of Indian affairs, I Cannot but offer it as my opinion to your Excellency, that he be advised with on this occasion, and if the Indians Should make any Application to him on his Return from the Lake for Garrisons for their Protection I shall acquaint your Excellency with it, and Concert with you the Proper measures.1 For Should Regular Troops be sent to their Castle without such an application from them, I apprehend it may Cause Great uneasiness among them. In answer to your Excellency's Letter of yesterday with Respect to Victualling the Independent Companies: There can be no Dependance on the Assemblys making Provision for it. Those of them that have been Posted at Oswego have been Victualled by the Province out of the Duties arising on goods sold there. I am Sir, Your Excellency's His Excellency Genl. Shirley a true Copy Examin'd by WM. ALEXANDER Secy. Endorsed: Copy Letter from Govr. Hardy to Major General Shirley dated Albany 9th Novr. 1755 in Govr. Shirley's of Decr. 20th, 1755. CHARLES HARDY. 1 Shirley already had issued his summons for a Congress of Governors (Shirley to Benning Wentworth, Nov. 7, N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 445). On Nov. 11 he wrote Governor Morris of Pennsylvania (Penna. Arch. 2, 481), and on Nov. 26 he requested Johnson (Johnson Manuscripts, 3, 259) to meet him at New York. Governor Sharpe of Maryland was invited also (1 Penna. Arch. 2, 497), but had little hopes of aggressive action resulting from the conference. As he wrote Dinwiddie: "It is reported that Genl. Johnson will proceed no farther this season." (Oct. 28, Arch. of Md. 6, 304.) SIR, WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS1 Albany, November 15th, 1755. Yesterday afternoon I had the honour of receiving two packetts from you by express, the first dated Octr. 31st, and a subsequent one without date. In the former of these you represent to me the devastations now making by the French, and Indians in their Interest, upon his Majesty's Subjects in the back Settlements of your Government, and the designs which you apprehend the French have upon his Majesty's Territories there, particularly Shamokin; and acquaint me "That your Council have unanimously advised You to apply to me, to order such of his Majesty's Forces as the present Exigencies of the Province under your Command require; and his Majesty's Service in the other Colonies will permitt me to spare," and in the latter you inform me, you have received further Intelligence of the Mischiefs and Crueltys by the Indians. "That you are without Men, money, Arms or Ammunition at your disposal; can gett no Aid from the Assembly of your Province, and do not see how you can protect the People, or secure the province from being laid waste, unless I will supply you with troops and money for that purpose"; and desire me to furnish you with the latter upon the foundation of Sir Thomas Robinson's circular Letter dated June 19th to the several Govrs. upon this Continent, directing them to Apply to the Commander in Chief of his Majestys Forces for the time being in North America, for such Sums of money which may be necessary to discharge such Expences, as have been or may be incurr'd on account of the Services or operations to be perform'd by them, or in any respect under their directions, and which are not properly chargeable to the account of their respective Governments. 1 1 Original, Hist. Society of Pennsylvania. Printed: 1 Penna. Arch. 2, 493. I am extreamly concern'd Sir at the calamitous situation of his Majestys depress'd Subjects in the back Settlements of your Province without any prospect of immediate relief from your Government, and the cruel Depopulations daily made in his Territories there, which seem at present to be abandon'd to the Enemy. I do assure you if it was in my power to send You present succour from his Majestys Forces under my Command, I would do it with the greatest pleasure; But the State of those Forces, and the Colonies where they are posted will not admit of my doing it. The three Regiments in Nova Scotia are but barely sufficient with the New England Auxiliaries now there to protect that Province against the Attempts, which may be suddenly made by the French; Sir William Pepperell's and my own Regiments, except a very small Detachment, are posted at Oswego, upon the carrying place of Oneida, and at the German flatts for the protection of the first mention'd important place, and our necessary Magazine of Stores and provisions at the other two, upon the preservation of which all the operations of an early Campaign the next Spring absolutely depend. Of the two British regiments in this City the Effectives fit for duty do not exceed 1050, and 600 of those have held themselves in readiness these two days to March to the Assistance of the Army at Lake George which is alarm'd with Intelligence of a very large body of the Enemy being in Motion to attack it, and it is necessary the remainder of them should continue here; besides the sending of these regiments or any considerable part of them this Winter to the back parts of your province must inevitably ruin his Majestys Service, for the next Spring.2 1 The critical situation in New York was holding the attention of Colonial governors as far south as Virginia. See Dinwiddie to Shirley, Nov. 12, approving the conduct of the latter, stating the writer's efforts to raise troops in Virginia, inquiring as to the movements of Johnson and the possibility of capturing Crown Point. (Dinwiddie Papers, 2, 262.) 