if there is a practicable Road to it from thence by Land for transporting Artillery and Stores, as is said by Pere Charlevoix in his History of New France. On the other Hand it may be observ'd, that it would be more easy for the English to support a Fort at that Place from Oswego, which does not exceed 110 Miles distance from it, and from whence it might be supply'd with Reinforcements and Provisions more easily across the Lake Ontario, and from thence by Water Carriage down the River Iroquois, than the French could support a Siege against it at the same Distance from Montreal by Land; especially if a proper Magazine was Establish'd at Cadaraqui, as well as at Oswego: That the Expence of maintaining this Fort would lessen that of the naval Force, and the Garrisons at Oswego and Niagara, which must be stronger, and consequently more expensive, if a Fort is not kept up at Oswegatchi; and that the maintaining of such a Fort there would so effectually curb the Force of Canada on the Side of the Lakes and River Ohio, and deprive the French of their Commerce and Traffick with the Indians, as to render the Country of Canada of very little Value to the Crown of France; especially if it should lose Crown point, and be curb'd on the other Side of Montreal by a Fort and Naval Force upon Lake Champlain, and on the Side of Quebec by another Strong Fort upon the River Kennebeck, at or near the Head of it, at about 100 Miles distance from that Metropolis.

4thly. As to the Opinion and Advice of the Council, with regard to the Operations upon the Lake Ontario being begun by the Attack of the French Fort at Cadaraqui, in which the Members were not unanimous; the Difference of their Opinion consisted only in this, that one of them was of Opinion, it would be more adviseable to begin them by an Attack upon the French Forts at the Strait of Niagara.

5thly. The Opinion of the Council concerning the number of additional Regular Troops necessary for recovering and securing His Majestys Rights and Dominion upon this Continent, was proposed by them to make part of their Deter

minations without being previously mov'd by me, and is founded upon these Reasons: they think there ought to be 1500 Regulars at least employ'd with what Provincial Troops shall be rais'd by the Colonies for the Expedition against Crown point; that no Regulars can be spar'd out of the two American and two British Regiments for this Service; nor any from the three Regiments of Regulars posted at Nova Scotia consistent with the Safety of that Province.

I would further observe, Sir, upon this Head, that as to the four Regiments of Regulars destin'd for the Service upon the Lakes, the two American ones consist wholly of Raw Troops; that out of the 1000 Veteran Troops, of which the two British Regiments consisted at their Arrival in Virginia, not more than 600 of them are left; that the Rest are made up of Provincials drafted into them the last Summer, and their New Augmentation from 700 to 1000 Men each, must be made up (if they can be rais'd in time) with fresh Recruits.

I beg leave further to acquaint you, Sir, that upon finding from the Copy of your Letter to the late General Braddock dated the 10th of February last, compar'd with your Letter to me of the same Date, that the 2000 Men, which I was therein order'd by his Majesty to raise, "exclusive of the Number requisite for my own Regiment, and Sir William Pepperrell's, and of the Augmentation to the five Regiments mention'd in a former Letter to 1000 Men each," were intended by his Majesty to be rais'd for the particular Service of Nova Scotia, and for no other, I shall not without his Majesty's further Orders take upon me to raise the two new Regiments, which I mention'd in my Letter of the 12th of August to you, I propos'd doing. That if I had rais'd them I have no Certainty of being able to provide them either with Arms or Cloathing, to take the Field in time for his Majesty's Service in the ensuing Campaign; And that thereupon, Sir, I beg leave humbly to offer my own Opinion with that of the Council, that it would greatly serve his Majesty's Interest if he should be pleas'd to order three Regiments from England

of 700 privates each to be transported, as soon as may be, to New York, where they might possibly arrive in time to act, part of them with the Forces to be employ'd in the Expedition against Crown-point, and part with those destin'd for his Majesty's Service upon the Lakes under my immediate command, and would contribute greatly to the Success of both, which it seems of the last Importance to the Colonies in North America to have effected, if possible, in the ensuing Year; especially the Service upon the Lakes, as the inclos'd Copy of a Letter from Major Rutherford to me1 whilst I was at Oswego, and an Examination of a French Soldier confirming the Intelligence, I had before receiv'd, seems to put it out of doubt that the great Object of the French upon the Lakes is to make themselves Masters of Oswego.

