WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF MY LORD DUKE, Boston, N. Engld, July 7, 1744. Six days ago I caus'd to be embarqu'd on Board a Transport upwards of seventy of the Soldiers lately rais'd here for the Reinforcement of His Majesty's Garrison at Annapolis Royal, and to proceed the next day under Convoy of one of the Province Guard-ships for Annapolis, where I doubt not, from the Winds we have since had, but that they arriv'd two days ago. I was the more sollicitous to dispatch this part of the succour, because from the Intelligence I have lately receiv'd from Louisbourg, I have the strongest reasons to conclude that the French from that place have rais'd a party of five hundred Indians at Menies to be join'd by other forces in order to attack Annapolis Royal by land, for which purpose I have a certain Account that two large Mortars are shipp'd from Louisbourg with a large Quantity of Small Arms on Board one of the arm'd Vessells which took Canso and was seen to enter the Gut of Canso again about a Month ago; which Mortars can't be probably thought to be design'd for any other place than to be landed at Menies, and transported from thence thrô a good Road to Annapolis Royal: But as I understand the repairs of the Old Works of the Garrison have been carry'd on with the utmost Diligence by near an hundred Workmen under the Direction of Mr Bastide, and his Assistant, ever since the Garrison receiv'd the first Account which I sent them of the Declaration of Warr between the two Crowns on both sides, and the Garrison will have receiv'd a reinforcement of the above mention'd Soldiers, which will (I believe) be augmented with a further number from this place in a few days, I am in hopes the Enemy, in case they should attack it, will be disapointed. If it should unfortunately happen that the Soldiers from this place should arrive too late for the Assistance of the Garrison, which I hope will not be the case; it may be im1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 900, 94. puted to the Delay, which I suppose Captn Jelfe's picking up two Prizes in his passage to this place with the Packets from your Grace's Office containing the Declarations of Warr might occasion to his arrival here, and give the Enemy at Louisbourg the greater start of us. But the succour already sent will have been obtain'd from the Assembly, rais'd, transported and landed at Annapolis within less than six weeks after Captn Jelfe's arrival here, and my Dispatch in raising and transporting the Remainder of the Soldiers design'd for that place shall not be in the least slacken'd. Three days ago arriv'd here from Louisbourg a Flag of Truce with some of the Wives and Children of the Soldiers taken at Canso and five Men-prisoners sent chiefly for the sake of Piloting and Navigating the Vessell, and yesterday arriv'd here from the same place a Schooner (which set out in Company with the Flag of Truce) with Major Aldridge's Wife and family, and fourteen lame incurable Soldiers of the Canso Companies sent by the Governour of Louisbourg under the care of Lieutent Bradstreet belonging to one of the same Companies, who deliver'd me a Letter from Mr Duquesnel the Governour of Louisbourg concerning the Exchange of Prisoners. As this Letter contains terms of Indignity to his Majesty, which are Copy'd from the French King's Declaration of Warr, I hold it my Duty to transmit your Grace a Copy of it and of the Answer which I shall send to it, and of my Proceedings upon it, by the next Ship; and in the meantime inclose to your Grace a Copy of the Capitulation made by the Garrison at Canso, which was deliver'd to me by the Captain of the French Flag of Truce: The Preservation of Canso, besides the necessity of it for carrying on the New England Fishery, would be of great service to his Majesty as a most convenient harbour for any Ship that should be Station'd thereabouts to intercept all Trade and Provisions coming into Louisbourg, which would in a short time inevitably reduce that place to great Distress. By the two Inclos'd Acts, now transmitted to your Grace for his Majesty's Royal Approbation, your Grace will see what Incouragement I have induced the Assembly to give to Privateer Cruizers against the French: And under what a severe Penalty I have prevail'd on them to prohibit all Correspondence with the Enemy, and the Exportation of Provisions as well as warlike Stores to the French Colonies, which if duely observed, and the same precaution was us'd by the rest of his Majesty's Colonies, would very much distress the people of Louisbourg and Martinique in particular, where thô they have at present a plenty of Bread and Fish, yet they are in great want of all other Provisions (as we learn here from authentick accounts) and will soon be in great distress for want of Bread from the Numbers which resort to them from parts adjacent. By a Master of a Vessell now here, who was taken by the French Packet-boat that carry'd the French King's Declaration of Warr to Louisbourg, I learn