BY WILLIAM SHIRLEY- PROCLAMATION1 By his Excellency William Shirley, Esq. Whereas it appears to me that his Majesty has been pleased by his Royal Warrant bearing date the twelfth day of December 1743, in the seventeenth year of his Reign, to constitute and appoint his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. his Majesty's Governor of New Hampshire to be surveyor general of all his Woods within the Colonies & Plantations in America, and whereas the said Benning Wentworth Esq. has signified his desire that I would issue my Warrant to the proper officers within this Province (and more especially within the county of York) to do what may be necessary on their Part for the assistance of himself & his Deputy Surveyors in the Execution of their office: I do therefore hereby require all his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs & other his Majesty's officers within this Province (& more especially in the county of York) whom it may concern, to give all necessary assistance to the said Benning Wentworth & his Deputy or Deputies in the due Execution of their office agreeable to the several acts of Parliament and the Laws of this Province relating to the same, That so his Majesty's Royal Pleasure and Intention therein for the Preservation of his Woods within this Province & the Prevention of all Waste & spoil thereof may be rendered effectual: for wch this shall be a sufficient Warrant. Given under my Hand & Seal at Boston the fourteenth day of January 1744, in the eighteenth year of His Majesty's Reign. W. SHIRLEY. 1 Original Manuscript Correspondence in Office of Secretary of State of New Hampshire. Printed: N. H. Prov. Papers 5, 223. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS1 GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF Representatives, Being informed that the same spirit which appears in the Subscribers to the Petition herewith laid before you, prevails all over the maritime parts of the Province, I would recommend it to you (notwithstanding you have lately declared to me your sentiments in general upon the matters contained in the Petition) inasmuch as a particular scheme for effecting the Enterprize therein mentioned is proposed by some Gentlemen (as the Petitioners suggest) to give those Gentlemen an hearing by a Committee of both Houses, or otherwise as you shall judge most proper, upon the practicableness of their particular proposal, & to determine upon it according as it shall appear to you upon the inquiry. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS 2 GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, As the more I consider the proposed Expedition for reducing Cape Breton, the more I am persuaded Three thousand men could be safely landed upon the Island for that purpose, tho all attempts for taking it by surprise should fail of success; that such a body of Forces with a train of 1 This message was delivered to the Assembly on Jan. 19, 1744-5. Mass. Arch., Court Records, 17, 4, 649. It accompanied a petition from "Benjamin Marston Esqr and a great number of others Inhabitants of Marblehead, shewing the practicableness of an Expedition against Cape Breton and praying that the Court would engage in it." See the message of Jan. 23 following. "This message was delivered to the Assembly on Jan. 23, 1744-5. Mass. Arch., Court Records, 17, 4, 654. It is referred to in the Action of the Assembly on Jan. 25, as of Jan. 22. See post, p. 169. Artillery that might be sent from hence, must remain at least Masters of the Field, not only against the regular troops and other fighting men, computed to be actually resident at this season of the year within the walls of Louisbourg (which do not jointly exceed the number of nine hundred men in the whole) but also against such a Reinforcement as may with any probability be expected to be sent from old France in the spring to strengthen that garrison, in case it should happen that those recruits should be thrown into the Town, notwithstanding the opposition of any Naval force we should be able to muster up in these parts to prevent it. As I am persuaded, I say that Three thousand men, if landed as soon as possible after they can be raised, would remain at least Masters of the Field against the enemy, tho any scheme for a surprise and all other attempts for reducing the Town of Louisbourg should fail of success (which yet thro the blessing of Divine Providence upon our Arms might in the meantime be expected) till they could be supported by a Naval Force and troops from England sufficient to secure the reduction of the whole Island to the obedience of His Majesty; which succour I think, could not be reasonably doubted of, if His Majesty is seasonably apprized of the certainty of our attempt; for doing which I should use my best endeavours to send proper intelligence to Great Britain, as well as to the Commanders of His Majesty's Squadrons in America, from some or others of whom also we might probably have some Naval force seasonably sent for our assistance upon such an occasion; I think it my duty once more to recommend to you, in the strongest terms, to lay hold on the present favourable opportunity, which Providence seems to have put into our hands, of securing to the Province, by the single reduction of Cape Breton, every advantage which can contribute to its prosperity both by land and sea, and for embracing which opportunity so general a spirit in the people seems happily to be raised. I am sensible, Gentlemen, that in order to make our levies upon this occasion more expeditious and successful some reasonable pay or bounty should be proposed for the en couragement of Voluntiers to enlist for the service of this expedition and that the expence of it will be very considerable; but as all the neighboring Colonies will share in the success, in a greater or less Degree in case we do succeed, and Great Britain it self will also reap most valuable benefits to her trade from it, I think we have the utmost reason, from our past experience of His Majesty's Royal bounty and tenderness for the welfare of his subjects within this Province, to rely upon his Royal goodness, that this Province shall not finally bear more than its just & reasonable proportion of the burthen. And in the meantime I should think that upon our Application to the Governments of New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut & Rhode Island, which I should not fail to make in the strongest manner I can for their assistance of us in this expedition both with Sea and Land forces, that we might reasonably depend upon their furnishing their respective Quotas toward this enterprize; in the success of which the Interest and welfare of their Provinces and Colonies are likewise very nearly concerned as well as that of this Province. MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT Province of the Massachusetts Bay The Committee of both Houses upon the Subject of His Excellency's Messages of the 19th & 22d Instant make the following Report vizt. That they have been attended by two Gentlemen, who have lately been prisoners at Louisburgh & by others who have been traders there & who are well acquainted with the 1 On Jan. 9, 19, and 23 (although referred to as Jan. 22), 1744-5, Governor Shirley placed the scheme of an attack upon Cape Breton before the General Court, and on Jan. 25 the action here recorded was taken (Mass. Archives, Court Records, 17, 4, 657-659). It was forwarded by the Governor to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut with his letters of Jan. 29, post, pp. 171, 172, 177. Place from whom the Committee have received information that the Garrison there does not consist of more than five or six hundred regular Troops & that there are not above three or four hundred fighting Men of the Inhabitants, that they have but a small Stock of provisions, That they have no Vessels of Force in their Harbour, & that the place is at this Time less capable of being defended against an Attack than its probable, it will ever be hereafter. The Committee therefore are of Opinion that it is incumbent upon this Government to Embrace this favourable Opportunity to Attempt the reduction thereof: And they humbly propose that His Excellency the Captain General be desired to give forth his Proclamation to Encourage the Enlistment of three Thousand Voluntiers under such [proper] Officers as he shall appoint, That each person so enlisting be allowed Twenty five Shillings month & that there be delivered to Each man a Blanket, that one month's pay be Advanc'd & that they be entitul'd to all the Plunder; That Provision be made for the furnishing of necessary Warlike Stores for the Expedition; That four Months Provisions be laid in; That a Committee be appointed to procure & fit Vessels to serve as Transports to be ready to depart by the beginning of March, & that a suitable Naval Force be provided for their Convoy as this Court shall hereafter Order; That Application be forthwith made to the Governments of New York, the Jerseys, Pensylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut & Rhode Island to furnish their respective Quotas of Men & Vessels to Accompany or follow the Forces of this Province In the Name & by Order of the Committee WM PEPPERELL In the House of Representves Jan. 25, 1744 Read and Accepted. Sent up for Concurrence T. CUSHING Spkr In Council Jan. 25, 1744 Read & Concur'd Consented to J WILLARD Secry W. SHIRLEY. |