I can't take upon me to say what Success the Governors will have with their respective Assemblies in prevailing upon them to raise their Quotas of Troops and Money for the general services of the next year. Very little hath been done by the Western Colonies towards it hitherto; 2 and tho' the Reduction of Crown point is a favourite Expedition with the Colonies of New England, yet the failure in it this year, partly owing in all Appearance, to the Neglect of the Officers to push it on as far as it seems possible it might have been, and partly to their Want of due Supplies of provisions from Albany will, together with the great Numbers of Men already rais'd in vain for this Service, at a very heavy Expence to those Colonies, I am afraid, make them very backward to raise the necessary Forces for the ensuing Spring. At all Events, whatever it shall be adviseable for me to attempt the next year for his Majesty's Service with the Forces I shall have, I will endeavour to carry into Execution with Vigilance and Activity. Indeed if a new Supply of Regular Troops from France shall get into Louisbourg or Quebec very early

1 See Rutherford to Shirley, Sept. 30, ante, p. 301.

2 The Colonial authorities preferred that their troops should be used within their respective boundaries. See Jonathan Belcher to Shirley, Dec. 17, 1755, I N. J. Arch. 8, pt. 2, 194.

in the Spring, unless the Colonies are reinforc'd at the Same time with Troops from England, little more can be expected to be done than to act upon the Defensive; especially if Nova Scotia should stand in need of being immediately succour'd.

In the mean time while I can't but conceive strong hopes, that at least the French Forts at Niagara may be reduc'd early in the Summer, provided we shall be able to get ready a Sufficient Naval Force upon the Lake Ontario by that time; and proper Magazines of Provisions are secur'd this Winter; both which I shall use my utmost Endeavours to accomplish in time.

If upon my Arrival at Oswego I find my Strength shall be sufficient, I am fully determin'd to begin the Operations upon Lake Ontario by an Attack of Fort Frontenac alias Cadaraqui; unless I shall receive his Majesty's Orders to the contrary; concerning which and every other part of my propos'd plan for his Service I hope I shall know his Royal Pleasure, if possible, before the Operations are begun.

I have only further to acquaint you, Sir, that a Map intitul'd "a General Map of the Middle British Colonies in America, etc.," having been lately publish'd here by one Lewis Evans, in which Fort Frontenac and the whole North Side of Lake Ontario are mark'd a part of New France, and the River Iroquois call'd St. Lawrence's River, and in the Introductory Essays to it are asserted to belong to the French by Virtue of the Treaty of Reswick; which peremptory Assertion had begun to make an Impression unfavourable to the present exigencies of his Majesty's Service, and his just Rights in some leading persons here; I have look'd into, and set forth his Majesty's Claim to this most important Place in the most accurate manner, I can at present do it, in the inclos'd State,' which, I take the liberty to say, appears to me to shew clearly that it appertains to the Crown of

1 See Shirley's "Claim of the English and French to the Possession of Fort Frontenac," following. This map was made to accompany the text of "Geographical, historical, political and mechanical Essays." Philadelphia, Franklin and Hall, 1755.

Britain by Virtue of the Treaty of Utrecht, as part of the Country of the six Nations.

I am with the highest Respect,

Sir,

Your most Humble, and

most Obedient Servant.

W. SHIRLEY.

Rt: Honble: Sir Thomas Robinson Knt: of the Bath, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State

P.S. I have, within these three Days, receiv'd fresh Intelligence by an Officer lately arriv'd from Oswego, that the French are building three new Vessells in the Harbour near Fort Frontenac.

Endorsed:

New York 19th. Decr. 1755

Govr. Shirley

R. 10th. Febry. 1756 by Capt. Morris.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO SIR THOMAS ROBINSON 1

CLAIM OF THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH TO THE POSSESSION OF

FORT FRONTENAC, STATED AND EXAMIN'D

Fort Frontenac is built upon the North East Edge of the Lake Ontario at the Distance of about 180 miles from Montreal, and Situated near the head of a River, which takes its rise from the said Lake, and discharges itself into the River St. Lawrence at the Island of Montreal. The country between this Fort and Montreal is mark'd upon the French Charts of the best Authority pais des Iroquois du Nord, or les Iroquois du Nord in contradistinction to the Iroquois (under which General Appellation The French comprehend

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Robinson, Dec. 19. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. See note on p. 296, preceding.