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Upon your arrival with the Forces under your Command before Fort Duquesne you are to beseige it in the manner you shall judge most proper for the reduction thereof and upon your succeeding in it, you are to leave a Garrison there sufficient for the Defence of it, and to proceed with the Forces under your Command to the French Fort at Presque Isle,

with 1500. As for my own part I think one can't be too cautious how they blame on these Occasions, and let the appearances be what they will time shd be allow'd for a fair and impartial inquiry. In the mean time it is a most mortifying and shocking Consideration that so fine an Army shd be beat and intirely drove out of not only the field, but so far from it, by abt 500 Indians and French, which indeed is enough to provoke any People to speak what they think. How do you approve of my father's Disposal of the forces remaining with Col. Dunbarr? I could not write to You 'till that was over, and don't know what to say now. Upon the whole I think it will turn out to be the best Disposition that could be made of 'em: We may want some of 'em to secure this Place and the Wood Creek 'till our Return, and Johnson may now want to be supported; besides which the Mohawks who go with us and Johnson must have their Women and Children and old Men well defended against any Insults from the French and their Indians by my father, and the N. Y. Indep. Compy are at Fort Cumberland. Add to this that they will be so much the nearer the Seat of Action for the next Campaigne.

We left Albany the 24th of July and with great Difficulty got here not till the 8th Instant, the Water being excessively low and our 84 Battoes (for my father wd see all the Powder and Shot up with him) being as deep again as any which went before us: but these were not the only Difficulties we had to surmount; we were oblig'd to stop to confer with the Indians which cost us three days, and we found that instead of Mr. Johnson's securing for our Expedition a Number of men and having them ready, he had lay'd every Obstacle in our way, and had forbid 'em going with us, telling 'em by Hendrick that there was nothing to be done at Niagara, and that such of 'em who prefered going with us rather than to Crown Point wo'd be look'd upon as Cowards. However, by means of Lydius and Mr. Fisher we have got 26 of 'em here; we had thirty, but Hendrick took away four of 'em, and for a time confin'd Fisher, and we have, and shall have when Col. Mercer brings up the Rear, abot the same Number of Stockbridge Indians, and I look upon abot thirty young fellows from Albany and it's Environs to be as good as Indians. We have likewise engag'd 40 Irregulars to re

and attempt the Reduction thereof and in Case of success against it to leave a Garrison in it sufficient for it's Defence, both which Garrisons are to remain there untill further Orders.

And in case of your failure in both these Attempts (which God forbid) you are to make the most proper Disposition of his Majesty's Forces to Cover the Frontiers of the provinces particularly at the Towns of Shippenburgh and Carlisle at or near a place called McDowell's Mill where the new Road to the Alleghany Mountains begins in Pensilvania from the Incursions of the Enemy untill you shall receive further Orders.

You will carry Mr. McMullengh and Mr. Orde officers of the Train of Artillery and Matrosses, as also such of his Majesty's Independent Companies now posted at Fort Cumberland as you shall think proper with you to Fort Duquesne.

Lastly if thro' any unforeseen Accident it shall become absolutely Impracticable for you to put these Orders in Execution which yet I hope can't be the case, then you are forthwith to follow my former Orders of the 6th instant. W. SHIRLEY.

A true Copy Examd.
WM. ALEXANDER Secy.

Endorsed:

Majr. General Shirley's Orders to Colonel Dunbar Dated August 12: 1755.

main on this Place well arm'd to help keep this and the Creek 'till we Return. We go from hence to-morrow, and expect to be at Oswego in 4 days afterwards. Col. Mercer will be six days behind us, and we can't have less than six more to fit out from Oswego after he joins us, so that we shan't be before Niagara 'till the 1st Week in the next month.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM WILLIAMS 1

[Instructions for Captain Williams]

The Great Carrying Place
August 12, 1755.

1

You are as soon as Capt. Marcus Petri arrives here with his Company, to Collect the Detachment that Came under your Command from New York at the East end of this Carrying place and there remain encamp'd till further orders.

You are to use your best endeavours to protect the Stores and provisions going over this Carrying place from any attempts of the French or their Indians, and to forward what Stores and provisions may come here for the forces on Lake Ontario, to Oswego with the utmost dispatch,

You are to keep twenty Battoes with a proper Number of Battoe men constantly employed in bringing provisions and stores from Johan Jost Herkimer to this place and also 30 Battoes in Carrying the same from Wood Creek to Oswego, you shall be furnished with a power to Impress men if Necessary for this Service, and you are to keep the Slay men employed in Carrying the same from hence to the other end of the Carrying place, and to keep exact accounts of what provisions and Stores come here, what you send to Oswego, and of the Service of the Battoe men and Slay men, employed in the Same, and as none are to be paid for the future without your Certificate of their work, you are from time to time to give them proper Certificates of the same, and you are to give such Certificates to none who quit their work without your leave.

And lastly you are from time to time to send me exact returns of the State of your Command and of what provisions and Stores are with you.

Endorsed:

Genl. Shirley's orders
Augt. 12, 1755—

W. SHIRLEY.

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1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Con

gress.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HORATIO SHARPE1

Camp on the Great Carrying Place between the Mohawk River and the Wood Creek

August 13th, 1755.

SIR,

I have but a few Minutes time before I proceed on my March, to write and inclose you a Copy of the Letter and Orders sent to Col. Dunbar.

The Successful Execution of them will be of the last Importance to his Majesty's Service.

It will now, Sir, depend upon your own Government and those of Pensilvania and Virginia, to assist him with Reinforcements, Provisions, Ammunition, Artillery, Ordnance Stores, Carriages, Horses and all other things, necessary to fit him out for his March, and the Service he is ordered upon. And I have wrote to the same Effect to Govr. Dinwiddie and Morris, whose Assistance with your own I must entirely rely upon at this Extraordinary Crisis.

As to the Expence of the necessary Supplies your Honour I know and his Majesty's two other Governors will do the Crown all the Justice you can, in getting your respective Assembly's to bear the whole, or as great a part of it as is possible; the remainder of it I must for the good of his Majesty's Service which is now at Stake, submit to draw upon the Deputy Pay Master for, which you may depend upon it I will, trusting that the Government at Home will take proper Measures for reimbursing the Crown from the Colonies.

I am with great regard and Esteem,

Sir,

Your Honour's most Humble

and most Obedt. Servt.

The Honble. Horatio Sharpe Esqr.

W. SHIRLEY.

1 Original, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THOMAS DUNBAR 1

SIR,

Camp at Canada Creek, August 14, 1755.

It appearing to me from several Lists which have been transmitted me of the Officers of his Majesty's two Regiments of foot under the respective Command of yourself and the late Sir Peter Halket who were kill'd in the late Action near the Banks of the Monongahela under the Command of the late Major General Braddock that it is necessary for the good of his Majesty's present Service that the great number of Vacancies occasion'd by the Death of those Officers should be fill'd up as soon as may be by Appointmts to take place until his Majesty's pleasure shall be further known which cannot be done in the most regular and effectual manner until you shall make me a return of the officers of the aforesd Regimts distinguishing those who were kill'd in the Said late Action or are dead of the wounds receiv'd in it, you are hereby directed to make me such Return with the several Ranks of those Officers, and seniority of their respective Commissions in such Ranks, and in the mean time the eldest Lieutenant or Lieutenants in each of the sd Regiments are ordered to do Duty as Captains therein in the room of such Captains as are Killed, and the eldest Ensign or Ensigns to do Duty as Lieutents in their Room until further order.

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Endorsed: Copy Major General Shirley's letter to Col Dunbar dated Camp at Canada creek, Augst. 14. 1755.

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress.

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