The Virginia Gazette

The SPEECH of his Excellency William SHIRLEY, Esq; Captain General and Governor in Chief, in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England.

To the General Assembly of said Province, met at Boston, on Wednesday the 3d of April, 1745.

Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives,

IN Puruance of the Resolution of this Court for forming an Expedition against the French Settlements on Cape Breton, pass'd the 25th of January last, which is agreeable to His Majesty's Pleasure signify'd to me upon the present Rupture with France, " That I should take all Opportunities, as far as depended upon me, to distress and annoy the French in their "Settlements, Trade and Commerce.' I have raised Three Thousand Volunteers, under proper Officers, to be employed in His Majesty's Service upon that Expedition; Two Thousand eight Hundred of which by the 24th Day of last Month, and the Remainder within two Days after were embarked and sailed for Canso, where they were to be join'd with Three Hundred and Fifty Troops more rais'd by the Government of New-Hampshire, for the same Service, upon my Application to Governor Wentworth, and to proceed from thence by the first favourable Opportunity to Chapeaurouge-Bay, to which Place I expect they will be followed some time this Week by Five Hundred Troops more from Connecticut, rais'd likewise for the same Service by that Government, upon my Application to them : And after the most diligent and exact Enquiry into the State of the Enemy's Forces and Fortifications upon that Island, from Persons intimately acquainted with both, I have endeavoured to form such a Plan of Operations to be executed immediately upon the Landing of our Troops there, as may, I hope, with the Blessing of Divine Providence on His Majesty's Arms, render our Attempts against the Enemy under their present Circumstance successful, provided our Naval Force shall prove sufficient to hinder them from being reinforced in the mean Time with Recruits and Supplies from France : For preventing which, as well as to cut off all Intelligences from the Enemy, and intercept any Provision-Vessels which might arrive to 'em from other Parts, I sent away, near three Weeks ago, three Ships of 20 Guns each, two Snows of 16 Guns, and an arm'd Brigantine of near the same Force (which, together with some other Vessels of War, are employ'd by this Government in the Service of the present Expedition) well mann'd and equipp'd, with Orders to cruize before the Harbour of Louisbourg, 'til the Arrival of our Land Forces at Cape Breton ; after which those Vessels will be immediately join'd by Capt. Rouse in a Snow of 24 Guns, and the Connecticut Colony Sloop, in order to block up the Enemy's Harbour more closely.-And that I might procure as strong an Armament by Sea as well as Land, as may be, upon this Occasion, I not only apply'd to the Neighbouring Governments of New-England, New-York, the Jerseys and Pennsylvania, to furnish their respective Quotas of Sea as well as Land Forces for this Enterprize in the common Cause, but to the Commanders of His Majesty's Ships of War station'd in these Parts for their Assistance also, as far as his Majesty's Service in their several Stations would admit ; and particularly appriz'd Commodore Warren, by an Express Sent to Antigua, of the whole Scheme of the Expedition, representing to him the Advantages we have over the Enemy at present ; and that for securing the Success against 'em, " it was necessary that we should have a sufficient Naval Force before the Harbour of Louisbourg by the Middle of March at farthest, (if possible) not only to intercept the "Enemy's Provision-Vessels, but Monsieur Duvivier, who was "expected by that Time with Recruits and Supplies for the "Enemy's Garrison, and perhaps some Troops design'd against " Annapolis-Royal, under Convoy of a Fifty-four and Sixty "Gun Ship, the Intercepting of which would be a killing Blow "to the Town and Garrison of Louisbourg ; but that it would " be impossible for us to muster up here a sufficient Naval Force "for that Purpose without the Assistance of two Fifty or Forty "Gun Ships ;and therefore pressing him in the strongest Terms, " if he could possibly spare Two such from the Squadron under " his Command, to dispatch them away instantly upon the " Receipt of my Express; and that if he could not spare Two. "such Ships, he would assist us with one ; which might perhaps " be sufficient, as I was in Hopes from Advices I had receiv'd "from England, that One if not Two of His Majesty's Ships "of War might be expected to arrive here with Stores for New- " Hampshire and Annapolis-Royal by the Middle of March, " tho' I could make no absolute Dependance upon that :"

