LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOUR SHIRLEY TO M. DE BEAUHARNOIS
Boston, September 2nd, 1747.
Sir,
On the 1tth of August last our stile, the Sieur Larrequy arriv'd here
in your packet boat the Vierge de Gräce With 171 English prisoners and
delivered me the letter which you did me the honour to writ upon that
occasion. He brought his vessel directly up to this town, which tho'
contrary to your express orders to him and the behaviour of flags of truce,
as it seems to have happened thro’ the fault of our own oflicers as well
as his, Ï have more easily passed by in him and mention to you in that light.
I desire, sir, you will be pleased upon like occasions for the future to direct the masters of your packet boat to turn into Nantasket Road, just within the light house of this harbour, and come to an anchor there, where J'have given the pilots orders to carry'em, and to give me immediate notice of their arrival.
À report spread here of Mr Larrequy's having a large quantity of
ammunitions, an2l numtker of cannon concealed on board his vessel, gave so
general an allarm, immediatly after the uneasiness accasioned by his passing the Castel coming directly up to the town, that I was obliged to have his vessel searched for the satisfaction of the publick.
L observe every part of the detail you are pleased to give me of your treatment of the English prisoners at Quebe:, your discharging some by the way of France in 1745 and others in the years following, who your are informed have reached their families in their colonies, and your intention to have released those now sent hither, which leaves me no reason to doubt of your just regard and humanity for these unfortunate peaple and I
would observe to you, Sir, that lieutenant Chue (?) and M' Boydell with
others of the prisoners have acknowledged their entire satisfa:tion in your care of them by the due allowanceof provisions and necessaries your ordered them, as well as your tenderness for the sick ; but they seem to think that the officers employ'd to distribute their provisions to ‘em in their confinement dit not give ‘em the full benelit of your allowance, and that in particular they suffered by the badness of their beds, which I should not mention, Sir, but from my persuasion that you are desirous of having every thing that is ordered by yourself for the relief and comfort of the prisoners duly administered to them by your oflicers.
I am sorry for the mortality accasioned by the late distemper among them and your own people in Canada, and that any suspicion arose of the English prisoners being concerned in setting fire to the house where they were at first confined, which inform meis quite consumed ; they absolutely disavoue it, and say that besides the unjustifiableness of such an offence, it must have been extreme folly in ‘em to have run so great a risque of perishing with it in the flames, as they tell me they were within a few minutes of doing, had not one of your priests out of his compassion rescu d’em by suddenly catching up an axe and with his own hands forceing upon the doors of tne building to let ‘em out.
It was an act of goodness in M'Hocquart to supplie young M'Roydell with the sum he dit amounting to £15 sterling as by his draughts on M' Bollan which you inclosed to me, that gentleman is in England, but I have paid the contents of the drafts to the Sieur Larreguy in dollars at the rate of four shellings and eight pence sterling p' Dollar, which is the present
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exchange here ; they pass at Louisbourg for five shillings sterling a peice. I beg the favour of you, Sir, to make my compliments to M' Hocquart and let him know this.
The Sieur Larreguy informs me he does not want any credit for his employer the Sieur Amiot owner ofthe ship Vierge-de-Gräce ; if he had, I would have supplied him with whatever he wanted, as you desire.
I inclose to you, Sir, the answers of the Governours of New-York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhod: Island, upon the article of paying the charges arising upon the exchange of prisonners belonging to their respective governments, persuant to the proposal I'had the honour of making to you and receiving vour agreemens thereupon, to which I beg leave to refer you ; as to the governments more to the southward, their distance and the return of the posts, by which I suspect their answer, will not permit me to send them by the N° Larreguy without my detaining him longer here than the time limited by vou, which I avoid doing as much as is
possible ; but I doubt not of thoir agrecing to su:h equitable proposals.
