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Albany, though the easiest and most certain way is to embark them at Providence. The bearer, Captain William Richards, has applied to me, and offers to contract to provide vessels to carry the whole regiment from Providence to Albany. He says he can afford to do it on better terms than anybody else can, as he has proper vessels and pilots; he waits on you with this for that purpose. I can recommend him to you as an honest man, and one who will well execute what he undertakes. If it be necessary that the regiment have their provisions on their passage, from hence, please to let me know it, and I will take care to have them in time at Providence.

I am, &c.

THE SAME TO JOHN BRADSTREET.*

NEW YORK, May 5th, 1755.

SIR, Mr. John Ewing, Mr. Lewis Morris and myself being directed to supply sundry necessaries for the defence of the Fort at Oswego, and also rigging sails and other necessaries for a Schooner-boats to be built there, I have accordingly shipped the same on board of the Sloop

Tenbroeck, Master, to be delivered at Albany, as per the inclosed receipt, and list of particulars. We also now send by said Tenbroeck, eight ship-carpenters, three sawyers, one wheelwright, and two blacksmiths, with their tools. I must request the favour of you to take the above tradesmen, and the articles aforesaid, into your charge at Albany, and provide open carriages and batteaux for transporting them to Oswego; and furnish them with necessary provisions, of which, be pleased to keep a separate account; the amount of which we will reimburse you. You will employ such, and so many of the ship-carpenters and sawyers that now go, on the building of the Schooner-boats as you shall think proper; the rest to be placed to keep at providing proper timber for two vessels of feet keel, eighteen and a half feet beam, and six and a half in the hold, and the saw. yers at sawing proper plank for that purpose. As to the wheelwright, the first work he goes at, should be to make one, or, if you think need be two, large timber wheel carriages for bringing the large tim

Afterwards Lieut. Governor of Newfoundland, and a Major General. He took Oswego and Frontinac, and died in 1774.

ber out of the woods. The wheels of these carriages are generally about seven feet in diameter, and the felloes at least seven inches. For this purpose I have two setts of screws and bands, and two setts of seasoned spokes. When that is done, he should get at making field carriages for five cannon-12 pounders, and one eighteen pounder. The dimensions of the cannon he has, and I shall be glad that you assist him with your directions as to the form of these carriages. As there will be a number of wheel, and hand-barrows wanting, he, and as many others as possible, should be employed at that work. The two blacksmiths you will employ at such work as you think first necessary; in this, and, indeed, in all the rest, your own good judgment must be depended upon. The sawyers will want pitmen, which, be pleased to provide them out of the garrison, and, if possible, let the same pitmen work with the same sawyer. I, every moment, expect three more sawyers from Philadelphia, whom I shall send immediately to you. There will doubtless be many other artificers in your garri. son; all, who can be useful in forwarding the aforesaid works, I shall be glad you would employ. Governor Shirley has, I believe, informed you that they are to be allowed sixpence sterling extraordinary for that service. If that encouragement is not sufficient to engage them, you may allow them one shilling currency per day more.

I beg leave further to remind you that if you should be retarded any time at Schenectady, it will be best to employ the carpenters during your stay there, in forwarding the building of the batteaux necessary to carry the detachment up. I have directions from Governor Shirley to erect a strong storehouse on the great carrying place from Mohawks' river to Wood creek. I should be glad when you come there you would mark out the place you think most convenient for that purpose, and let me have your thoughts on that, or any thing else for the good of the service. You may direct your despatches to me at Schenectady, where I shall meet them soon. But if you find it absolutely necessary for the security of your men and stores there, to inclose any ground with intrenchments or stockadoes, you may do it, allowing the men employed in that service, sixpence per day; for which, and any other extraordinary charges accruing on any service hereinmentioned, you may draw on me, and your bills shall be honoured.

As I have not been able to procure a surgeon to attend the garrison of Oswego, I must beg of you to find out at Albany, the person that Dr. Shucksburgh left there as his mate, and agree with him, or any other, to go with you, on the best terms you can.

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SIR,

*

THE SAME TO THE SAME.

NEW YORK, May 7th, 1755.

* The bearer is Elisha Tudor, a young surgeon, who is going to Albany, and is willing to go with you to Oswego. If you have not already engaged, or are not likely to engage the person left in Shuckburg's room at Albany, you will agree with this gentleman on the best terms you can, and the engagements you make on this score shall be paid by me. I am, &c.

SIR,

THE SAME TO ROBERT DINWIDDIE.*

NEW YORK, May 10th, 1755.

