Provinces for defraying the Expense of the Treaty and for Providing a Proper Assortment of Goods to be given in Presents to the Indians that shall attend, and sent into their Country's to be distributed among those that cannot personally Assist at the Treaty.

7thly That the Commissioners be instructed to engage those Tribes to Assist the English in the Present Dispute and to take up the Hatchet against the French and their Indians and that they be enabled to Promise English Pay and Provisions, Arms, Ammunition and Indian Cloaths, to such of Warriors as shall Join his Majesty's Forces, or the Troops in the Service of any of the Western Provinces, and as to such of them as shall incline to Attack the French upon the Ohio, or any of the Indians in their Alliance, to Promise them certain Rewards for every Prisoner or Scalp they shall bring in, and to Appoint certain Places to which such Scalps or Prisoners shall be brought.

8thly. That Proper persons be Appointed by the Commissioners to Return with the Indians from the Treaty into their own Country, if Necessary to conduct the Warriors to such places as shall be appointed for their Rendezvous where stores of Provisions, Arms and Ammunition should be Provided for their use.

SIR,

ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS TO WILLIAM

SHIRLEY1

New York, Decr. 22nd, 1755.

I did myself the Honour to send your Excellency some Accts: I received on Saturday night of the Continuance of the Ravages of the Indians in the Province of Pensilvania requesting some Military Force might be sent to the relief of his Majesties distressed Subjects there. I think it my Duty further to represent to you that they are without a

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

Militia or any Law Obliging them to bear Arms, for want whereof the Commander in Chief cannot enforce Obedience to his Military orders tho' he shou'd be enabled to raise and support Men on this present Exigency and that this Obstacle which may prove Fatal and even [cause] the Loss of the province can only be removed by the Junction of Regulars with the Provincial Forces. The King's Service therefore Absolutely Obliges me again to request that your Excellency wou'd be pleased immediately to order that some Troops which may best be spared may March into Pensilvania and that you would favour me with your Orders and directions respecting them which shall be punctually Obeyed by Sir

Your Most faithfull and Obedient

Humble Servant.

His Exy. Genl. Shirley

A true Copy examd. by

WM. ALEXANDER Secy.

ROBT. H. MORRIS.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM JOHNSON 1 New York Dec. 24 1755.

Additional Instructions to Major Genll. William Johnson relative to the Indians of the Six Nations under his command

That a party of the Six Nations to consist of a few Sachems the rest to be Warriors be engaged by private applications and the offer of rewards to take up the Hatchett against the French and their Indians who have fallen upon the Provinces of Virginia, Maryland and Pensilvania.

That they be requested immediately to proceed to Pensilvania where the[y] will find a large force actually in readiness, and there concert the best measures for carrying on the War.

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 52. Another copy undated is in C. O. 5, 46, also Sir William Johnson Manuscripts, 4, 9-10. Printed: Docts. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 7, 10.

That they should go by the way of Susquehanna and call upon all the Indians settled upon both the Branches of that River and engage as many Indians as they have any Influence with to join and] accompany them.

That assurance be given them of their being supplied with Arms Accoutrements, Cloaths, Provisions and pay. That they shall have besides these, a reward for every prisoner or scalp taken from the enemy and every other reasonable encouragement, all which to be ascertained to their satisfaction by Treaty as soon as they arrive in Pensilvania.

That as in all Indian Towns, some may be for the French and some for the English, they should be advised to use prudence in their applications to particular Indians, lest the French be too soon informed of their Intentions.

That they be instructed to look out for fit and proper persons to get intelligence and engage them to go to the French Fort on the Ohio and to the Towns in that neighborhood, and when they have made themselves masters of their future designs, and operations then to proceed to the Governor of Pensilvania with their information for which they shall be well paid.

That if any of the Indians are afraid to leave their wives and children they be desired to bring them along with them and care shall be taken to assign them a strong and well fortified place to live in where they shall be supplied with W. SHIRLEY.

necessarys.

By His Excellencys command

WM. ALEXANDER Secry.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO SIR THOMAS ROBINSON 1

SIR,

New York Decr. 25th 1755.

I have, for more Safety of the Conveyance of my Dispatches, and of the Answer I may receive to them, Sent them

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. This letter is printed to illustrate the importance placed

under the Care of Captain Morris,1 one of my Aids de Camp, who will have the Honour of delivering them into your Hands, and hath my Instructions to return to Boston or New York by the first Opportunity after he shall receive from you his Majesty's pleasure upon the Parts of his Service, which I have lay'd before you.

Captain Morris is knowing to all the proceedings in every part of his Majesty's Service in the Expedition under my immediate Command from his personal Attendance upon it; and to all the other Matters contain'd in my Letters of the 19th and 20th Instant, and is able to give you a very particular Account of any Circumstances, which may be inquir'd into.

He is an Officer of Merit, and a young Gentleman of Worth and Honour, and as Such I beg leave to recommend him Sir to your Countenance and Favour. I have the Honour to be 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.

Endorsed:

New York, 25th Decr. 1755. Govr. Shirley R. 10th Febry. 1756. by Capt. Morris.

by Shirley upon his communications of Dec. 19 and 20, with their inclosures, and as showing an increased dignity due to his office of military commander in America. It was also essential in the mind of Shirley that he have a representative in London to explain his plans for the coming year.

1 Roger Morris was born in England, Jan. 28, 1727. He was commissioned as Captain in Francis Ligonier's regiment Sept. 13, 1745, and served as Aide de Camp to Braddock in the expedition against Fort Duquesne. He held the same position under Shirley, and appears to have been one of his most trusted assistants. Morris served later with Wolfe at Quebec, being promoted to his majority on Feb. 16, 1758, and commissioned Lieutenant Colonel May 19, 1760.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HORATIO SHARPE1

New York December 30th 1755.

SIR, Being ordered by his Majesty in his Instructions to me as Commander in Chief of the Forces in North America not only to Cultivate the best Harmony and Friendship possible with the several Governors of his Colonies upon this Continent but likewise with the Chiefs of the Indian Tribes and for the better Improvement of his Good Correspondence with the said Indian Tribes to find out some fit and Proper Person agreeable to the Southern Indians to be Sent to them for this Purpose, and to Endeavour to engage them to Act with his Forces in such operations as I shall think most Expedient: I think I can't better Answer his Royal Intention, especially at this time of General Incursions of the Indians into his Western Frontiers, than by recommending the Inclosed Plan2 to your Honour which if unanimously Executed by the Several Governments concerned, I can't but Conceive Strong hopes may provide in the most effectual manner for their mutual Security against the Hostile Attempts of the Southern Indians upon them and creating a Dependency of those Nations upon his Majesty.

If your Honour can Suggest to me any Amendment of this Plan or other Measures for compassing this great Object, I shall very gladly do all the Service I can in promoting them.

I have at the same time likewise Endeavoured to Induce the Indians of the Six Nations to join with us in putting a Stop to the Devastations of the Shawanese, Delaware, Susquehana, and other Southern Nations within his Majestys Western Colonies either by their Good offices and Authority

1 Printed: Arch. of Md. 6, 330; 31, 90. Sharpe's reply of Jan. 24, in which he promises to furnish supplies, but will send no troops north of Fort Duquesne, is in Arch. of Md. 6, 337. Substantially the same letter was sent by Shirley to Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire, N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 460.

2 A copy of the plan referred to was sent by Shirley to Robinson in his letter of Dec. 20, and is printed on p. 364, ante.