T'have likewise inclosed à copy of the agreement made for the hire of the Brigantine Maryland, Captain Geffry Bedgood, commander, which I took up to carry the french prisoners (being all L'eould find remaining in this and the neighbouring colonies) to Quebe:, before L knew that you would send a packet boat from thence first, which had I knowen, that expense might have been in a great measure save between us, by my sending the french prisoners to you by the Kieur Larreguy : and by these papers, Nir, vou will perceive that the nature of our agreement with the owner of the pa:ket boat sent by me, she being hired at a certain rate per month, viz: 525 € New England currency of the old tenour (the exchange between whi:h and sterling money, would observe to you, is about 850 p. cent advance, that is 100 € sterlinx for 950 € New England money) over and above th: change of the Portledg: Bill (the rôle d'équipage with you) which is also computed in the same New England currency makes it impractieable to me to ascertain what the charges of the transportation of the French prisoners will amount to before my pa-kets boats return to this port ; but as not above 79 at most of the English prisoners seat in th:
Vicrgr-e-Grace, belong as Lam informed to the province under my goveri-
er
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ment, [believe that the charges of the parket boat Maryland will over balance this province’'s quota of your packet boats charges, being what by my proposals 1! undertook to pay.
But if on adjusting the account at the return of the brigentine, they should faîl short of this province’s proportion, 1 will take care to remit the balance by the next flag of truce that shall happen to pass between us from either side, or by any other way you will be pleused to let me know, you choose, and in the meantime I will endeavour to colleet what may be due to you by His Majesty's other colonies upon this continent for the prisoners respectively belonging to them, and remit it to vou by the first oppurtunity ; and you may depend, Sir, that I shall in every respect from time to time most punctually observe the article stipulated between us,
As to the expence of redeeming from the Navages prisoners taken by them on both sides, it seems just that the King my masters colonies should be at the charge of the redemption of the french prisoners taken by the Navages in the English interest, and that his most Christian Majesty should defray the expence of redeeming the english prisonners taken by the Savages in the French interest, and this is what I will undertake for on the part of this government at least, and am persuaded Ilis Majesty's other colonies will come into ; aud I desire you would be pleased to let me know your sentiments thereupon,.
As to the barbarous way of carrying on the way by the Savages, I remonstrated against it immediately after the rupture between the two crowns, in à letter which I had the honour to send you from Albany by Ayneraufin ; Ontosangoo, son, wherin I deslared that if those inhumanities were continued by the Indians employed on vour part, His Majesty’s governments would be under a necessity of making represals in the same way, by giving the Indians in the English interests premiums for prisonners and sealps : and this, Sir, you are sensible is neceisary for self defence and the only method we have of putting an end to these unchristian cruel. ties practiced against our own people, which I will be: answerable shall cease on our part, when you restrain your Indians from them in the meantime I think these barbarities are justlv chargeable upon the agressois.
Permit me, Sir, t» acknowl'dge to you that I cant sce the good policy in making such a waste and destruction as the continuance of this practice
must produce on both sides, and that the growth of it, if it is not soon checked must be get such an inveterate inmity as will finally end in a determined resolution to endeavour the mutual exterpation of each other.
If the Savages are not to be restrained from making their usual butchery and harock upon all occasions, they are not fit instruments to be made us Of by civilized and Christian nations in à war, and aught not to be employed by them or suflered to mingle with them in it.
L beg leave, Kir, likewise to mention two or three greivances which Lam persuaded you dont allow of, I was surprised with the complaint of à poor woman returned from captivity in the Péerge-de-Cfräce, that she had her child of about three years old torn out of her arms in Canada by a french man and carried of by him, also, that the English soldiers whilst in captivity are constantiv sollicitated by your priests and oflicers to break their natural alligeance to their prince, and take up arms against him in the french service ; understand I have lost five of my regiment this way at Quebeck : permit me to assure you, Nir, that this is a practice unknown to the english and that I did not sufler a single soldier of the marines taken in the Viyilent either to be sollicited or encouraged to enlist into Ilis Majesty’s service : and I am informed by Lieutenant Chue, who was taken at Sarahtoga, that a civilized free indian, His Majesty's subject born in Rhode Island, who was regularly enlisted into one of the Maryland companies, is made a slave in Canada, which I apprehend is as much against the law of arms now settled among civilized nations, as if he had been a white man.
