with your Assembly in prevailing on 'em to vote an Encouragemt for 1000 Men,' and wish you Success in raising 'em, as I doubt not but you will. I am very sorry Mr Atkinson seems so backward to serve in this Expedition; I flatter'd my self, when I had the pleasure of seeing him here, that he was not averse to it; Nothing in my power shall be wanting to engage him in it; and if my representations of his Serviceableness and Consequence in it either to Lieutent. Genl. Saint Clair, or the Duke of Newcastle can be of any weight as very possibly they may to both, he shall have 'em in an hearty manner. I will use my utmost Endeavours that a party of the New Hampshire Men shall be employ'd by Land, and doubt not but a large party of 'em will. I will keep up a constant correspondence with your Excellency, and no Assistance in my power shall be wanting to you; particularly in the Affair of provisions; and am with very great regard and Esteem Sir Your Excy's most Obedt His Excellency Govr. Wentworth. W. SHIRLEY. 1 The underlining is by Wentworth. The report of the Committee of the New Hampshire Assembly provided for the enlistment of one hundred good effective men and that £60,000 be struck off for needed expense. In the act as passed there was substituted for the number one hundred the words "as many men as can be got ready to imbark by the last day of July next" (N. H. Prov. Papers, 5, 812-813). On June 2, Shirley had sent letters to the several New England governors (Kimball, Corres. Col. Gov. R. I. 1, 424; Conn. Hist. Soc. Coll. 13, 223-225), stating the support which Massachusetts would give the expedition and inclosing his own proclamation of encouragement to men enlisting for the campaign against Canada. Printed and manuscript copies of this proclamation were sent to England and are in the Public Record Office (C. O. 5, 45, pp. 146 and 277, and ibid. 901, p. 209). A printed copy is in the Mass. Hist. Society also. On June 4, Governor Law of Connecticut promised 600 men (Conn. Hist. Soc. Coll. 13, 227), which number was raised later to 1000. Parkman states that Rhode Island agreed to contribute 300 men, New York 1600, New Jersey 500, Maryland 300, Virginia 100, and that a popular movement in Pennsylvania furnished 400 recruits. ("Half Century of Conflict," Boston, 1892, 2, 169.) WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO BENNING WENTWORTH 1 SIR, Boston, June 8th, 1746. I am favour'd with your Excellency's by the post, in answer to which, as the Duke of Newcastle says expressly in his letter to me that I am to have the appointment of all the Officers for the men to be rais'd within this governmt except the Officer who is to have the General Command of the forces rais'd within the four governmts of New England (who is to be appointed by Genl Saint Clair) and that blank Commissions are to be sent me, (and no doubt to all his Majy's other Govrs. for the same purpose,) I apprehend it is very clear that the forces rais'd in each Governmt are not to be under Command of any field Officer, or Regimental Officer, but such as the respective Govrs. shall appoint;2 and I take it for Granted that field Officers are of course to be appointed. However I have not as yet lay'd my self under any Obligation or Promise in that respect; but tell those who inquire of me concerning this point that it is impossible for me to know how many Colonels and other field Officers Commissions I shall receive till I see the Commissions themselves. As you are to raise 1000 men, I think you 1 Original, A. L. S., Mass. Hist. Soc. Belknap Manuscripts, 61 C, p. 58. 2 The underlines are by Wentworth. The zeal of Shirley in this proposed expedition is conspicuous, as are the points which appealed to Wentworth. The underlinings by the New Hampshire governor show his anxiety to know with whom the advantage of military appointments was to rest. Wentworth had dismissed the New Hampshire Assembly on June 5, and was ready to appoint officers as soon as or even before troops should be raised. Ten days later Shirley wrote to the Duke of Newcastle thanking the Duke for recommending him to the command of General Richard Phillips's regiment and suggesting more definitely the removal of the French from Nova Scotia. can't well doubt of having the appointment of field Officers for 'em. I am sincerely Your Excy's most Obedt Humble Servant W. SHIRLEY. His Excy Govr. Wentworth. Surely there never was a number of Companies under che General Command specially appointed for that purpose, without any field Officers. WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE 1 Boston, June 18th, 1746. MY LORD DUke, Since I receiv'd your Grace's Letter dated the 9th of Aprill, I have the honour to receive that of the 14th of March informing me of the Imbarkation of Major General Frampton's Regiment for Louisbourg, the appointment of Mr Knowles to