[4-34] [Widow Sarah Jackson's Petition, 1747.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief in & over his majestys Province of New Hampshire, The Honorable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives in General assembly conven'd the Second Day of December 1746. The Memorial of Sarah Jackson of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hamp Widow most humbly shews That Your Memorialists husband Ebenezer Jackson was one of the Voluntiers in the Pay of this Province at the siege of Louisbourg That about a month before the surrender thereof to the English, her said husband receivd a Wound, of which he dyed in four or five days, That your memorialist has been Since bro't into very difficult circumstances and is at this time in Such Circumstances by reason of the Scarceness and dearness of Bread corn and firewood and of many other of the necessarys of Life, besides that She now has and for some time past has had a Sick child - Wherefore Your Memorialist prays your Excellency and Honours Consideration of the Premises and that you will in your great Wisdom and Goodness grant her Some Relief Sarah Jackson In Council Decem 3 1746 read & ordred to be Sent to the Honble House Theod Atkinson Sery Prove of New HampshIn the House of Representatives May 27th 1747 D Peirce Ck [4-35] [King's Instructions to Governor Wentworth, 1747.] His Majesties 66th Instruction to Govr Wentworth 66 And Whereas there is no Power given you by your Comission to Execute Martial Law in Time of Peace upon Soldiers in Pay Yet nevertheless it may be necessary that Some care be taken for the keeping of Good Discipline amongst those that his Majty may at Any Time think fit to Send into the Sd Province (which may Properly be Provided for by the Legislative Power of the Same) you are therefore to recomend unto the General Assembly of Sd Province that (if not already Don) they Prepare Such Act or Law for the Punishment of Mutiny Desertions & false Musters and for the Better Preserveing of good Discipline amongst the sd Soldiers as may best answer those Ends Copy Examined Theodore Atkinson Secry [Endorsed] Copy of His Majesty's 66th Instruction to Gov. Wentworth delivered the Assembly Jan. 23, 1746-7. [See Vol. V., p. 857. [4-36] 1746 ED.] [Mark Hunking Wentworth's Bill.] Province of New Hampshire To 2 padd Locks delivered the Governour 9/ To use of my Store at Point Graves for Ordinance . Portsmouth Decem' 11th 1746 – Errors Excepted for My Master Mr Mark Hs Wentworth Sworn before ye House by Jos Langdon Prove of New Joseph Langdon jr Hampshire In the House of Representatives 27th May 1747 Voted - That there be allow'd ten Pounds ten Shillings & Six Pence in full of this Account to be pd out of ye money in the pub lick Treasury May 30th 1747 read & Concurrd ID Peirce Recdr Theod' Atkinson Sery B Wentworth [Letter of Captain Phineas Stevens to Governor Shirley.] [Belknap Papers, Vol. II., p. 244.] May it pleas your Excelency—I Recd a Letter from the Secrty Where in I am desired by the first opertunity to Lett your Excelency know what i Judge to be the Distance betwixt St. Francis in Cannada and Winnepesocket Ponds, and upon what point St. Francis Bares from sd Ponds Winnipesocket Ponds I never saw and so am not Capabel of making so good a judgment as otherwise I might have don. But according to the best Information I have had from the Indians I judge it to be near 200 Miles Distant from sd Ponds, and as for the point it bears I think it must be one or two points to the Westward of the North. But I am humbly of oppinion that those ponds are Quite out of the Rode that Leads to St. Francis I am your Excelency's most obedient Set Rutland, Jan 27, 1746 [1747 N. S.] Phineas Stevens. [Endorsed] Capt. Stephens Acct of the Course & distance to St. Francis. 1746. [Superscribed] For His Excelency William Shireley Esq' in Boston [William Johnson to John H. Lydias, Crown Point.] [Belknap Papers, Vol. II., p. 245.] Mount Johnson January 26, 1746–7. Sir By yours recd last night by Brant I find you intend shortly for Boston, and as I cannot have the pleasure of seeing you before you sett off, I wish you a prosperous Journey & safe return, two days ago I reed a Letter from Mr. Clinton telling me the forwardness of the New England Troops & desiring me to prepare as many Indian Warriors as possible to assist our Forces in the Reduction of Crown Point which I heartily wish to see; and should not make the least doubt of it, were our people so active as our neighbors the New Englanders, who daily sett us good examples had we the grace to follow it, I have now sent several of my officers among the upper nations to prepare them, but have fixed on no certain time fearing a disappointment. I have had the two next Castles Assembled yesterday, and do assure you that nothing could give me more pleasure than to