Canada Expedition as Comander of one of the armed Vessells & is now bound to Annapolis to the assistance of that Garrison with a Comp of Canada Soldiers fitted out by this Governmt I hope the admiral will be at home he will easily get something I know he will assist him as he knows how advantagious his services were D-d Capt Sherburne I am Sr Yours [Under same date] Sir I am now to acknowledge the rect of your favour of the by Adams, who is now at Boston, Capt. Gayton & the other mast Ships not yet arrived, nor is Phillip Read. I hope she mist the Breast Squadron on their return. I wrote you via Boston & Inclosed my Diary to Lady Day Last which fear is gone to france Shall soon Draw them out again & forward them Inclosed you have a memorandum how the Silk gowns left with you by Capt Adams last voyage are to be managed the owner desires you would order them when Prepared In any Vessell you think best to this Country I have long since tho' my writing you on Publick affairs or the situation of our Provincial affairs would be rather troublesome or at least quite unnecessary, but your complaining for want of Intelligence Occasions you this. As to the reimbursement of the charge for reduceing Louisbourg (Petitioned for) now under the guidance of your solicitation, 'twas utterly Impossible any regular acct of that Expence could be forwarded to London at the time when you say the other Governmts were ready with all the proper vouchers, it being late this Summer before our Troops returned or many of our Transports were dismist. I know the other Governmts were in the same situation. The Committee are now finishing those Accts & you will have them properly vouched Whatever came before from any Governm1 must be either partial or lumped or guest at. I hope the Province will meet with better fortune in the repayment of the Expence than the brave men did in the Distribution of the Commissions. As to the Canada Expedition-with us it stands thus on the 9th of April last his Grace the Duke of New Castle writs the Gov' of his Majesties Gracious Intentions in carrying on such an Expedition, this Letter reached us the beginning of June, the Assembly not being then setting the Gov imediately convened them & in his Speech opened the whole affair. The Assembly Imediately voted the raising of 1000 men or more if they could be raised by the last of August with a bounty to each effective man of £30 currency & a blanket, and a Committee appointed to take up Transports & provide Provisions, beating orders were soon given out & about 800 men were ready for Embarking early in July & I am fully persuaded that the number might have been made up 1000, at any time in three days after. Thus the men with Transports & Provision were all ready & very impatiently waited till about the 10 of September when we had the news of the Brest Squadron being off Jabucto * a harbor on the Cape Sable shoar, this you must Imagine Put us into the greatest hurry expecting a Discent every moment, We imediately employed every body in building Batterys at the Great Island & in a few days got a new battery from the Castle to the Sandy Cove to the westward of 16, 24 & 32 prs these batterys will play upon any vessell a mile & half before she comes to the Castle which is alsoe now in good order, the guns all mounted on good Platforms. In this state of fear & uncertainty we remained till about 25th of October when sundry prisoners taken by the Fleet were set at liberty, 2 or three days after the fleet sail'd from Jabucta, these people gave an acct of the Duke Dinivels [?] pois'ing himself & that the 2$ in command afterwards stab'd himself — but was not dead as they understood but never appeared after that they gave out they were bound to Annapolis Royal & after reducing that would winter at Casco bay & early in the Spring destroy all New England. That the army & fleet were very sickly having burryed 2000 in their Passage & 1800 at Jabucta, that they had 4000 sick on board the Fleet when they sail'd from that harbour. Upon this news we got ready our armed vessels & Imbarked about 175 but we had advice in 2 or 3 days that the fleet separated in a storm & all went off this coast except 2 a 60 & 36 gun ships who not meeting the Admiral after the Storm went to Annapolis where the Chester, Capt. Spry & Capt. Rowse & A small vessell lay, who upon their approach endeavouring to obstruct their entry ran on shoar & before she could get a float again the French made their Escape but were pursued by the Chester but too late to come up with them, the next day the Pilots the French took in at Jabucta were sent to Menis with a Letter to the Commander of ye Canadeans &c. that had been then some time before Annapolis acquainting that they were gon off & upon this intelligence the French decamped & went off to Menis, thus you have the history of the Brest Squadron who had they been followed by one third of Admiral Martin's Squadron would have demolished the whole fleet they being in a most Dismal condition. They lost on 60 gun ship foundred in the passage, one other lost on the Isle of Sable & a 50 gunship condemned & burnt at Jabucta. The others when our Prisoners left them were in a most distrest condition they taking most of the marriners out of the Transports to man the men of War, so that the much questioned weither • Chebucto. they would be able to reach France & now Pray let me aske you what is become of the Canada Expedition 'tis now the middle of November, we have not had one line from the ministry since the first letter of the 9th of April last, we have in the 4 New England govmts now actually waiting near 5000 men. Perhaps 12 or 15 hundred will be imployed at Annapolis