Ï am oblidged to you, Sir, for the particular regard shewn by you to the prisoners whom I recommended to your favour [to your favour [nul] ; and your enquiray after ensign Laurence of my regiment ; and have acquainted ensign Newton of your goodness in discharging him from his parole, before you knew I had released a French officer for his redemption, which he esteems a favour.
The KSieur Guillemin whom you mention in your P.S. is sent by me to Quebec in the brigantine Maryland.
I have the honour to be with the most perfect regard, Kir, your most,
etc.
Signed : Wm SHIRLEY.
P. S -L am sorry to hear that Mr Boularderie suffored so much for want of my certificate ; the hurry of business E was in for some months before Fembarked 1} jor Louisbourg prevented me from thinking of this requisite for his being employed in His Majusty's service at home, and it was unhappy that he did not put ne ln inind of it.
L M: Pembertou of this place desired me to trouble you with the enclosed from him open which 1 could not well avoid doing. Perrait me, Sir, to trouble vou with my compliments to Mr Boularderie and wishes for his health,
RESUM£ D'UNE LETTRE DE MM. DE LA GATISSONNIÈRE ET HOCQUART AU MINISTRE,
| Québec, Le 15 septembre, 1747.
Les habitations des environs de Montréal inquiétées par les Anniés se
retirent aux principales habitations ; les habitans du Lac Champlain ont
‘ abandonné leurs terres ; MM. Galisonnière et Hocquart demandent une } } paix durable pour les colonies ; établissemens sur le Sault de la Chaudière ; grande abondance de vivres ; construction de vaisseaux ; fortifications ; nouvelles de Boston ; toujours la vieille histoire du dessein d'attaquer le Canada ; si c'est un leurre, les secours envoyés permettront d'attaquer la Nouvelle-Angleterre ; vues sur la reprise de l’Acadie ; avantages de cette conquête.
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LETTRE DE MONSIEUR DE BEAUHARNOIS À MONSIEUR SHIRLEY
Québec, le 16 septembre, 1747.
Monsieur,
J'ay reçu la lettre que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'écrire le 31 juillet dernier par le paquebot commandé par le Capitaine Bedgood à laquelle étoit joint copie de celle que vous m'avez cy devant écri: 2 par le Sieur Lagroix ; j'ay répondu à cette dernière par le navire La Vierge de Grâce que j'ay fait expédier au mois d'aoust en paquebot et qui a du vous porter 180 prisonniers appartenant tant à l'Ancienne Angleterre qu'aux difféientes colonies angloises de ce continent, j'espère que ce navire sera arrivé à bon part.
Aussitôt l’arrivée du Sieur Guillemin à Québec j'ai donné les ordres nécessaires pour envoyer chercher les 60 prisonniers que vous m’envoyiez et je vous renvoye par la même occasion le reste des prisonniers anglois qui sont icy en ma possession.
J'étois d'abord dans le dessein de vous renvoyer que ceux appartenant à votre gouvernement et de garder ceux des autres provinces, parce que je devois m'attenudre à avoir quelques avis de votre part sur les dispositions des différens gouverneurs desdites provinces par rapport au cartel proposé en conformité de ce que vous leur avez écrit suivant ce que vous avez eu agréable de me marquer par votre lettre du 18 mars dernier.
J'ay suivi encore pour cette fois et mon inclination et des sentiments de générosité, mais j'ay l'honneur de vous prévenir que si ces messieurs ne cèdent point à vos invitations et qu'ils ne se donnent aucun mouvement pour me renvoyer les habitans du gouvernement de Montréal que les partis m'ont enlevés, en échange de ceux de la nation angloise appartenant aux dites provinces, que je vous ay renvoyés par La Vierge de Gräce, et de ceux que je renvoye encore par vôtre paquebot, je garderay soigneusement tous
les prisonniers qui seront faits dans la suite par les Canadiens et je laisseray FY
en de
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