Stores for the Service aforesaid, are hereby required to follow Your directions untill further Orders. And Whereas I have order'd James Fairservice with a Company of Carpenters, and Labourers to proceed to the Clearing and Mending the Passage between Schenectady and Oswego, and to mend the Falls, Rifts, Shoals, and carrying places between the Same; You are from time to time to give the said James Fourservice [sic] such further Instructions and directions as you shall find necessary for Carrying into Execution, the Instructions I have given him, a Copy of which is herewith, and the said James Fairservice and his Company are hereby required to Obey such Orders and directions, as they shall receive from you for doing the same, or any other further Service You shall think necessary, when that is compleated. And Whereas I have propos'd to Johan Jost Petrie Esqr. to provide a Sufficient number of Waggons and Sleds, at the two carrying places at Conojohara Falls, and the Oneida Carrying place; a Copy of which proposals you have herewith, and if you find the said Petrie has not compleated a proper Supply of Waggons, and Sleds, you are to endeavour to get him to Supply the same, and if you find him deficient therein, you are to Employ or Contract with such persons to fullfill the Same in such manner that there may be no Insufficiency of Carriages, at those Carrying Places. And in as much as there is not Store houses Sufficient at Oswego for containing the Provisions and Stores necessary for the Service there, nor any Boards there for erecting the same, you are therefore to order four Boards to be put into each Whale boat at Schenectady, And on your Arrival at Oswego, you are to Erect such Sheds, as will be necessary to receive the Same. And Lastly as many unforeseen events may happen in the Execution of the Important extensive Work, hereby put under your direction, and altho' they may not be particularly mentioned herein, you are to use your best Judgment and discretion in every Point relating to the Service herein mention'd. Nothing herein contain'd, to be Construed to Interfere with the Department of the Quarter Master General. Given at Boston the 17th: day of March 1756. [SEAL] WILLIAM SHIRLEY Esquire Captain Genll and Governour in Chief in and over his Majestys Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. TO ISRAEL WILLIAMS Esqr Greeting, Whereas it is thought necessary that application should be made to the Colony of Connecticut for a Sufficient Number of Soldiers in their pay And Subsistance to be raised and Posted at Stockbridge and Pontoosuck for the Protection and Defence of those Places. Reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty ability and good Conduct I do by these presents constitute and appoint you the said Israel Williams to repair to Hartford in the Colony of Connecticut as soon as may be and on your Arrival there to Apply yourself to the Honble Thomas Fitch AD. S., Mass. Hist. Society, Col. Israel Williams Manuscripts, 71 D, 207. See also Shirley's appeal to New Hampshire and Rhode Island for troops, N. H Piov. Papers, 0, 498, and Kimball, Corres. R. I. Govs. 4, 201–203 (Mar. 10, 1750), Esqr Governour and in his Absence to the Committee of War of that Colony for a Sufficient Number of Soldiers to be raised and sent by that Government to Stockbridge and Pontoosuck for the Protection and Defence of the Inhabitants of those Places in their Pay and Subsistance; and you are fully to represent the Necessity of this Measure as it will afford equal Protection to the Frontiers of that Colony as to those of this Province; you must urge their Complyance herewith in Consideration of the great Charge which Yearly arrises in this Province for its Defence; Return of your proceedings herein to be made into the Secretarys Office at Boston. In testimony whereof I have Caused the public Seal of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay aforesaid to be hereunto Affixed; Dated at Boston the seventeenth day of March 1756: In the twenty ninth Year of his Majestys Reign. W. SHIRLEY. By his Excellencys Command. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO JOHN WINSLOW 1 1 By His Excellency William Shirley Esqr. Instructions to John Winslow Esqr. Commander in Chief of all the Forces raised or to be raised within the Province 1 Copy inclosed in Loudoun to Henry Fox, Aug. 19, 1756. P. R. O., C. O. 5, 47, 121. On Mar. 29, 1756, Governor Shirley had written from Boston to Chief Engineer James Montresor in reference to the expedition against Crown Point: : "I now therefore desire Sir, that you will so dispose of the Brigade of Engineers, that I may have one or two for Crown Point, and a sufficient number for the Expeditions that may be carried on at and from Oswego." This letter to Winslow was written about the same time. See Wentworth to the Assembly of New Hampshire and its report as to troops for Crown Point, N. H. Prov. Papers, 6, 487, 502, 505. of the Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, New Jerseys, and Rhode Island, or other Provincial Troops from any of the Neighbouring Governments for the defence and Protection of His Majesty's Territories from any further encroachments of the French at Crown Point, and Upon Lake Iroquois commonly called by the French Lake Champlain, and for the removing the encroachments already made there. You are hereby directed to take upon you the Command of the Forces raised and to be raised within the Province of the Massachusetts Bay and to take care that they be properly Armed and Accoutered, and cause them as soon as Possible to March for the City of Albany, where you will be Joined by the Forces of the other Governments above named, of which also you are to take the Command, and with them. proceed to Lake George, and from thence to Crown Point, in the way you Judge most expedient, and to Oppose all persons by Force of Arms, either the Subjects of the French King, or Indians, or any other who shall appear to molest you on your way, and by every proper Method to reduce any Fortifications you shall find on the said Lake Iroquois or in your Passage thereto or places adjacent, more especially the Fort of Crown Point. And Finally you are to use the utmost Dispatch in Executing these Orders, and such other or further Instructions as you shall at any time hereafter receive from me or the Commander in Chief for the time being of all His Majestys Forces raised and to be raised in North America. And as it is impossible to foresee all the accidents that may happen, and therefore proper instructions touching them cannot be given, I refer you to your Prudence, and good conduct with the advice of your Officers to take the most proper measures to repel or destroy all His Majesty's Enemies, and reduce their Fortifications to His Obedience, And Act as you apprehend will be for the good of His Majesty's Service either in an offensive or defensive manner. W. SHIRLEY. Endorsed: Copy of Majr. Genl. Shirleys Instructions to Majr. Genl. Winslow, to reduce Crown Point. in the E. of Loudoun's Letter of Augt. 19th. 1756. SIR, HENRY FOX TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY 1 It having been represented to the King that your presence in England, may be very usefull and necessary to his Majesty's Service at this time, as you are able to give many lights and Information relative to the State of affairs in North America, I am to signify to you his Majestys pleasure, that as soon as you shall receive this Letter from Colonel Webb, who is appointed Commander-in-Chief in North America, you do repair to England with all possible Expedition, having first deliver'd to Col. Webb all such papers as relate to the King's Service. I am with great Truth and Regard, Sir, Your most Obedient H. Fox. P.S. That there may not be the least Delay, H. M. has given Directions to the Lords of Admiralty, who have order'd a Frigate to receive you on board, and proceed with you directly to England. H. F. 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 212. Printed: 1 Penna. Arch. 2,606. In a letter of Mar. 13 to Shirley (C. O. 5, 212), Fox had stated that the expedition against Niagara was to be laid aside and that Col. Daniel Webb had been appointed Commander in Chief in North America. In this letter Shirley was informed of his probable appointment as Governor of Jamaica. A circular letter of the same date (Docts. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y. 7, 75) gave the information of Shirley's recall to other governors. Fox continued Secretary of State until October, 1756, having succeeded Robinson on Nov. 25, 1755 |