Royal. Possibly the remainder may be imployed agst Crown Point in conjunction with the men raised in the southern Colonies. I wish they may be successful, but am not very sanguine, the distance the Canon & mortars with proper utensils for Intrenching must be Transported over an uninhabited country — so great a distance together with all ye Provisions &c. I fear will be attended with too much Difficulty in a winter season. If we in this Province do not Joyn this attack we shall I believe be imployed in searching & cutting a road from hence directly to Canada river which may better be don at this season than any. I am still hoping Capt. Gaiton (1) may bring us some Instructions in relation to the Expedition, otherways our Situation will be but very indifferent. We are now at such a charge as makes all wild. I begin to repent I ever Ingaged in the Expedition, but every thing is now at stake having promised the [men] that I would goe with them before they inlisted, neither would any enter till my name was put into the Inlistments & they are all thus inlisted. 'tis impossible to Imagine the fatigue I have had with those people not one commission officer & still 800 men to be governed without any real authority or Power of punishing such as deserved, besides the very great expense that has attended this service that this state of inactivity has put me quite out of patience as well as out at heals, 'tis true the Assembly made very generous offers if I would engage in the Expedition & I believe would have done every thing for my Hon' & Comfort, but unless it is in my Power to render them some service, I can hardly Expect any recompense for my Time, Expence, & trouble. - gave an acco1 of our purchasing Mason's right, &c. [Endorsed] Copy to Capt. Thomlinson, Nov. 13. 1746. pr. Admiral Warren. [3-150] [Petition from Louisbourg Soldiers, 1745.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr Captain General, & Governor In Chief, In & over His Majesties Province of NewHampshire, To the Honorable the Council, and General Assembly, of the Said Province, In General Court Convened. (1) This name is doubtful - perhaps Gaston or Gaiton. The Petition of Sundry Soldiers, of the New Hampshire Regiment, in the Expedition against Cape Breton, Humbly Sheweth, That we were Part of the Number of Voluntiers, who undertook the Storm of the Island Battery; That we were taken Prisoners, and continued so twenty one Days; That we Lost with our Liberty our Arms, and a Part of our Cloaths; and that, instead, of having an additional Reward, for our Services and Sufferings, in that hazardous & desperate Attack, a considerable Part, of our Pittance of Wages, has been hitherto withheld from Us to Pay for the Lost Guns; That we have been Sufferers in another Respect also, Vizt by Short Allowance, the Account of which, is Contained in a Schedule hereto annexed, together, with the Account of our Losses, in the aforesaid Storm. We therefore, humbly take Leave to Recommend to your Excellency's and Honour's Wise, and Paternal Consideration, our unfortunate Case, praying, that you will be Pleased, in your great Goodness, to order the Guns we Lost to be Paid for, out of the Treasury; and that we may Recieve our full Wages; Also, that we may be Paid, for the other Losses we Sustained, In the aforesaid Storm, and May have Some gratuity Likewise, for the extraordinary Risking of our Lives in that bold Attack; and that we may have a Grant of Pinch-Mony for our Short Allowance, with Such Augmentation, as may in Some Measure Compensate us, for our Sufferings, by want thereof, in the Proper Place & Season; or that your Excellency and Honors will be Pleased to do for us, in any other way and manner, as may be most consistant with your Wisdom & Justice. And your Petitioners Shall ever Pray as in Duty bound Waymouth ham John Allcock Sam" ffrost In Council Nov 28th 1745 Timothy Cotton read & ordd to be Sent to the House In Council May 7th 1746 Theod' Atkinson Sery read & ordered to be Sent to the Honble House [3-151] [Louisbourg Soldiers' Petition, 1745.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor & Commander in Chief in & over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire the Honble His Majesty's Council & House of Representas for said Province in General Assembly Convened Nov 23rd 1745 The Humble Petition of Sundry of the Soldiers in the Late Expedition against Louisbourg Shews That your Petitioners were before or Soon after their Return from the said Expedition taken Sick of the Fever in which they Lay a Considerable time under the Care of the Late Doct' Rogers & by the Blessing of God on his Administrations were Recoverd to Health That the said Sickness being very Grievous was attended with great Expence besides the Doctors Bill which Considering his Application your Petitioners think cant be Small tho' they know not what it is & as they were then in the said Service (not being dismis'd) and as the said Sickness was Probably bro't upon them by that Service at Least made worse in it Self & worse for them to bear They most Humbly Pray that an Allowance may be made them to defray the Expence of the Said Sickness & to Alleviate their Sufferings & the Burthens bro't upon their families by their Ingaging in the Said Service and Yo' Petitioners as in duty Bound Shall ever Pray &c John Deverson John Walden Province of In the House of Representatives Jan 4th 1745 Voted N HampshR-That there be allow'd to John Deverson ten Pound & to John Walden Weymouth Ham Edward Pendexter jun' & Joseph Ham each four Pounds in Consideration of their Sickness & Loss of Time, to be pd out of ye money in The Treasury for ye Use of ye Expedition against Louisbourg. |