"The four Vessels upon Lake Ontario will make us Masters of it, and is a matter of the greatest importance, for while we are so the French can send no considerable supplys to Niagara or their Forts to the Southward, which must all fall into our hands if we can maintain our Superiority upon that Lake.

"I am, Sir, Your most Obedient humble Servant,

"To Sir THOMAS ROBINSON."

"ROBERT H. MORRIS:

At a Council held on Friday the 29th of August, 1755.

PRESENT:

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &

John Penn,

Robert Strettell,

The Governor reminded the Council of Governor Delancy's Letter of the Seventh Instant, wherein he gives it as his Opinion, from advice received from Governor Lawrence of the distress the French were in at Louisburg for want of Provisions, that there should be a general Embargo; and the same being taken into Consideration it was the unanimous opinion of the Board that an Embargo should be forthwith laid on provisions, which was done by the Governor's orders to the Collectors of his Majesty's Customs within the Province and Counties.

Sundry Petitions from the Inhabitants of the Frontier and other Counties were read, praying that they might have Officers and be formed into Military Companies, and the Governor was advised upon said Petitions & all others of the like nature to appoint for Officers all such as should be Recommended by the respective bodies of People who desired to be formed into Companies, and hereupon several Companies were accordingly formed and Commissions granted to their Officers, who took the Oaths to his present Majesty before the Governor.

At a Council held at Philad" on Tuesday the 2nd Septem" 1755.

PRESENT:

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c.

Several Petitions from several Captains, owners, Factors, and Freighters of Vessels were read, praying that they might be per

mitted to be cleared notwithstand the Embargo, but they were all rejected and a Message sent to the Collector to take all the measures in his power to prevent the Intraction of the Embargo."

A Letter from Governor Dinwiddie of the 25th of August was read in these words:

"Sir:

A Letter to Governor Morris from Governor Dinwiddie.

“Virginia, WILLIAMSBURG, August 25, 1755.

"The people in general of this Dominion are under great Dejection on Col. Dunbar's marching to your place for Winter Quarters; this step of his gives our people almost as much concern as the Defeat at Monongahela; he has marched the two Regiments & the three Independ Companies. The Road to the Ohio being opened facilitates the Invasion of the Enemy, and he left at Fort Cumberland 400 Sick and Wounded and the remains of the Provincial Troops who do not exceed 170 effective men fit to do Duty. By what Authority he ordered the three Independant Companies to march with him I know not, as they were ordered by his Majesty immediately under my Command for the Service of this country; after his march the Provincials deserted ten or 12 in a day, thinking the Colonel had left them to be destroyed by the Enemy, and it is more than probable the French and Indians on hearing the march of the Regulars, they will come in a Body with fire & sword to destroy our Frontier Settlements; I have represented this to the Secretary of State in its true Light, and hope we shall have some orders for a Regulation.

In the meantime I have sent out six Companies of Rangers to protect our Frontiers, but what can they do against an Enemy (if they come in a Body) that defeated 1,200 pickt men.

"Our Assembly rose last Saturday; in June they voted 22,000, and now they have further voted 40,000 for the service of the Expedition. I propose augmenting our Forces to 1,200 Men, & with the assistance of your Province and Maryland I would propose marching over the mountains in the mo. of Octo" to build a fort at the Great Crossing or at the Meadows, and leave a Garrison of 800 Men all the Winter to carry Six of the Guns from Fort Cumberland and to order them to burn the Woods for a mile round the Fort to prevent any Surprize; a Fort there will be of infinite Service on a second attack next Spring against the Fort, for I think we should not let the French remain quiet; they will become Insolent, their Indians emboldened, and ours disheartened, and Col. Innis writes me that from the best Intelligence he can have he does not think they are more numerous at the Fort than they were last Year, and as the General's Instructions, &, are fallen into the Enemy's hands its more than probable, as by that they are Masters of our plan of Operations, that many of the French and Indians are gone up the River to the aid of Fort Niagara, &; to incourse their Numbers must be

small at the Fort, and they must leave the Fort in October to go for Canada, and its very likely they will be short of Provisions and all other Necessaries. On seriously considering all these Circumstances, I am of Opinion that the above proposal is very eligible, and I doubt not being able to compleat our men to the number as above in a Month's time.

"If Colonel Dunbar had entrenched himself in the Meadows and sent in to the different Governors for a reinforcement, it would have been a wise step, For Colo. Innes writes me the day after the engagement the French destroyed all our Artillery except the Six Pounders, which they carried to their Fort, being apprehensive that the main Body of our Army would have made a second attack, and afraid the Artillery would have fallen into their Hands. It appears to me that an Infatuation attended all the Motions of our Forces.

