WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL 1 Boston, March 1st, 1745. SIR, Yesterday I was favour'd with yours and Mr Warren's joint Letter and his Separate one of 28th and 29th of January, and am much Concern'd at your Melancholy Account of the late Mortality and present Sickness in the Garrison; I pray God to put an End to both. Nothing has, or shall be wanting in me to press upon the Assembly in this Province, and the Neighbouring Governments the Necessity of their Providing Recruits to repair your great Loss, relieve the Soldiers now in the Garrison, and guard against all unforeseen Accidents which may happen to the Gibraltar Transports with the Troops in their Passage; Seven of which I have the Pleasure to inform you I have a Certain Account by one of their Pilots, just come from Virginia, are arriv'd safe there under Convoy of the Dover and Torrington, and that the Troops were in good health and Spirits only twelve of 'em having dy'd in their Passage: These Seven with that arriv'd at New York make up the whole of the Gibraltar Transports; The Kinsale I hear of a Certainty is arriv'd at St Kitts but without any of her Convoy, and I have had no advice of the Arrival of either of the Ordnance Store Ships (for which I shall be in pain) nor of any other of the Transports bound for Louisbourg except those mention'd in my last to you and Mr Warren by Bennet and Stinson. The Materials for the Barracks with fresh Provisions, Bedding and the other things mention'd in yours to be expected by you and Mr Warren from Messs. Apthorp and Sparrhawk, my Son informs me, are all Sent; As there is no List of the Druggs and Medicines wanted for the Sick, it will I am affraid be impracticable to furnish you with more than what may be Sent by Bennett, Stinson or the other Transports for your Garrison. 1 1 Original, L. S., Mass. Hist. Soc., Belknap Manuscripts, 61 C, p. 44. 2 Ante, p. 303. I am intirely of your Opinion with regard to the transporting of the French from St John's Island the ensuing Spring and shall endeavour to furnish you with small Vessells for that Purpose and Tyng shall assist in that and every other branch of his Majesty's Service in my Power to employ him with the Massachusetts Guard Ship. I am sorry to find such a general Disinclination in the New England Soldiers within the Garrison to enlist into either Your's or my Regiment, since we must very much depend on raising 'em in time, as Govr. Wentworth writes me Word in Answer to my Letter upon the Subject of raising Recruits to relieve their Countrymen in May, that he has not a Prospect of raising ten men within his governmt for that Service, and Govr. Clinton informs me that tho' he has been extravagant in offering a Bounty upon that Account, yet not a Man had enlisted within his whole Government: Pray God Send the Gibraltar Troops well to you, and defend 'em against the devouring Distemper's Contagion upon their Arrival, and that You and I may Succeed in our Levies upon this Continent, of which I begin to have a something better Opinion than I had at first, and am not without hopes that we may.1 Mrs Shirley joins with me and Judy and the rest of my family in their Complimts to you. I shall receive all your Commands with the utmost Pleasure and am with very great regard Sir Your Most Obedient Humble Servant. W. SHIRLEY. Sir William Pepperrell Baronett. 1 See Pepperrell's answer to this letter, on p. 312 post, of date Mar. 20. WILLIAM PEPPERRELL TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY1 SIR, Louisbourg, March 20th, 1745. Inclosed is a copy of my last to your Excelly, since which I am favoured with yours of the 1st of March, being the only line I have recd from you since your departure from hence; Bennet and Stinson by whom you mention to have wrote me being not yet arrived. I think it very happy that the troops from Gibraltar are arrived in so good order at Virginia, and hope they will get safe here in good season, and escape the contagion that has prevaild so much here, but through God's mercy is now greatly abated and most of the sick are recovering. I recd at the same time with your Excellcy's a letter from Col. Ryan in which was inclosed his Majesty's orders to me for raising a regiment but I have no acct what commissions I have to dispose of, which is a great disadvantage. However after having consulted with Brigr. Waldo and Capt. Bastide what terms of inlistment were best to agree upon, we proceeded to make tryal for both regiments in which we have succeeded beyond expectation, having already inlisted