2 In a second letter to Morris of the same date, Shirley continues: "It gives me Pain to See the Distress of mind, which I know so As to my furnishing you with the Kings money, Sir, for defraying Expences, which You take notice of in your Letter is chargeable to the account of your Government, the bare inspection of Sir Thomas Robinson's letter must shew it to be out of my Power, and I can't but hope that your rich populous Government will not continue insensible of the devastations daily made in their Country; but if it was possible that their duty to his Majesty and a sense of the miseries of the people in the exposed parts of the Government should not be sufficient motives to them to protect the people under their Care, yet their own Interest and even preservation as a Government must effectually prevail with them to do it. As to the Provisions, which you mention in your letter to have been purchased by You for General Braddock and to be left in your hands, and which you purpose to use for the people in the back parts of your province, if you will take upon You to have them replaced in the City of New York generous an one as yours must be in upon the Calamitous Situation of the poor People in the back Settlements of your Government, and the daily Devastation and Incroachments made within and upon his Majesty's Territories under your Command, owing to the Obstinacy and perverseness of your Assembly, and to find myself incapable of giving you and the poor expos'd Sufferers the desir'd Assistance. "The only Advice I can give you under these melancholly Circumstances, is to continue to do (as you have hitherto done) every thing in your Power to encourage the People to exert themselves in their own Defence, and to persevere in your Representations to the Assembly of the ruinous State of these People, and the imminent danger there is of great part of the Provinces being suddenly lost to the Enemy, and in your Applications to them [the Assembly] to do their Duty to their King and Country in putting an End to the Miseries and Pain of the poor expos'd Sufferers, and preventing the loss which the Crown is threaten'd with. This, my Dear Sir, is all you can do at present, and to wait with patience for the Success of your Endeavours, which you should not dispair of." For a review of local conditions in Pennsylvania at this time, see Lincoln, "The Revolutionary Movement in Pennsylvania" (Phila., 1901), pp. 16-22. The need of the colony was seized upon by the people as an opportunity to obtain privileges, and grants of money were withheld. by April next, in such case I shall have no objection to your using them upon the present occasion, otherwise I can't consent to have those provisions diverted from the use of the King's troops. The powder and ordnance Stores in Fort Cumberland are lodged there for his Majesty's service in an Expedition against the French Settlements upon the Ohio, which I hope will be effectually carried on the next Year, so that I can't possibly order any part of them for the use of the Inhabitants of your Government, where I suppose a sufficient Quantity may be had for the present occasion of the exposed Inhabitants.1 I am Sir Your most Obedient Huml. Servant WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS 2 SIR, Albany, Novr 19th, 1755 Upon further Consideration of the expos'd State of his Majesty's Territories in the back Settlements of the Province, 1 Shirley was reluctant at this time to send money, arms, or stores to Pennsylvania. On Nov. 17 the Council of Governors and Commissioners at Albany had recommended an advance by Johnson with his army, the action of the Council had been sent to Johnson, and on the 18th Shirley had written asking what aid he could give for this advance. On Nov. 22 Johnson informed Shirley of the Council at Lake George which opposed the movement against Ticonderoga, and of the reluctance of the soldiers to advance. Not until Dec. 2 did Johnson announce the close of the campaign and formally resign his command, thus justifying the report which Governor Sharpe of Maryland had mentioned to Governor Dinwiddie (Oct. 28) that Johnson would not advance (Johnson Manuscripts, 3, 226, 227, 229, 232, 248, 249, 253, 265). See, however, Shirley to Morris, Nov. 19, following. 2 Printed: 1 Penna. Arch. 2, 502. On Nov. 16, 1755, Morris had written Shirley as follows: "I have the pleasure to acquaint |