Wishing you all success and happiness in your Publick and Private Affairs, I am, most affectionately, Dear Sir, Your Friend and Servt, Honble R. H. Morris, Esqr. Endorsed: Genl Shirley W. SHIRLEY. that I would favour the officers that may be distressed in the recruiting service. Boston, Feby 23, 1756. SIR, WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX1 Boston in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, Febry. 24th, 1756. Seven Days ago I had the Honour to receive two Letters dated 11th of November from Sir Thomas Robinson one of them signifying to me his Majesty's Royal Approbation of the Zeal and Spirit, which this Province hath exerted in his Service for removing the French from their Incroachments at Crown point; and his Majesty's Orders that I should communicate the same to the Council and Assembly, and let them know that his Majesty would be graciously pleas'd to recommend to his parliament to grant them such Assistance in consideration of the Charges, they have born, as their Circumstances shall require, and will enable them vigourously to pursue the aforesaid great and necessary Work: The other acquainting me that his Majesty had been pleas'd to direct 10,000 Stands of Arms with the proper Accoutrements, and a sufficient Quantity of Ammunition to be sent forthwith to Boston to be deliver'd to such persons and for such Uses as the Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Forces in North America shall from time to time think most expedient for the King's Service. 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. Nothing could arrive more seasonably for promoting his Majesty's Service in the Colonies of New England at this most critical Conjuncture of it, than the former of these Letters, which being deliver'd to me when the Assembly had just enter'd upon the Consideration of that part of my late Speech, which recommended to them to raise their Quota of the 10,000 Men determin'd upon in the Council of War held at New York the 12th of December (Copies of which I have before transmitted) to be necessary for prosecuting the Expedition against Crown point, to effect this Year, I immediately lay'd before them, in obedience to his Majesty's Orders. This Government's Quota of the 10,000 Men to be divided among all the Northern Colonies according to their Several proportions of it as settled by the Commissioners at Albany in 1753, amounts to about 1750; and from the exhausted Circumstances of the Government under the very heavy Debt it contracted the last Year by the Expences incurr'd in this Expedition, I had Reason to apprehend that a Vote for raising that Number of Men would have been difficultly obtain'd, tho' the House in general retains the same Zeal and Spirit it manifested last Year for the Defence of his Majesty's just Rights and Dominions upon this Continent: But the Effect, which the timely Encouragement given them by his Majesty's Declaration of his Royal Favour towards them hath produc'd, is a Determination to raise 3000 Men as their Quota of 9000 to be rais'd by the three other Governments of New England and New York over and above what the Southern and Western Colonies shall raise for the beforemention'd Service. As the Massachusetts Bay ever hath the lead among the other Colonies as far as the New Jerseys, and their Determinations of what part they will take in the Operations of the ensuing Campaign will very much depend upon those of this Government, I hope they will proportion the Number of their Forces for the Expedition against Crown point, to that now raising in this Province: And I have accordingly wrote a pressing Letter to each of them for that purpose, as also to the Govr. of New York proposing an Augmentation of that Province's Forces from 1000 to 2000 Men. I wish I could entertain the same hopes of the proceedings. of the Colonies to the Southward and Westward of the New Jerseys for promoting his Majesty's Service, as I have of the others: I have wrote most pressing Letters to them all, founded upon the Example set them by the Massachusetts Bay, and the Necessity of his Majestys Service.1 As his Majesty's Sloop Hornet will Sail for England in a few Days, I Shall have the Honour, Sir, to write more at large to you by that Opportunity; and would only add here that Lt. Colonel Ellison, whom his Majesty was pleas'd to appoint Colonel of the late Sir Peter Halket's Regiment being dead, the Command of that Regiment is again vacant; and As this Appointment of his Majesty hath not taken Effect, I think it my Duty not to post to that Command, as my Commission allows me to do, but let it continue vacant untill the Arrival of his Majesty's Commission to fill it up; begging leave in the mean time to express the very great Opinion I have of Lt. Colonel Gage as an Officer, who would discharge his Duty in that Post, if such should be his Majesty's pleasure, with the greatest Honour and good Abilities. I have the Honour to be with the Highest Respect, Your most Humble, and most Obedient Servant. W. SHIRLEY. P.S. Preparations of all Kinds are making in this Government with the utmost Vigour for opening the Campaign as early as possible in the Spring against Crown Point. Rt. Honble. Henry Fox, one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State} Endorsed: Boston Febry. 24th. 1756. GOVR. SHIRLEY. R. April 21st. 1 See Shirley to Sharpe, Dec. 30 and Feb. 23, ante, pp. 370 and 396. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL 1 SIR, Boston, Febry. 26th, 1756. Mr. Alexander waits upon you with the late General Braddock's Appointment of me to the Command of the Expedition against Niagara; By which you will find I have no Allowance made by him for my own Pay as Commander in Chief, or Staff Officers settled for me; that was done by H. R. H. the Duke at Home; I find likewise upon Perusal of General Braddock's Letters to me that a Major General can't take the Field with a less Command than that of two Regiments of Regulars; and that his taking a Command consisting of Provincial Regiments without two of the Kings Regiments join'd with them is irregular, and no Staff is ever granted for such a Command. The parting with two of the Regiments of Regulars to you would reduce me to the same Force, I had with me at Oswego the last Year which was two weak for me to act with upon Lake Ontario at that Time; And as for that Reason, and likewise on Account of the Opinion and Advice of the Councils of War which I held at New York, that was given me upon this Article, And the Letters I have wrote to the Secretaries of State and War concerning the Force I would proceed with to Oswego this Year Which Letters had slipt my Memory when we talk'd together; Sparing two Regiments of Regulars would expose me to Censure, I don't think it in my Power to do it. I never proposed your going without one Regular Regiment at least and that upon having a Provincial One given me in the Room of it which I find from yourself and Others, the Assembly will find Difficulty in doing: But their consenting to that would not make the Matter regular. As these Matters turn out thus upon my Perusal this Morning of my Papers relative to them, I thought it neces 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. sary to apprize you of them for your own Consideration: For it would expose and hurt both of us to do an improper Thing in so delicate an Affair. I am with great Truth and Esteem Copy of a Letter from Majr. Genl. Shirley to Sir Willm: Pepperrell, Boston, Septr: [sic] 26th: 1756. in Sir W: Pepperrell's Letter of April 19th: 1756. SIR WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS 1 Boston, 29th February, 1756. Yesterday late in the Evening I received the Favour of your Letter dated the 16th Instant, inclosing a Copy of the Assemblys Address to you on the 11th containing a Remonstrance against the Practice used at present by the officers now recruiting within your Province of entertaining indented Servants. Though I have very lately wrote to you Sir upon this Head, and might rest the point in dispute upon your very reasonable, just and clear Answer to the Address, yet at the Instance of your Assembly to lay the Matter complained of before me for my Consideration I have reconsidered it, and 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Inclosed in Shirley to Fox, Mar. 8 (first letter). See also 1 Penna. Arch. 2, 587, and Arch. of Md. 31, 106. A transcript is in the Library of Congress; and see Morris to Shirley of Feb. 16, ante, p. 391. For the royal warrant of George II apportioning £115,000 among the Colonies and dated Mar. 3, 1755, see N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 543. |