On my return to this place from Virginia, I acquainted the Governor, Council, and Assembly of New Jersey, that your Excellency had been so kind as to spare the five hundred arms, &c., for their forces, on the conditions mentioned in the memorandum I left with you; on which they immediately ordered their Commissioner to pay me the amount of them, and the necessary charges for replacing a like number at Williamsburgh. Your Excellency will therefore be pleased to order how I shall dispose of the money when it comes to my hands,whether it shall be sent to you in specie, or bills of exchange,-whether it shall be remitted to your agents in London to send out the arms, or whether I shall direct a like number of arms of the same quality to be sent from London to Williamsburgh ;-whatever you direct shall be punctually obeyed.

As I have not yet heard of the arrival here of the naval stores which Commodore Keppelt was to send for one of the vessels to be built on Lake Ontario, I suppose they and the arms will come together.

I am, &c.

* Governor of Virginia from 1752 to 1757.

† Afterwards Admiral Lord Keppel, and First Lord of the Admiralty.

SIR,

THE SAME TO WILLIAM SHIRLEY.*

NEW YORK, May 10th, 1755.

In obedience to your Excellency's commands, I shall take every opportunity of writing to you.

Captain Bradstreet with the two companies under his command, embarked last Tuesday morning, and sailed on Wednesday. The wind he had must have carried him to Albany before Thursday night. I am afraid he will be kept there some time for want of batteaux. He has with him everything you ordered me to supply him with.

I have also sent with him eight ship carpenters, four sawyers, one wheelwright, and two blacksmiths, and shall this afternoon send up six sawyers more; so that I am in hopes materials sufficient will be ready at Oswego, when the master builder, and other carpenters from Boston, arrive there, to enable them to go immediately to work on the vessels.

One vessel arrived here yesterday from Philadelphia with provisions, (in part of the Pennsylvania ten thousand pounds), which I have sent up to Albany consigned to Moses Emerson, and in his absence to Robert Saunders, agreeably to the directions sent by the committee at Boston to that at Philadelphia.

The articles to be provided here for the Niagara expedition are in great forwardness; and I hope to have them all at Schenectady in less than a fortnight.

On Wednesday last, I waited on Governor De Lanceyt for his leave to try the six brass cannon you ordered us to get proved, when he told me that the Council had agreed to spare only four twelve pounders. I told him I believed you had depended upon having six at least, and that in viewing the cannon, I had found one brass eighteen pounder that weighs but 25 hundred pounds nett, and begged at least to have that added to the four twelve pounders. He said he could not consent to part with any eighteen pounders as they wanted them for the defence of this place. I told him if that were the only objection, it could be

* Upon the death of General Braddock, the chief command of the forces in America devolved on Governor Shirley, as the Senior Major General and Colonel in the Provinces; and it was confirmed to him afterwards by a Commission from the Crown, dated August 23d, 1755. He continued in the chief command until the 25th of June, 1756-when he was relieved at Albany by General Abercrombie, who continued Commander-in-Chief only until the arrival of Lord Loudoun at New York, about a month afterwards.

+ James De Lancey, Lieut. Governor of New York, from 1755 to 1757-of which Province he was a native.

got over by your replacing it with a twenty-four pounder; and then proposed to him that I should have his leave to try all the brass cannon that are light enough for your purpose, and that you might hereafter settle the number that are to go; to which he consented, and I have since picked out seven,-six of them twelve pounders, and one eighteen pounder, which are to be tried this afternoon; and I believe if your Excellency sends two or three twenty-four pounders from Castle William to be left here, there will be no difficulty in obtaining those seven; indeed there will be no room for objections left.

The eight hundred men of this Province, I believe, will be raised in time. The command of them is not yet fixed. One hundred and fifty batteaux are ordered to be built for their use; but there is not yet one building for the forces of your government, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Connecticut. If they are to be built, it is high time orders should be given for that purpose: Nor is there any one thing preparing here for the Crown-point expedition, beyond the fitting out of the eight hundred men.

I have not yet heard of the things Commodore Keppel was to send. I shall inclose the minutes of the Assembly here, which your Excellency desired me to get for you. Also, a copy of the list and estimates of the provisions, clothing, &c., of the Jersey forces, by which you will see what they are provided with. The provisions which we purchased here for your and Sir William Pepperell's regiments, are bread, pork, beef, and peas, and some rum. If there should be any articles necessary, we should be glad to have directions as soon as possible.

I intend to set out for Albany to-morrow, and shall put everything there as forward as possible. I am, &c.

SIB,

WILLIAM ALEXANDER TO THE SAME.

ALBANY, May 18th, 1755.

I had the honour of writing your Excellency the 10th instant from New York. I set out from thence the 12th, and came here yesterday evening. I find that Captain King, with his company, left Schenectady last Tuesday, and Captain Bradstreet with his, on Thursday.

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