WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE BRITISH CROWN 1 To the King's most Excellent Majesty The Representation of Major General William Shirley's Services in North America refer'd to in his Petition. Most humbly sheweth, That the Governor of Cape Breton having immediately after receiving notice from France of the Declaration of War in 1744, fitted out an Armament from Louisbourg, which burnt your Majesty's Fort at Canso, made the Garrison prisoners of War, and destroyed the English Fishery there, your Majesty's petitioner, then Governor of the Massachussetts Bay in New England, in order to prevent Annapolis Royal (at that time the Capital of Nova Scotia) and the whole province from undergoing the same Fate with Canso, raised timely Succours for it's Relief, whereby they were preserved twice that year, when upon the point of falling into the Enemy's hands. That in 1745, upon gaining Intelligence that the French Commander had, soon after the Defeat of his Attempt against Annapolis Royal, embarked for France, in order to represent there the weak State of Nova Scotia, and propose the sending an Armament that year for the Reduction of it (in Consequence of which a Squadron of five Ships of War sailed from France the succeeding Summer upon an Expedition against it) Your Majesty's Petitioner, to counteract the Enemy's Designs, and save your Majesty's American Dominions from suffering so fatal a Loss, fitted out an Armament from Boston early in the Spring upon an Expedition against Cape Breton, in which an Acquisition was made of that Island to your Majesty's Dominions, before the arrival of the French squadron in America; And your Majesty's province of Nova Scotia was thereby again preserved, the French fishery destroyed and the English fishery restored and enlarged. 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32874, 282. Inclosed in Shirley to Newcastle, Sept. 24, 1757. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. That in the year 1746, the French having fitted out a large Squadron under the Command of the Duke D'Anville upon an Expedition principally against Nova Scotia, and Mr. de la Corne having that Summer entered the Province with a Body of 1700 Canadeans and Indians, and advanced within About two Miles Distance of the Fort at Annapolis Royal, in Expectation of the Assistance of the French squadron, Your Majesty's Petitioner, before it's Arrival in America, sent to Annapolis Royal a considerable Reinforcement of the Massachusets Troops, raised that Year for the Reduction of Canada; which again saved that province from falling into the Hands of the French; and the Care of that Government being then committed to him, he afterwards prevented the Acadeans from a total Defection, and joining the French in attacking Annapolis Royal, which they were upon the point of doing, and the province was intirely cleared of the Enemy before the End of the War. For the first of these Services done in 1744, your Majesty was pleased to honour your Majesty's Petitioner with declaring your Royal Approbation of them in your Majesty's Privy Council; for those done in 1745, with a Mark of your Royal Favour in giving him the Command of a Regiment to be forthwith raised by him in America; and as a proof of your Majesty's Intention to give him a further Mark of your Royal Favour for his Services done in 1746, it was signified to him by one of your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, that your Majesty had thoughts of appointing him Governor of Nova Scotia, to hold it with the Government of the Massachusets Bay. That in 1754, in order to put a Stop to the French extending their Settlements upon the River Chaudiere as far as the head of the River Kennebeck (which is within your Majesty's Territories) he induced the Assembly of the Province under his Government to raise 800 Men for an Expedition up the latter of those Rivers, and build a Fort upon it for it's protection against the Enemy, at the Province's Expence; which Service he personally attended, and, by renewing Treaties of peace with the Indians inhabiting those Parts, who were then upon the point of breaking out into Hostilities against the English, prevented the Designs of the French from taking Effect; for which Service your Majesty was likewise pleased to order your Royal Approbation of it to be signified to him. That having, soon after, received your Majesty's Orders to concert Measures with Mr. Lawrence, then Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, for attacking the French Forts in that Province, and dispossessing them of their Encroachments there, he raised 2000 New England Troops for that Service, provided them with Artillery, and dispatched them about the middle of May for Nova Scotia, where, in seventeen Days after their Arrival, in Conjunction with about 400 of your Majesty's Regular Forces of that Province, they attacked and reduced the French Forts upon the Isthmus, and cleared