that the Declaration arriv'd at Louisbourg the 5th of May O. S. and that the day following the Expedition begun to be fitted out against Canso; and that the French packet-boat brought Stores on Board of her for one of the two French Men of Warr said to be building at Canada. About a fortnight ago the Province Snow took and brought into this Harbour one of the two arm'd Vessells, which was employ'd in taking Canso: She is a Sloop, had ninety four Men on board including Officers, eight Carriage Guns and proportionable swivels and small arms, and was cruizing in this Bay, but had not taken any thing since she had been out: And I have now in this place One hundred & Twenty French Prisoners in the whole. I am with the most Dutifull Regards Your Grace's most Obedient & most His Grace the Duke of Newcastle. Endorsed: Boston. July 7, 1744 Govr Shirley B Augt 15th W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE LORDS OF (Duplicate) MY LORDS, TRADE1 Boston, July 25th, 1744. A. In my last which I had the honour to write to your Lordships I express'd my apprehensions of some Attacks being suddenly made upon the Garrison of Annapolis Royal, and that a few days before I had for that Reason dispatch'd away all the soldiers I had then raised here (being upwards of seventy) under Convoy of the Province Galley for the Reinforcement of it. That succour arriv'd at Annapolis the 4th Instant, and found the Garrison besieg'd by a Body of Indians with a French Priest & Officer at their head, for the Particulars whereof, and the present situation of the Garrison I beg leave to referr your Lordships to Mr Mascarene the present Comander in Chief's own account of it contain'd in two Letters to me, as also to Mr Bastide the Engineer's Letters, Extracts of which I enclose, and shall only mention here what the Captain of the province Galley further Inform'd me vizt. that the Indians had upon their first approach demanded of Mr Mascarene to surrender the Garrison; that they had almost kill'd all the Cattle that belong'd to the English, & that the Indians upon the first Appearance of the Galley & Transport Vessel under it's Convoy, thô wearing English Colours, were so confident of their being French & bringing 'em an expected assistance that they were coming towards the Shoar in order to meet the Soldiers at their Landing; but upon discovering their Mistake betook themselves to precipitate Flight. I have also to inform your Lordships that five days ago I sent under Convoy to the Garrison another Company of Soldiers consisting of Fifty three, Nine of which belonged to the Companies taken at Canso, & I had got cur'd of their indispositions so as to be very fit in the Opinion of two of 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 884, 447. A note on the manuscript states that the original letter was never received at the home office. their Officers for Garrison Duty; and that I depend upon sending to Annapolis in a few days Seventy more Soldiers raised here, which will consist chiefly of pick'd Indians and other men fit for ranging the woods under a very expert Officer for that Service, who has undertaken (and upon a probable scheme as it appears to me) to destroy and drive off all the Indians which have infested the Government of Annapolis, and are what are properly call'd the Cape Sable Indians, this next winter; for his Encouragement to do which, I have promis'd him, if he accomplishes the Service, to represent it to his Majesty. And upon the whole I have reason to hope that with the Assistance, which the Garrison. will have receiv'd from hence they may be able to Defend themselves for the present from any Attempt, which may be made against them, if no large Ships of Warr should attack 'em, even thô the French should send a Detachment of their Troops from Louisbourg, which it is not improbable may be their design, when the season of the year for an Expedition against Cape Breton shall be over; or thô the Cape Sable Indians should be reinforc'd with other Tribes, and make a strong push against the Garrison (as it is possible they may if not deterr'd from it by our own Indians and rangers) in the time of the deep Snows, which is a Season of the greatest Danger from them, the Trenches being then frequently fill'd and Levell❜d with the Ramparts by the sudden Snows; and I am the rather induc'd to hope the Garrison may be in a Capacity to defend itself as the early notice I gave 'em of a rupture with France made Mr Bastide instantly Desist from carrying on the New Works, & gave him near a month's more Time to put the old ones into the best repair they are capable of; and the Succours I then promis'd the Garrison kept the French Inhabitants in a proper respect and Awe, and procur'd the best Assistance, they could give the Garrison in carrying on the repairs; which might have happen'd otherwise, had they not receiv'd such a Visit and promise of Assistance from hence. B. I am also to enclose to your Lordships a Copy of Mons. Duquesnel's Letter to me, concerning the Exchange |