succeed Admiral Warren in the Government of Cape Breton, and of his Majesty's Commands to the Admiral and myself for concerting Measures for his Service at Boston, and transmitting our Opinion touching the Number of Forces necessary to be rais'd in North America for the reduction of Canada: And I am particularly oblig'd to your Grace for the Assurance, you are therein pleas'd to give me that you will recommend me to his Majesty for the command of Lieutenant General Phillips's Regiment, when it shall become vacant, which additional Instance of your Grace's Goodness to the other favours confer'd upon me I shall ever retain a most gratefull sense of: And I may assure your Grace that one of the principal motives, I had to desire I might succeed General Phillips in his Command, was the hopes I have of it's putting it in my power to promote his Majesty's Service in his Province of Acadie, or Nova Scotia by securing 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 901, p. 13. the fidelity and Allegiance of the Inhabitants there to his Majesty's Government in the best manner, and thereby preventing the French from making themselves masters of it, the Acquisition of which to them with the help of the Indians would likewise endanger the Loss of the Province of New Hampshire and the Mast Country to his Majesty with the hery of the Acadie or Cape Sable's Shoar, including that of Canso, to his Subjects here in present; and, should not Canada be reduc'd, would enable the Enemy to harrass and Diminish all his Majesty's Colonies on the Continent, and have an inevitable Tendency to make themselves masters of the whole of it in time; not to mention the continual Danger, which their possession of Nova Scotia would at the same time expose Cape Breton and even Newfoundland to. These Considerations have induc'd me to take the Liberty of submitting it to your Grace, whether it might not be for his Majesty's Service, that before the six Regiments to be employ'd against Canada return to England, orders may be sent that such part of 'em, as shall be thought necessary to assist in removing the most obnoxious of the French Inhabitants of Nova Scotia from thence, should be employ'd in that Service, which would not take up much time; I am not certain whether a sufficient strength might not be spar'd from the Garrison at Louisbourg a short time for this purpose which if it could, would make the assistance of any other Troops needless. . If your Grace should think this deserves so much of your Attention there will be time enough for transmitting his Majesty's Commands to me upon it before the present Expedition is over. I am with the most Dutifull Regard My Lord Duke Your Grace's most Devoted and most obedient Servant His Grace the Duke of Newcastle. Endorsed: Boston. June 18. 1746. Govr Shirley. W. SHIRLEY. WILLIAM SHIRLEY AND PETER WARREN TO WILLIAM GREENE 1 SIR, Boston, July 4th, 1746. Last week Mr. Warren came here in the Chester from Louisbourg in order to settle with Mr. Shirley (and Gen. St. Clair's Approbation when he shall arrive,) the plan of Operations for the Expedition against Canada, in the most speedy manner which the advanced season of the year requires to be done without the least loss of time; as it also does that all the governmts concerned in it, should push on the completing of the Levies and making the necessary preparations and dispositions for it within their respective Colonies with the utmost dispatch, and in doing which we think they should act with the utmost Vigor not regarding what they may esteem to be barely their just Quota and proportion of Men and Money in this Expedition but the Importance of the Enterprise towards either laying a most sure Foundation for the General Welfare and Prosperity of all these Colonies, or leaving them in so precarious a situation as may sometime or other expose them to be reduced under the Power and Subjection of the French, upon which account they should consider themselves as One Body united in the common Cause in which, if any one particular Colony should exert itself beyond either its just proportion or abilities, it may (we doubt not) be depended upon that the exceedings of such Colony will be made up to it, either by an average to be afterwards settled among all the Colonies 1 Printed R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 185. Much the same letter was written to Governor George Thomas of Pennsylvania (1 Penna. Arch. 1, 689) and to other governors. On July 8 Shirley and Warren wrote to Isaac Townsend at Louisbourg advising that ships be kept in the St. Lawrence because of the naval and land armament preparing at Brest. The letter of Townsend and Knowles to Shirley and Warren of July 13 gives an account of the defenses being prepared at Cape Breton. Both letters are in the Public Record Office, Admiralty Sect., Ins. Letters, 480. |