to send this under Rous's convoy to Cape Sables. I shall write yr Excellency again by Capt Gayton. In the mean time, I am, your Excellency's, &c.

To his Excellency, &c., &c., &c.

W. P.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL

SIR,

[Extracts1]

Boston, June 3, 1745.

I had the pleasure of receiving your packet of the 19th, 20th, & 23d of May, giving me an account of your transporting your eight cannon of 22lb shott, & erecting a second battery within 200 yards of the west part of the town, both which I acknowledge are beyond my own expectations, thô I thought it prudent to send the two trains of artillery. I am very sensible of the extreme difficulty and fatigue wch must have attended the execution of these two things, wch are very considerable points gain'd agt the enemy, and I hope such a breach will be soon made in their gate and works as may afford an entrance by assault into that part of the town, when it shall be thought advisable to make one upon it, wch whenever it is done I could wish it might be in conjunction with the sea forces entring the harbour and attacking the town on that side, rather than by an assault by land only, wth the assistance of 1500 seamen landing for that purpose, as the Commodore proposes (with your consent), in case upon a General Council of land and sea officers it shall be thought not adviseable for the ships to enter the harbour, wch I should think could not have been a question in the least had the Island Battery been taken. . . . I congratulate you upon his taking the Vigilant, wch I am endeavouring to get mann'd from hence with the utmost dispatch, if possible to be done. This is an heavy blow indeed upon the enemy, and I hope may be follow'd with one or two captures soon of the same nature.

1 Printed in full: 6 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. 10, 252.

I appriz'd you in my last that the governmt of Connecticutt was raising 200 more men, and our Genl Court has voted 400 more. I shall strain hard for 500. Rhode Island has voted 150 more; and the New Hampshire sets to-day. The Jerseys has voted 2000lb in provisions, and another subscription is on foot at York. But the men is the material article, wch I shall hurry away with the utmost dispatch, but can't send 'em 'till some of our cruizers and transports arrive here from you, wch pray let us have. I am in some pain for Smethurst, as also least the 800 French and Indians wch were lately besieging the garrison at Annapolis Royal should surprize either Canso, or come by surprize on the back of our army before Louisburg, or get into the town. For preventing the first I think one of our 20 gun cruizers at least should be a guard to Canso, if not a detachment of 50 men at least, or 100 if possible to be spared, orderd to it, and a very good lookout kept by our cruizers round the island. I suppose Mr Bastide is arriv'd with you by this time, with the Assistant Engineer Combrune, his master smith, and two good gunners from Annapolis Royal. They set sail the 27th of May, and inform me that the siege was rais'd the 24th by order from Louisburg wch requir'd those Indians and Canadeans to come forthwith to the relief of the town, or to surprize Canso. Govr Mascarene writes me word that by the two vessells wch escap'd into Louisbourg harbour the enemy were advis'd of a 72 and three other large ships of warr, with two frigates of 36 guns each lying ready in Brest to sail wth the new Governour and Mr Duvivier for Louisbourg. Those advices doubtless gave the enemy resolution to hold out 'till the arrival of that armament. But I should think when they were appriz'd of the large ship's being intercepted by the Commodore (wch I shrewdly suspect must have the new Governour and Mr Duvivier in it, or at least one of 'em), and the others being in danger of sharing the same fate that it must lower their spirits & make 'em more flexible to terms of capitulation.

I am extremely glad that Annapolis Royal is at present out of danger. Had it been taken the inhabitants would have

instantly taken up arms, and made it difficult to have been retaken, and perhaps have come upon your back besides.

Notwithstanding I have but five days ago applied to you for the Assistance of your government in manning the Vigilant prize, for His Majesty's Service at Cape Breton, I find it necessary to trouble you with a second letter upon that Affair for although the General Assembly of this Province has granted a bounty of £3 in bills of the new tenor to each Volunteer that shall enlist and I have besides issued my Warrants for impressing Seamen for this Service, I find my endeavors will be to little purpose, whilst all mariners subject to be impressed here into His Majesty's Service, fly to Rhode Island to avoid it (as indeed has been long the practice) and are there sheltered and encouraged, where (I am credibly informed) there are at this time many hundreds of foreign Seamen daily walking the streets of Newport, whilst scarce one is to be found in Boston; from whence I am assured in particular that upwards of twenty have secretly fled towards your Colony from my Impress Warrants, within these last two or three days.3

