract from Major General Johnson's Letter, referr'd to in his Excellency's said Message, and report as their humble Opinion.

That a Sum not exceeding Six hundred Pounds be granted

were inclosed by Shirley in his letter of June 20 to Robinson, post, p. 195. The original papers are in Records of the General Court, 20, 482-484, and are as follows:

June 12. "A Memorial of the Committee of War for the Expedition to Crown Point, shewing that they have not been able to purchase any Gun Powder, nor have any Prospect of doing it soon (all at the Markett having been bought up for the Expedition to Nova Scotia,) and New Hampshire and Connecticut Governments depending in a great Measure upon this Province to be furnished here; Therefore, Praying that the Memorialists may be allowed to take One hundred Barrells out of the publick Magazines. . . . In the House of Representatives; Read and Voted that his Excellency the Captain General be desired to give Orders that Two hundred Barrells of Powder be delivered out of the Magazines of this Province to the Committee of War in order to their being transported to Albany for the use of the Forces employed on the Expedition to Crown Point.

· ...

...

"In Council; Read and Concur'd; Consented to by the Governour."

"In the House of Representatives; June 13, 1755: The House taking into Serious Consideration his Excellency's Message of this Day, to both Houses passed the following Vote; Viz. Resolved that Three hundred of the 1500 Men raised by this Province for the Expedition to Crown Point, be allowed if they voluntarily enlist, to proceed with the Forces destined to Niagara, Provided the Enlistment of the other Twelve hundred Men, to be raised by this Province be compleated, Provided also that the said Three hundred Men be transported and subsisted without any Expense to this Province, and shall be dismissed at the End of Eight Months from their Enlistment; Provided also that the full number of Three Thousand seven hundred, agreed upon to be raised by the several Governments appear upon the Muster at Albany for the Expedition to Crown Point, and are ordered to that service.

In Council; Read and Concur'd; . . . Consented to by the Governour."

and allowed to be paid out of the Treasury of this Province, for the Service of the Expedition against Crown Point, to be applied towards engaging the Indians of the Six Nations, and supporting them and their Families during the Continuance of the said Expedition; and that the Treasurer be directed to reserve the aforesaid Sum to be always ready to answer any Draughts that may be made on him by Major General Johnson, for the purpose aforesaid, Provided that the said Major General be accountable therefor, and that he draw on the Treasurer for so much only of the whole Charge, as shall be in Proportion to the Number of Troops in the Pay of this Province, compared with the whole Forces of the several Colonies concerned in the Expedition.

That for every Company of Indians, consisting of One hundred Men there be allowed Wages to a Captain at the Rate of Nine Pounds Sterling per Month; To a Lieutenant at the Rate of Six Pounds Sterling per Month, and, to an Ensign at the Rate of Four Pounds Sterling per Month; their Pay to commence at the Time when they shall receive their Commissions.

That the Wages of the General or Commander in Chief of the Forces in the aforesaid Expedition be at the Rate of Twenty five Pounds Sterling per Month, to commence at the Date of his Commission.

That this Province do pay towards the Wages of the General and also towards the Wages of the Officers over the Indian Forces in the same Proportion as is before proposed in this Report it should pay towards the Charge of securing and supporting the said Indians.

Which is humbly submitted,

Per Order

JOHN OTIS.

In Council, June 7, 1755, Read and sent down,

In the House of Represves, June 7. 1755. Read and Ordered that this Report be accepted.

Sent up for Concurrence

T. HUBBARD Spkr.

In Council, June 7. 1755, Read and Concur'd.

Consented to

THOS CLARKE Depty. Secry.

W. SHIRLEY.