above three hund'd men, which gives me some encouragement, but I fear the levies will go on slowly in New England as so many of the officers are strangers. I have thought of sending up some officers to assist therein, there being some here that, I am persuaded, if I could insure them a Capt's commission could raise a company in a few days. We have recd from Messrs. This letter is printed in full in 6 Mass. Hist. Soc. 10, 467. Drafts of Newcastle's letters of Mar. 14 to the Governors of the Northern Colonies and to Shirley are in C. O. 5, 45, pp. 215 and 217. Here are given the regiments to be sent to Louisbourg and directions for a conference between Shirley and Warren as to the practicability of an attack upon the French settlements. Shirley was informed of the appointment of Commodore Charles Knowles to be Governor of Louisbourg and all the governors were called upon to exert themselves to the utmost to secure as many men and as large appropriation, from their assemblies as possible. See Newcastle to Shirley, Apr. 9, post, pp. 319-321 notes. Apthorp and Sparhawk part of the materials for the new barracks which we shall forward the building of with all possible dispatch, as we find they will be absolutely necessary for the accommodation of so great a number of troops as are happily destind for the protection of this place. I am glad your Excelly joins in opinion with Mr Warren and myself that the French should be removed from St Johns as soon as possible, which hope will be effected accordingly, and we are much obliged to you for the offers of assistance therein. We have heard nothing lately of any of the store ships expected here, but hope they are safe. There are such large quantities of ice floating on this coast that they may have been obliged to put away, if they have lately attempted to gain this port, and I wish nothing more may have happened to the missing vessells from New England. I hope the Kinsale will soon be here, on whose arrival I shall think of returning to New England as soon as possible. I now inclose to your Excelly an acct of the distribution of the fresh provisions sent by the Province for the sick in which I have endeavourd that all possible equity should be used, and hope it will be satisfactory. I am extremely obliged to your lady and good family for their complements, to wait on whom in N. E. will be no small part of my pleasure in returning. I am, your Excellcy's &c. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL1 SIR, Boston, April 1st, 1746. I think my self bound in friendship to advise you to inform yourself of the State of your Regiment in as particular a manner as you can, from Major Mercer, in whom I am perswaded you may safely confide, as a gentleman of great truth and honour. I should not have mention'd this in 1 Original, A. L. S., Mass. Hist. Soc., Pepperell Manuscripts, 71 B, p. 133. so particular a manner, if I did not think it would be much for your Service, and necessary for you to do. He will inform you, as far as you shall think fit to inquire, of Lieutent Sattie's Affair. Having mention'd my Sentiments of Major Mercer to you before, I need not say any thing farther concerning him than what I have above. I am with much truth and Esteem Sir, Your faithfull Humble Servant. W. SHIRLEY. Sir Wm. Pepperell Baront. WILLIAM PEPPERRELL TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY1 SIR, Louisbourg, April 6th, 1746. Inclosed is a copy of my last to your Excelly by Capt. Shreves, since which I am favourd with yours of Janry 15th and Febry 16th, and carefully observe the contents. Am much pleased to find that what I have mentiond in my late letters to your Excellcy, on the head of inlisting jointly here and in N. E. for the two new regiments is agreable to you, and am greatly obliged to you for the readiness you express equally to promote the service of both, in which I shall heartily join with you, and I intirely approve of the measures you have taken and propose to take for that purpose. The advantage which your Excellency observes will accrue by inlisting men on the spot here is what I have had in my mind, and I have accordingly done all in my power consistent with justice and honour to promote such inlistment, and I must confess our success therein has been much beyond my expectations, and I'm persuaded our having appeared to inlist here for seperate interests has been an advantage by stimulating the officers employed therein. to outvie each other in success. 1 Printed: 6 Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll. 10, 473. |