And as his Majesty's Ship the Bien Aimé Prize, Capt. Gayton Commander, then and still in this Harbour, and which I understood was sent here partly to load with Masts of such Dimensions as could not be got ready before the latter End of June, " I desir'd likewise that we might have the Assistance of " that Ship for the Expedition, or Mr. Warren's Orders to "His Majesty's Ship station'd at Virginia for that Purpose ;" and requesting that what Ships he sent us might proceed directly to Canso ; for which Purpose I sent him Two skilful Pilots,- and appriz'd him that I should send His Majesty an Account of the Expedition by a Bristol Vessel the Day following.

In answer to this Letter I receiv'd another from Mr. Warren, dated February 24, by the Return of the Express-Boat, which arriv'd at Boston the 19th of last Month, wherein he inform'd me, that " he should be very glad to be employ'd in this Expedition, but that the unhappy Loss of the Weymouth, in which Ship he should have come here sometime in March pursuant to his Orders to attend on New-England, had prevented him ; that he had sent my Letters and Scheme by a Vessel of War express to the Admiralty, by the Return of which to Antigua he should no Doubt receive full Instructions for his future Proceedings; and that in the mean Time he should in a very few Days dispatch the Launceston to attend on New-England, and the Mermaid to New-York; pursuant to his Directions from the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty : " And by the same Express-Boat Capt. Gayton receiv'd Orders from Commodore Knowles which have prevented him from assisting us with his Ship in the Expedition. -Since this (Five Days ago) I have receiv'd Two other Letters from Mr. Warren dated the 9th and 15th of last Month, the first at Antigua, and the latter from on board the Superbe. informing me, " That on the 8th of last Month his Majesty's Sloop Hind arriv'd at Antigua, and brought him Orders to proceed with the Superbe, Launceston and Mermaid, without Loss of Time to Boston; on his Passage to which Place he was at the Time of Writing of his last Letter. in the Latitude of
22 Degrees; and that he hoped soon to arrive in Nantasket Road, and concert such Measures with me as may conduce most to the Protection of the Colonies and Trade, and the carrying on of His Majesty's Service in general. -Upon the Receipt of which I dispatched a Letter by an Express to meet him, apprizing him of the Departure and State of our Land and Sea Forces, and recommending to him to send one of his Ships at least forthwith before Louisbourg, to join our Cruizers there, without coming first to Nantasket, which I apprehended to be of great Consequence to His Majesty's Service : --And I am now in hourly Expectation of hearing further of Mr. Warren, and the Ships under his Command; and hope they may come in Time to secure Success to the present Expedition, which, according to the ordinary Course of human Events, may be looked on as most probable, if these Ships shall arrive seasonably before Louisbourg.

Gentlemen,

As I am persuaded it must be a Satisfaction to you, to be informed of the several Steps hitherto taken for conducting this important Enterprize, with the Success of them, I have been induced to be the more particular in my Account of the Success of my Endeavours for procuring a sufficient Naval Force for the Service of it; and I may assure you that no Vigilance or Attention has or shall be wanting in me to make the other necessary Dispositions for the Support of it with all possible Dispatch, and to make the Event of it answer the great Ends proposed by it for His Majesty's Service, and the general Interests of His British Dominions, as well as the particular Interests of New England, and the other British Colonies on this Continent : and to provide a safe Retreat for our Forces upon any extraordinary Emergency, that may require it.

In the mean Time it must afford you the highest Satisfaction, to observe the particular Regard, which His Majesty's Ministers have shown for the Protection of these Colonies, by their beforementioned Orders to Commodore Warren : And the warm Assurances I have received from His Majesty's Governors in the Colonies of New-York, the Jerseys and Pennsylvania, of their most hearty Endeavours to engage the Colonies under their respective Governments in the Support of the common Cause upon this Occasion, have given me great Encouragement to proceed in this Expedition ; towards securing the Successes whereof, I immediately received from Governor Clinton, upon my Request to him for that Purpose, a considerable Train of Artillery, without which we could not have had the same Prospect of reducing the Island as we now have.

W. SHIRLEY.