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Pownall, I sent this morning. I hear Governor Morris is gone to General Braddock's army.

The French at St. John's, I hear, spiked their guns, destroyed their powder, &c., set all on fire, and ran away upon the appearance of Captain Rouse and his ship. The Mars, one of Admiral Holborne's squadron, is lost in Halifax harbor.

Captain J. B.* I hear, has wrote a letter from Oswego to O. D.† complaining that the person employed by the General don't take care to send him necessaries he wants; that he has no pitch nor oakum; that the vessels suffer for want of those articles; had they been sent in time he might have stopt the French from going to Ohio, &c. I know full well that he took from here as much of those articles as he demanded for one of the schooners, and suppose he left them behind, and so lays the blame on other people. Capt. Broadley carried with him 4 bbls. pitch, 4 bbls. tar, 4 of turpentine, and 10 cwt. oakum, which he thought would be sufficient for the large vessels. You may depend no good use is made of that letter. A friend of yours told it me, and desired me to write to you, about it. My best wishes attend you. Make my compliments where they are due.

I am, &c.

PETER VAN BRUGH LIVINGSTON TO WM. ALEXANDER.

DEAR SIR:

NEW YORK, July 9th, 1755.

I am now despatching Best. Mr. Ewing went this morning with Captain Amy in company with Sir Wm. Pepperell and Mr. Mortier. I have only time to write you that I now send by Bogardus £1654 13s. 74d. for Governor Shirley; six ten gallon kegs with vin de grave, 10 cwt. good junk, the quadrant of James Livingston in a box, in which you will find a pair of callopers for Mr. Winder of the train. The other small articles will come to-morrow with William

Winnie.

*

*

Bogardus has the two brass padderoons of Mr. Lewis. I knew the intention of Mr. O. D. and shall be on my guard. He has given several threats, as I hear, he will make L. and A. jump mast high. By what I can find, his wrath proceeds from the letter you shewed to some of your friends.

Your affectionate friend,

P. V. B. LIVINGSTON.

* John Bradstreet.

† Oliver Delancy.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER TO P. V. B. LIVINGSTON.

ALBANY, July 22d, 1755.

DEAR SIR:

I must steal a few moments to acknowledge the receipt of your several favors of July 9th, 10th and 11th, with the several ar ticles therein mentioned; also the £1654 13s. 7d. for General Shir ley, which I have paid for him to General Johnson, and have his re. ceipt for it. The way we are to be paid that sum will bo thus:There will still be wanting a very great quantity of provisions for the Niagara expedition, and the troops that are to winter on Lake Ontario, which must be immediately begun to be purchased, and I have just delivered the General a computation of what will be necessary, and expect in my next to send you his order with an account of the quantity still wanting. But the Connecticut people, as they have victualled their own troops, have no occasion for their part of the Pennsylvania provisions; wherefore they must transfer them to General Shirley to pay for their part of the Crown-point train, and they shall be delivered to Mr. Stevenson for the Niagara expedition, and must be charged with us in the same manner as if bought of any other person. I am, &c.

*

PETER V. B. LIVINGSTON TO WILLIAM ALEXANDER.

NEW YORK, July 25th, 1755.

DEAR SIR:

I long to have a letter from you, having received none since you got up to Albany. Pray let me hear from you at least once a week, if you have an opportunity. The accounts we have here from General Braddock are so bad that I don't care to write you any of the many melancholy particulars we have heard. The reports have been so various, that I can't say I am able to write you what may be depended upon; only in general, that our army has met with a repulse, if not routed and defeated. Shall be glad to know what resolutions may be taken when that fatal affair is notified to the General, by proper persons in authority.

*

Pray let me hear from you as often as you can. May the Almighty be your protector. I am, &c.

DEAR SIR:

THE SAME TO THE SAME.

NEW YORK, July 29th. 1755.

By a vessel this day from Halifax, we hear that our fleet is very sickly. Several of the line are in that harbour, and have landed a great number of sick. It is supposed that most of the French ships have got up to Quebec. I shall be extremely glad to hear that you have recovered your health.

Captain Sutliff' arrived here yesterday in his Majesty's Sloop Baltimore from Virginia. I hear Commodore Keppel is gone to England in a twenty gun ship.

Inclosed you have a copy of a list of the killed and wounded in the action of the 9th, at Monongahela, sent by Mr. Orme to Gov. Mercer, a melancholy one, indeed! &c.

I am,

WILLIAM ALEXANDER TO PETER VAN BURGH LIVINGSTON.

DEAR SIR:

AT KASTLER'S, within 4 miles of Burnetsfield,

August 4th, 1755.

Since I left Schenectady, it was impossible for me to write to you or any of my friends in New York, for not a moment of my time has passed without the greatest hurry and fatigue. As to the particular incidents that have happened to us on the way hither, the General's reception and treatment at two castles of the Mohawks, I must defer giving you an account till a time of more leisure. But I believe we shall have about twenty Indians from those castles to join us to-morrow. We came here yesterday afternoon; a great part of our baggage and stores are already over the carrying place, and the whole would be over to day if it did not rain. We find that we shall very soon be in want of a further supply of provisions; wherefore the General has ordered me to write for 300 barrels of pork to be immediately sent up after us, which I am in hopes you will be able to effect very soon, as we secured above 200 barrels before I left New York. You are also immediately to send 100 barrels of rum, and two hundred bushels of salt, put up in strong barrels well hooped and nailed. You cannot conceive how things are racked to pieces by

this carriage, and how many things perish for want of being put up in the most secure manner.

I am, &c.

THE SAME TO THE SAME.

DEAR SIR:

IN CAMP, 2 miles above Casco,
August 7th, 1755.-6 o'clk, A. M.

I have but a moment's time to enclose you a copy of General Shirley's orders to Colonel Dunbar, by which you will see we are to supply vessels, provisions, &c. for the two regiments from Amboy to Albany, which I make no doubt you will see done in time on notice from Colonel Dunbar. If those regiments come as directed, which I make no doubt they will, a large quantity of provisions should be laid in for them at Albany; and the General desires you will make such preparations, that, on notice of their coming, you may be enabled to lay in there, at least, three month's provisions. The vessels that go down to take the troops in at Amboy, should have at least one month's provision put on board of them, and the vessels comfortably prepared with platforms, and every thing necessary before they go down, that no time may be lost by stopping at New York.

I am, &c.

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THE SOCIETY met at this place to-day, in accordance with the bylaws, the PRESIDENT in the Chair; STACY G. POTTS, Esq., and Hon. JAMES G. KING, two of the Vice Presidents, being likewise in attend

ance.

The Recording Secretary being absent, the Corresponding Secretary read the minutes of the last meeting, and then laid before the Society the correspondence since September, comprising letters from Rev. WM. ALLEN, D. D, of Northampton, Mass., Rev. EDWIN HALL, D. D., of Norwalk, Conn., and the Rev. G. ABEEL, D. D., in acknowledgment of their election as members-from Secretary of Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York; New York Historical Society; American Philosophical Society; Librarian of Philadelphia Library, &c., relating to the Society's affairs.

Rev. Dr. MURRAY, Chairman of the Executive Committee, made a verbal report of the progress of the Society during the past year. There have been added 25 Resident Members; 9 have resigned, and the present number on the books is 369, of whom 26 are Life members. There are 62 Corresponding members, and 38 Honorary members. Nothing was wanted to insure the continued prosperity of the Society, and to increase its usefulness, than to have a larger num. ber of the members engage actively in furthering its objects.

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