WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM JOHNSON 1 New York, Dec. 7th, 1755. SIR, You already know I have the honor to be appointed Commander in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces in North America, with the same Powers as the late General Braddock had the command. Inclosed is the 8th article of His Majesty's Instructions to me concerning Indian affairs, which is a copy of that, and the only Instruction which the late Genl. Braddock had relative to that matter, you will find it refers to some appointment of you to the service therein mentioned, supposed to be made by His Majesty before Genl. Braddock left England. If you have received such a commission you will act in pursuance of it, according to the Instructions you may have received with it, and such further Instructions as I do now or shall hereafter send you. In case you have received no such commission, you will then act in pursuance to the Commission which I send you herewith, by virtue of the Power given me by His Majesty and founded upon the words and intent of his Royal Instructions, looking upon the Indians called there the Northern Indians, to be intended as those of the Six Nations, and whatever allies they may have to the Northward. Inclosed are general Instructions for your Guidance and Directions in the execution of your Trust and some calculated for this occasion to which I refer you, and to the enclosed papers containing an account of Governor Morris's Intelligence and Proceedings relative to the Shawanese, Delawares, and other Indians therein mentioned and of his Messages to several Tribes of the Six Nations, which last mentioned papers will throw light upon the Service, I propose now by directing you to proceed to these Castles. You will let me know by the return of this express whether 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Dec. 20. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. Printed: Docts. rel. Col. Hist. Ñ. Y. 6, 1024. you have received any other Commission than that from the late General Braddock relative to the care of the Indians and how far I may depend upon your acting under the inclosed Commission and proceeding in the Service I now direct you to go upon, that in case you may decline it, I may otherwise provide against His Majesty's Service being disappointed by that means. If the advanced Season of the year, or your state of Health will not suffer you to go as far as the Onondaga Castle you will then transmit the business by proper Messages to such of them as you cannot personally go to. As the effectual execution of the trust reposed in you, will on many accounts require my having an interview with you as soon as the business I now direct you to do will admit, I must desire you to let me see you at Boston this Winter some time before the month of March at furthest. By 'His Excellency William Shirley Esqre Major General and Commander in Chief of all His Majestys Forces in North America To Major General William Johnson, By virtue of the Power and Authority to me given and granted by His Majesty to appoint a proper Person or Persons agreeable to the Northern Indians to improve a good correspondence with them, and to engage them to take part, and Act with His Majestys Forces, in such operations as I 1 Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Dec. 20. New York papers in the Library of Congress. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 6, 1025. A copy is in the shall think most expedient; I do by these presents in the name and behalf of His Majesty, commit to your care and management the execution of the aforesaid Trust, hereby appointing and fully authorizing you to repair to the Indians of the Six Nations and their Northern allies, and to use your best endeavours to engage them to take part and act with His Majestys Forces in such operations as I shall think most expedient and according to such Instructions as you shall from time to time receive from me. And you are from time to time to make report to me of your proceedings herein and of all material occurrences which may effect His Majestys Interest with the said Indians. Given under my hand and Seal at New York this seventh day of December in the twenty ninth year of His Majestys Reign. By His Excellency's Command WM. ALEXANDER Secry. W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM JOHNSON 1 [Instructions] 1. You are on the receipt hereof to send Messengers to the principle Castles of the Indians of the Six Nations and endeavour if possible to have a general meeting of their Chief Sachems and Warriors at their antient Council Place at Onondaga as soon as may be after you shall receive these Instructions and the Commission therewith. 2. You are then to acquaint them that I succeed the late General Braddock in his Command and that I have thought fit for His Majesty's Service to commit to your care the cultivating a Friendship between them and the Northern Nations of Indians depending upon them and His Majesty's 1 Johnson Manuscripts, 4, 2. Copy inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Dec. 20. A copy is in the New York papers in the Library of Congress. Printed: Docts. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 6, 1026; 2 Penna. Arch. 6, 333. Subjects and engageing them in a firm alliance with His Majesty against the French and the Indians in their Interest, in the present expedition for recovering His Majesty's just rights, and the country out of the hands of the French. 3. You are then to acquaint them that your calling them together at this time, is occasioned by the late behavior of the Shawanese and Delawares Indians in the Province of Pensilvania. 4. You are then to deliver them my speech delivered to you herewith which you are to enforce by all arguments in your power and with such presents as you shall judge necessary and you are to endeavor to prevail on them to send some of their Warriors to forbid the Delaware and Shawanese Indians to commit any hostilities against the English and in case these Indians shall not comply with such Orders to chastize them for their Behaviour as it bids defiance to that Authority which the Six Nations always maintained against those Indians and to make them sensible that unless they do that, they will not only infallibly loose that authority for ever, but with it the Character the Six Nations have always sustained of being Masters of those Indians. 5. You are also to assure them in the strongest Terms that I shall do all in my power to protect them and their Allies from any danger they may apprehend from the French, and particularly the Oneidas, that agreeable to my promise to them I have ordered Justice Petri to engage a sufficient number of men to build them a Fort of such size and in such place in their country as is most convenient to them and that I will if they chuse to have them this Winter send an officer with 30 men to reside among them as soon as their Barracks in their New Fort are ready to receive them. 6. You are to use every expedient in your power to cultivate and improve a good correspondence with the Indians of the Six Nations and their Allies and endeavour to prevail on them to declare themselves, and to take up the Hatchet against the French and their Indians as well as to act immediately against those who have lately invested the borders of Pensilvania, Maryland and Virginia, as to be ready to take part and act with His Majesty's Forces in such operations as I shall think most expedient. 7. You are from time to time to inform me of your proceedings herein, and particularly to inform me as soon as may be, the answer of those Indians to my speech now sent and to inform me of the state of the new Fort now building for the Oneidas and when you judge the Barracks in it will be in a condition to receive a Garrison of His Majesty's Troops and whether it will be absolutely necessary to send Troops to Garrison it this Winter, or whether the Indians will not be content to be without that Garrison until the Spring. 8. And whereas I have great reason to expect that a number of the Sachems and Warriors of the Messes sagues, Cheppewes, and Outawas will meet me next Spring at Oswego and as the Chief Sachems of the Oneidas and Cayougas also have promised to meet me then and there, and as it will be necessary that as general a meeting as possible be had there with the Indians of the Six Nations you are therefore to use your best endeavours to engage some of the Chief Sachems and Warriors of all the Six Nations to meet me at Oswego early in the Spring to concert such measures as may be for the mutual benefit of them and us. Given under my hand at New York this tenth day of By His Excellencys Command WM ALEXANDER Secry. W. SHIRLEY. JAMES F. MERCER TO WILLIAM ALEXANDER SIR, [Extract]1 I have the pleasure to acquaint you with the Success and return of General Shirley's Messenger to the Messessagues 'P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Jan. 12, 1756. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. |