"However, Sir, I think we should endeavour to retrieve the great loss we have sustained, and, therefore, I think building a Fort the other side of the Allegheny will be a proper Step towards it, and as I hope Your Assembly have strengthened your hands to give a proper assistance, and if my proposal meets with Your approbation, I entreat You'll write me the number of men You can supply, for 2,000 Men now is better than double the Number in June or July next; and as the Regulars have left us it will be a glorious step if the Provincial Troops should effect the building a Fort at the Meadows or any proper place the other side of the Allegheny Mounts, which may be a Magazine for Provisions, &, and may be near to supply the Army next Year on their attack on the Fort. Our people at present are full of Spirit and Resentment, and I have great reason to expect that they will exert themselves in opposing the Enemy & in the protection of every thing that is dear to them.

"If we put this Scheme in prosecution we shall want a great many Tools, such as pick axes, Shovels, Saws, and all other Utensils fit for constructing a Fort with Nails, Hammers, Tomahawks, &c., which I hope you'll be able to supply; for I formerly picked up all of these kinds that cou'd be purchased here. If it meets with your approbation, Dispatch & Secrecy is absolutely necessary. I therefore entreat you to dispatch this Express with all imaginable haste; in the mean time I will order the enlisting of men to compleat our Number.

"I much long for accounts from General Shirley & Gen' Johnson, hopeing they have had better success than the Forces on the Ohio. Pray write me what News You have, and I remain, with the very great Respect, Honble. Sir,

"Your most h'ble Servant,

"ROBT DINWIDDIE.

"Pray forward the inclosed as soon as possible.

"Please to deliver the inclosed to Cap' Orme. I suppose he is with you before this.

The Contents were considered, and the Governor made a Draught of an answer which was agreed to:

Governor Morris' Letter in answer to Governor Dinwiddie's. "PHILADA, September 3rd, 1755.

"Sir:

"I was very much surprized at the first accounts I had of Colonel Dunbar's marching to this town with intention to take up his Winter Quarters, and immediately represented to him & to General Shirley the consequences that wou'd attend his leaving the Western frontiers of these Provinces in a naked and defenceless State. Since which General Shirley ordered him to proceed to the Westward, and with the assistance he should receive from these Provinces to make a second attempt upon Fort Du Quesne; but he and the Officers have given reasons to General Shirley why the thing in their opinion is impracticable, and continued their March to this Town, where they all arrived the 29th of August, and I am in expectations of Shirley's orders to them to proceed to Albany, which will be as disagreeable to the Colonel as a Western march; however, as they may be useful there for some months to come, and can be of none here, I hope they will be hurried thither.

"I am much with you in opinion that it would have been right in these Colonies to have made an second Attempt upon the French Fort this Fall, & can't help thinking that it might have been attended with success, but the Concurrence of this Province and Maryland wou'd have been necessary, & how little I am able to do towards that or any other publick Service my last Letter will inform you, wherein I have mentioned the disposition of my Assembly, who instead of promoting the King's Service are doing all they can to render his administration odious, and to set the great Body of Germans in this Province against the Government under which they live, which may, and I believe will, more than any thing prepare them to receive the French proposals. This State of Affairs makes it absolutely impossible for me to afford You the assistance I would otherwise do in a work so necessary to protect our Frontiers and to facilitate an attack of the French as the building some place of Strength at the most convenient pass near the great Meadows. If you persist in this scheme you may have all Tools and other things necessary sent from hence, and I shall be glad of orders upon that head.

your

"I have this Minute Letters from General Shirley, he was at Oswego wth the greatest part of the Troops on the 20th ult., and the last division under Col Mercer was expected in a few days. He has three Vessels upon the Lakes that are very useful, and not only reign Masters of it but bring him constant Intelligence from every part. He has also some Whale boats & Men and Indians stationed at proper places to observe the French Motions; the best accounts he can yet get from Niagara are that they have thrown a

new Stucads round the Fort, but have made no other works, and that there were only 150 French and 50 Indians; but this last is only Indian Intelligence.

"I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,

"Governor DINWIDDIE."

"ROBERT H. MORRIS.

15th of September, 1755.

A Message was delivered by two Members of Assembly that the House was met according to adjournment, and ready to receive any thing the Government might have to lay before them.

17th of September, 1755.

The following Message was delivered to the Governor by two Members:

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

"May it please the Governor:

"As the House cannot now long continue together, their Year being near expired, they are desirous that if the Governor has any Business of Importance to lay before them he would be pleased to let them have it soon under their Consideration, and particularly if any application has been made to him by the Eastern Governments for a farther Supply of Provisions from this Province for the King's Forces now gone towards Crown Point.

The Governor laid before the Board two Letters from Governor Phipps of the 1st and 8 Instant, which were read together with the papers enclosed therein:

"Sir:

A Letter to Governor Morris from Governor Phipps.
BOSTON, 1st September, 1755.

"Major General Johnson has by repeated Expresses been apply