see the willingness they shewed of Joining us whenever required, the sooner they say, the better, for they are almost in despair, or out of patience, so long waiting. I make not the least doubt of bringing as many in the field as will be sufficient for that Enterprise, I only wish our Forces were all so ready & willing. I am much hurry'd, so have only time to assure you of my best wishes for you, Mrs. Lydius &c. And am, Sir, your most humble servt To Mr. John H. Lydius, at Albany. Wm. Johnson. Pr. J. Willard, Sec. [Action of Massachusetts relative to Crown Point Expedition.] [Belknap Papers, Vol. II., p. 248.] May it please your Excellency The two Houses have before them your Excellency's Message of this Day, in which you are pleased to desire to know their sentiments respecting an attempt against Crown Point, which message they have maturely considered and deliberated upon. It appears by the advices which your Excellency has received and the Representations which have been made by Mr. Lydius, that the Troops rais'd in the Southern Governments are generally in good, health and spirits, and that there is at this time an uncommon disposition in the Indians of the Six Nations (who have heretofore been wavering) to engage against the French enemy, and it may be of very ill consequence if this disposition be not cultivated & Improved. A sufficient quantity of Provisions & stores for the Troops of this Province are now lying ready at Albany, where they have been transported at Great Expence, and as the Forces raised in the several governments are not like to be dismiss'd, it makes but little difference either to his Majesty in their pay, or to the several governments in case they continue their subsistince, whether they proceed or are suffered to lye still; your Excellency will please to add to these considerations, That altho' the season is far advanced, yet Providence by continuing the great cold & Frost necessary for the undertaking, seem in this respect to favour & smile on us, and notwithstanding it has a very unpleasant aspect that the Government of Connecticutt who have formerly shown themselves ready & Zealous to forward his Majesty's service, should now discover a great backwardness to promote this design, so as to make their assistance doubtfull, yet upon the whole both Houses are of opinion that the Troops cannot be better improved than in the proposed attempt, which has a great prospect of advancing his Majesty's Interest, and is employing them in the Immediate service for which they were raised; for if the Almighty should grant success, the Reduction of Canada, if it shall be his Majesty's pleasure to give his orders for an Expedition the next year, must be very much facilitated. In the House of Repr's Feb. 6, 1746 Ordered That Mr. Speaker, Mr. Welles, Mr. Sparhawk, Col. Choat & Col. Heath with such as the Honble Board shall appoint be a Committee to wait upon his Excellency with the foregoing Message. T. Hutchinson, Spk Sent up for concurrence In Council Feb 6, 1746 Read & Concurr'd, & Sir William Pepperall, Josiah Willard, Jacob Wendell, James Bowdoin & Andrew Oliver, Esqrs. are joined in the affair. J. Willard, Sec J. Willard, Sec Copy Examin'd [Indorsed] Comtee of both Houses of the Mass' Govt answer to Gov Shirley's Message on the Expedition, agst Crown Point FortFeb. 6th 1746 [Shirley to Wentworth.] [Belknap Papers, Vol. II., p. 249.] Boston, Feb 7, 1746 Sir By my last advices from Albany I find the condition of the Troops of the Southern Colonies now on Hudson's River as to their state of health & numbers & the strong disposition of the Indians of the Six Nations to join with us in the attempt against Crown Point & the Danger of utterly losing those nations & their falling off to the French (which will be of the most fatal consequence to all the Northern English Colonies) to be such, that I am now fixed in my Resolution to push forward this Enterprise with all imaginable diligence; and as the Government of Connecticut have declined to join their Forces with ours, which will much lessen the number we expected, I must earnestly desire your Excellency to send forward to our Rendezvous on Hudson's River as many of the Troops of your Governm1 in his Majtys Pay as you can furnish out for this service (in case you have laid aside your design agst St. Francois) the Success of this Enterprise being of the utmost Importance, I trust you will do every thing in your Power to promote it. You have herwith inclosed a Copy of Mr Johnson's Letter to Mr. Lydius & of the advice of our Assembly to me in this affair. I am, Sir, your Excellency's most obedient Humble Servant His Excy Benning Wentworth, Esq. [Shirley to Wentworth.] Boston, Feb 8, 1746 — Sir Before I had receiv'd these last advices from New York I was going to inclose to you the Resolve of the Governm' of Connecti |