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Marquis Beauharnois, Governor of Canada, a copy whereof, I now enclose; by perusing which, you will understand that I wrote to him a letter, dated the 18th of March last, therein proposing a general exchange of prisoners, without having a regard to the inequality of numbers on either side; and that each Governor should bear the charge of the transportation of their own prisoners.

This I undertook (absolutely) only for myself, yet presuming it would be acceptable to all the rest of the English Governors; and in consequence of which, the said Governor of Canada has now released all the English prisoners with him, except a few that were not in such health as to allow them to be transported without danger; and that the said Governor does fully agree to my proposal, expecting that the other Governors will also come into this agreement, desiring that I should let him know their resolutions by the return of this flag of truce, which is limited to the term of fifteen days for his stay here, which will expire the last of this month.

Therefore, I must entreat Your Honor to send me your answer upon these points by this express, that I may forward it to the Governor of Canada, agreeably to his desire expressed to me in his letter; and as there are now, and may be hereafter, English prisoners belonging to Great Britain and other places, at a distance from these provinces, brought in by the flags of truce, it will be expected that your government will bear their part of this charge, so that it may not be wholly thrown upon this.

And I must further desire that you would appoint some agent here, who may from time to time answer for the charge of any English prisoners of your province, that may be released from captivity, in pursuance of this agreement, and La Groix, had broken his parole. Speaking of him, General Beauharnois says: This gentleman, "by his services and good qualities, had merited some distinction from me; but I cannot but disapprove his having broken his parole, as you assure me he had done. He can blame nobody but himself, that he was put under a more close confinement. I am nevertheless obliged to you for your goodness to him, on my account. This particular he has not failed to inform me of."

brought in hither; and as there are now brought in this flag of truce six prisoners, that you would be pleased to take such measures, that in proportion to the number aforesaid, your province may bear their part of the charge of this flag of truce; you will also send me your answer respecting the Governor of Canada's proposal, as to the purchasing prisoners out of the Indians' hands.

I have likewise enclosed a copy of the agreement made for the hire of this flag of truce, which you will find to be 10,000 livres. I am,

Sir, Your Honor's most Obedient and most humble

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The French Declaration, of which the inclos'd is a Copy, did not come to my hands till I had finished the letter, which accompanies it: And I send it your Grace, as it may serve to shew the Views of the French with respect to Accadie, the Dependance they have upon the Dispositions of the Inhabitants, what advantage they propos'd to themselves from the New England Levies under the Command of the late Lieutent Col. Noble's quitting Menis by Capitulation, and the necessity there was of my sending the last Detachment of soldiers to Mr Mascarene to take repossession of Menis, and make the Inhabitants of it renew their oath of fidelity to his Majesty which had its desir'd Effect.

I am with the most Dutifull regard
My Lord Duke,

Your Grace's Most Devoted,

and Most Obedient Humble Servant,

1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 901, 143.

W. SHIRLEY.

2 This letter, of Aug. 18 (C. O. 5, 901, 140), contained the flag of truce and communication from Governor Beauharnois referred to on p. 394.

WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE DUKE OF

MY LORD DUKE,

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The Bearer Capt. Shirley of my Regiment (my youngest son) will have the honour of delivering, together with this, to your Grace a Duplicate of Governour Knowles's Packet, which he sent Express by Major Mercer of Sir William Pepperells Regiment three Months ago from Louisbourg, containing an Acct. of the late Tumult, which happen'd in the Garrison upon his Publishing His Majestys Orders among the Soldiers for making a Stoppage out of their Pay for their Provisions.

Mr. Knowles had charg'd another Officer, who had obtain'd his Leave to go to England from hence with the care of 'em; But as he had Countermanded that Officer's Leave, and desir'd me to take his packets from him, and forward 'em to your Grace, I have committed 'em to the care of my Son, who arriv'd here yesterday from the Garrison with other Officers upon the recruiting Service, in Order to raise men for Compleating mine and Sir William's Regiments out of the New American Levies pursuant to His Majesty's Commands signify'd to me by your Grace in your Letter of the 30th of May: But as I have Officers enough with me for that Duty, without my Son, and the safe delivery of Mr. Knowles's Packets with the speedy return of His Majesty's pleasure upon 'em, is an Affair of great Consequence to His Majesty's Service in the Garrison, I have dispatch'd my Son with 'em to New York in order to take his passage there in His Majesty's Ship Scarborough for England, where I hope he will safely Arrive with 'em.

He is under Orders (if he should be permitted to stay in England till that time) to return to his Duty in the Garrison next Spring, unless he should be favour'd with his Majesty's

1 B. M., Additional Manuscript 32712, 466. A transcript is in the Library of Congress.

leave to be absent longer in order to make a Campaign in Flanders for Experience: And as that is the best School for a young Officer, and, I flatter myself, he is very desirous of qualifying himself for His Majesty's Service in the Field in the best manner he can, I shall be Oblig'd to Your Grace for Procuring him that Honour. I would not have him be absent from his post upon any other account whatsoever longer than the Spring, being desirous of his Confining himself close to his Duty.

As he was in the Garrison, when the Mutinous Disorder happen'd among the Soldiers, he can give your Grace a particular Acct of it, if there sho'd be Occasion.

I have the Honour to be with the most Dutiful Regard,
My Lord Duke,

Your Grace's most Devoted, and
Most Obedient Servant

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I shall lay the extracts of Coll: Johnson's letters (which contain matters of the greatest importance to the Colonies at this Juncture) before the Council and Assembly to morrow, and hope in the mean time, that it may be of service for Your Excellcy to communicate them to the Commissrs. at the Congress. Nothing shall be wanting on my part to assist in compleating what Your Excellcy has so happily and even beyond our reasonable expectations, made a most considerable progress in, through the influence and good man1 Docts. rel. to Col. Hist. of N. Y. 6, 385.

agement of Coll: Johnson who has a most extraordinary interest with the Indians, and which he surprisingly cultivates and continually improves. I am,.

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As the General Court was sitting when your Excellency's express came, I communicated to the Council and Representatives the extract of Coll. Johnson's letter your Excellency sent me, that I might try what lengths themselves would go in concert with your Assembly towards enabling your Excellency to improve the present disposition of the Six Nations in favour of his Majestys service. The result of their answer to me was that the Commissioners had full power to act on their behalf for engaging the Indians in the English interest with your Commissioners, to join with this Province in doing their duty to their King and Country.

I think after calling upon the Assembly in the manner you have done, to provide for the expence of keeping the Indians employed in His Majesty's service and preventing 'em from going over to the French interest, which they will infallibly do if they are not supported by us and kept in action, and your Assembly's refusal to make such provision, as they seem hitherto to have done, will also hinder likewise this Government and all the rest from doing any thing toward it; I say your Excellency may safely engage in such expence on behalf

1 Docts. rel. to Col. Hist. of N. Y. 6, 398. Johnson's letter of Aug. 13 to Clinton here mentioned is in the Johnson Manuscripts, N. Y. State Library, 23, 46.

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