WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO SIR THOMAS ROBINSON

SIR,

[Extract]1

Boston, New England, May 8th, 1754

I have not dwelt, my Lord, so long upon the State of the French Incroachments, and English Settlements in Nova Scotia, in order to convince your Lordship of the Necessity of removing the former before a Rupture shall happen with France; That would be needless: Your Lordship did me the honor to inform me at Horton fully of your Sentiments upon that point; But my intent is to submit it to your Lordship's consideration, whether it is not high time, that it should be done, as soon as may be. It seems certain that it will grow more and more difficult, if not soon done.

It would have been much more practicable to have dislodg'd the French from St. John's River, before they had fortified themselves upon it, and gain'd such an Influence over the Indians there, as they now have; and to have drove them off the Isthmus, before they had any Cannon or Fortress upon it.

However, tho' at present it might be no easy matter for His Majesty's Troops, with their present strength in Nova Scotia, to reduce the French Fort at Beau Sejour by assault, as they have three Bomb-Proofs within it, yet I am assured by the Commandant of Fort Lawrence, as well as other Officers of it, that it is practicable for them, with the assistance of 1000 Men from New England, (if that should be rather approved of than transporting the like Number of Troops from Europe,) to distress their Garrison so much, by cutting them off from all Supplies of Provisions and Water, (which last they are oblig'd to fetch half a Mile from their Fort, not being able after many attempts to find any within it) that they could not hold out long.

1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32736, 259. A transcript is in the Library of Congress.

It seems not to be doubted but that the Force I have before mention'd, might enable the Kings Troops to make themselves very easily Masters of the small Fort at Gaspero, and the Town of Bay Vert, and hinder Provisions or other Stores from being landed there, or transported to Beau Sejour; as also of the small French Fort on the point of Land between the Rivers Amrancook, and Petcoject [sic] the Village of Westcough, and the point of Wood near it, with all the French Settlements along the Coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence between Bay Vert and the Gut of Canseau, where Provisions, stores, or Troops may be landed.

The Reduction of the French Settlements upon the River St. Johns seems still easier; Besides the practicableness of cutting them off from all Supplies of Stores and Provisions, (it being agreed on all hands to be impracticable for them to receive any from Canada down the River, on account of the many falls and Carrying-Places near the head of it) the two small Forts near the mouth of it, supposing both of them to be garrison'd, and mounted with Cannon, which I believe is not the case, may be soon reduc'd by Ships; They are not more than two miles and an half up the River, where they stand opposite almost to each other in water deep enough for large Ships of War to ride in, and where the River is not much more than a Musquet Shot over. The Fort or Forts here in Oliver Cromwell's time were taken by Ships.

When the French were drove off the Isthmus, and out of the River St. Johns, it would be very easy to secure the whole Peninsula and Bay of Funda.

As to the former, the Revolt of the Inhabitants of Chignecto to the French might in such case be made a favorable Circumstance, as it hath left a large Tract of rich Lands. capable of maintaining 1000 Families, which if settled with Protestants from New England, who would make the best Settlers there, or from the North of Ireland, who would be the next best, or from old England, with a strong large Fort and Garrison behind them, between Bay Vert and Beau Basin in the Bay of Chignecto, with one or more Block

houses on each side, would not only be a good Barrier against the French of Canada, but by cutting off all Communication between them and the Indians of the Peninsula, make the latter wholly dependent upon our own Truck-houses for all necessary supplies, and soon beget in them an attachment to the English. This propos'd Settlement in Chignecto, and Fort upon the Isthmus would likewise very much conduce. towards reclaiming the Inhabitants of Minas and Annapolis. River to a due sense of their Allegiance to his Majesty, and proper disposition towards his Government, by a constant inspection of their behavior, promoting Traffick and all manner of Intercourse between them and the English, gradually introduce the English manners, customs, and language among them; which, with the help of some French Protestant Minister residing there, capable of teaching the English Tongue, and some Privileges or Exemptions allowed to those, who should send their Children to learn English, and be instructed in the Protestant Religion, or at least to do one of them; prohibiting French Missionary Priests to reside. amongst them, and allowing them in their stead one or more Romish Priests in each district, of another nation, for the publick Exercise of their Religion, at least for some years, might in a few Generations make them good Subjects; which they would naturally incline to be, when they found the English would remain Masters of the Province and they could depend upon his Majesty's Government for protection both against the French and Indians; In such case Intermarriages would naturally be introduced, and they would in the end become wholly English.