the Peninsula of those dangerous Encroachments; for which Service likewise he was honoured with your Majesty's Royal Approbation. That in the same year, your Majesty's Petitioner having received Intelligence, that the French designed to strengthen and extend their Encroachments at Crown point, and judging that the Operations then carrying on against them, would afford a favourable Opportunity to the Colonies for the Reduction of that Fort, and at the same time cause a Diversion of the French Forces in favour of the English Operations, he engaged the four Colonies of New England in an Expedition against it (to which the Province of New York afterwards acceded) to be carried on at their own Expence; which was accordingly done. That in April 1755, the late Major General Braddock, Commander in Chief of your Majesty's Forces in North America, ordered him to take upon him the Command of an Expedition against Niagara, with his own and Major General Sir William Pepperrell's Regiments then raising in America, which he did, and afterwards prevailed on the Province of New Jersey to strengthen it with a Regiment of 500 provincial Troops raised at that Government's Expence, and marched with them to Oswego, where he arrived the 18th of August, and stayed 'till the 24th of October, and at his Return to Albany had the honour to receive your Majesty's Commission, appointing him, upon the Death of General Braddock, to be General and Commander in Chief of your Majesty's Forces in North America. That in September 1755 he transmitted from Oswego to your Majesty's Ministers accounts of his whole proceedings there, containing the Reasons of his not going to Niagara that Year; and in December following from New York, the Plan of Operations, determined upon there, in a Council of War, consisting of Governors and Field Officers, for the Campaign in 1756, together with his whole proceedings to that time; All which as he was informed by a Letter, he received from one of your Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, were laid before your Majesty; and he had the honour to be therein acquainted, "that the new Disposition, your Majesty had thought proper to make of the Command of your Majesty's forces in North America, was not owing to any Dissatisfaction with his Services, but on the Contrary, it was your Majesty's Intention, as a Mark of your Royal Favour, to appoint him to be Governor of Jamaica." That your Majesty's Petitioner afterwards, during the Continuance of his late Command, exerted his best Endeavours for making preparations to carry the Plan of Operations, concerted at New York, into Execution, by raising Troops, providing timely Magazines of provisions, and Stores, both for Oswego and Lake George, and building Vessels and Whale Boats for your Majesty's Service on Lake Ontario, and procured a Body of 8700 Troops to be voted by the Colonies of New England and Province of New York for prosecuting the Expedition against Crown Point, 7000 of which were assembled on the northern Frontier of the Province of New York, between Albany and Lake George, when he quitted the Command, and were ready, with about 2000 of your Majesty's Regular Troops, to march to Tionderoge or Crown Point by the Middle or latter End of July, which, if they had done, would, in all probability, have facilitated the Reduction of Crown Point that year; and if Oswego had been strengthened with the whole Force, which your Majesty's Petitioner had provided and destined for the protection of it, and it was prevented from having by the Measures taken by his Successors, that important Place would doubtless have been preserved from falling into the Enemy's Hands. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF MY LORD DUKE, Conduit Street, Feby. 2, 1758. The Appointment to the Government of Jamaica being now perfected, according to your Grace's pleasure, I propose to present the Inclos'd petition to the King,2 provided it meets with your Grace's Approbation, upon which, and your Grace's Support of it, I place my whole Dependence for success. As your Grace was pleas'd, when I had the honour of waiting upon you last Week to give me a permission to wait upon. your Grace in this, for a short Audience, I beg your Grace to favour me with a very short one to morrow Morning as early, as would suit your Grace's Conveniency. I have the honour to be with the most Gratefull sense of your Grace's favours, and the most Dutifull respect, My Lord, Your Grace's most Oblig'd, and most Devoted Servant, His Grace the Duke of Newcastle etc. W. SHIRLEY. 1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32877, 315. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. 2 The petition was for the command of a regiment in the royal service, as the regiment formerly commanded by Shirley had been reduced. See Shirley to Newcastle, Feb. 10, opposite. Shirley was not a favorite with the Duke of Cumberland, who had been strongly prejudiced against him. |