This being the case Sir, I think it necessary to inform you

The last paragraph of this letter illustrates the prevailing opinion regarding the Acadians held at this time. A postscript is omitted. 2 Printed: R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 136. The resolutions referred to by Shirley were of June 1 and were as follows:

In the House of Representatives, June 1, 1745. Voted. That His Excellency, the Captain General, be desired as soon as may be, to cause to be impressed such seamen as are

of it, & as I have the honor of receiving (among other instructions from His Majesty upon this occasion) his express commands to supply Commodore Warren with what men and shipping he shall want for the protection of His Majesty's Subjects in his Northern Colonies, and the annoyance of his Enemies, and their Settlements in these Parts; and Mr. Warren has applied to me to furnish him with Seamen, to man the Vigilant for His Majesty's Service at Cape Breton, I hope you will excuse me if I repeat my Application to your Governmt for that purpose; and that particularly at so critical a conjuncture for His Majesty's Service, and the general interest of all his Northern Colonies (in which your own has a very considerable share) as the present emergency plainly is, you will exert yourselves in the most effectual manner, for furnishing Mr. Warren with Seamen, which I am satisfied it is in the power of your Governmt to do, either by offering the same bounty to volunteers as this governmt has done, or by impressing; and that you will not permit your Colony to be an Assylum to all mariners coming into New England, for screening themselves from His Majesty's Service, especially when Mr. Warren has offered all Volunteers the advantageous terms of entering into pay from the time of their enlistment, and being discharged if they desire it at the end of the Expedition, or his sooner return to Boston; which makes their declining to serve their King and Country upon this occasion wholly inexcusable. I am Sir,

Your Honour's obedient humble Servt.

To the honble Gideon Wanton, Esq.

W. SHIRLEY.

foreigners, belonging to all inward bound vessels, (coasting and provision vessels coming from the northward of South Carolina, on the Continent, excepted,) in order for manning the Vigilant, a ship of war, lately taken by the Hon'ble Commodore Warren, from the French; and that there be allowed and paid out of the public Treasury, the sum of £3, to every other able bodied man that shall voluntarily enlist himself in His Majesty's service, for the manning the said ship, the Vigilant, to make up in the whole, with those impressed, the number of three hundred men.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO JONATHAN LAW

[Extract1]

Boston, 15 June, 1745.

SIR,

I have just now receiv'd Letters from General Pepperrell & Commodore Warren, by which I learn that altho' we have suffered some Loss of men (between 100 & 200) in an Attack of the Island Battery, wch miscarried, yet that we have obtained considerable Advantages agst the Enemy in taking several of their provision Vessels, & worsting them in some Skirmishes, our parties have had with them, & by the Intelligence they have recd from Prisoners, wch is confirmed by other Circumstances, the Enemy are short of Provisions & Ammunition, But as the Number of our Men there are not equal to the Greatness of the Enterprize, & therefore the Duty is heavy on the Officers & Soldiers they press importunately for at least three thousand Land Troops as absolutely necessary to reinforce them, & a considerable Number of Seamen for manning the Ship Vigilant. . . . I do assure you that I find the Assembly were well spirited to support the Expedition to their utmost, and that they will do all that they can to furnish the necessary Recruits, but it is not possible nor can it be expected that we should answer these Demands of Recruits without very great Assistance from our Neighbors.

We hear nothing of our Transports coming from Cape Breton, and are taking up fresh Transports for our own Troops here, & are afraid there will be a Necessity for your doing the same, tho' we hope you may depend upon Convoy wch we expect every day from thence.

1 Original, Conn. Hist. Soc., Law Papers, 1, 366. Printed: ibid. Coll. 11, 302. A similar letter to Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire is in N. H. Prov. Papers, 5, 947, and to Governor Wanton of Rhode Island in Corres. Col. Govs. of R. I. 1, 346. See also Pepperrell to Shirley of June 5, 1745, in 6 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. 10, 261, and Shirley to Colonel Thomas Bowen of June 19 in Boston Public Library.