The continuance of the Inhabitants of Chignecto in that district ever seem'd so dangerous to me, that upon being order'd by the Duke of Newcastle to form a Plan of a Civil Governmt for the Colony, and to transmit my sentiments to him of what was necessary to be done for the security of it, I propos'd in my letters to his Grace, and to the Duke of Bedford his Successor, the removal of the Accadians from Chignecto, and placing them near the Fort of Annapolis Royal, where they might be properly look'd after, planting

the district of Chignecto, with Inhabitants, whose fidelity to the English Government might be depended upon, and erecting a strong Fort upon the Isthmus.

I am sensible, my Lord, what additional Strength the loss of these Rebel Subjects will give to the French; But considering their extreme ill behavior, and the hazard of suffering them to return to their Possessions again upon their former Terms, I would submit it to Your Lordship's Consideration whether above one half at most should be permitted to return to their Lands; and even those upon the Terms of taking the Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty without any exemption from bearing arms in defence of his Government; and the other half of their Lands planted with English Settlers to be interspers'd among them.

The good Consequences of ridding the Isthmus and St. John's River of the French would, my Lord, soon extend to the Settlements at Halifax and Lunenburgh; the former of which would in a short time draw a settled Fishery to it (one of the most essential Sources of it's wealth) as well as other Settlers from the neighbouring Colonies, with little or no expence to the Nation.

For securing the possession of the Bay of Funda it seems necessary, my Lord, to fortify the Rivers of St. John's and Pentagoet. The French, whilst they held Accadie, before Oliver Cromwell dispossess'd them in 1652, maintain'd Forts upon these Rivers, as well as at Annapolis Royal, and the English afterwards kept Garrisons in them, until the Province was restor❜d to the French by King Charles the 2d in 1667.

The necessity that the English should make themselves intire Masters of these Rivers is evident; The French have a communication thro' them with the Bay of Funda, and as they are grown stronger in Canada, than they were in Oliver Cromwell's and King Charles the 2d's time, it seems more necessary to secure the possession of these Rivers now, than it was then.

If the French have erected a new fort 60 miles up St. Johns River, it seems likewise necessary for excluding them from

every part of it, that besides maintaining one Fort near the mouth of the River, where the two old French Forts were built, either the new French Fort, when they are dislodg'd, should be kept garrison'd, or another strong one erected there, or else higher up, The French Settlers be turned off (to prevent the same dangerous consequences of their being. suffer'd to remain there, as have been experienc'd from the Accadians upon the Peninsula) and English Settlements encouraged upon the River.

If the general Assertion is well founded, that it is impracticable to transport military stores or Provisions down this River, the reduction of the new French Fort would be an easy Conquest.

These Proceedings, my Lord, besides contributing greatly towards the security of the Bay of Funda, and regaining a rich Furr trade, would make the St. John's Indians dependant upon us, and be a great Curb to Canada.

I can't learn that the French now have or ever had any settlement high up the River Pentagoet; the maintaining therefore one Fort at the mouth of it, as was done formerly, seems to be sufficient; And this, besides contributing to the security of the Bay, would keep the Penobscot Indians inhabiting that River in an absolute dependance upon us.

The next great River, my Lord, which it is of the utmost importance to secure the possession of is Kennebeck, within the limits of my own government; and for doing this, Your Lordship will perceive by the Message of the General Assembly to me in answer to my Speech to them upon this head, that I have prevail'd upon them to enable me to build a new Fort, higher up the River, where I shall think proper, and to raise 500 Men (which I have done) for removing any French Fort, which may be found upon it, or upon the carrying place between that and the River Chaudiere; which, after a course of about 70 miles, falls into the River St. Lawrence, at about a league and an half above the city of Quebec; I purpose accordingly to go to the Eastern Parts with this party in about a month; and to use my best endeavours to effect what they have requested of me.