Sargent, Winthrop, ed.; Franklin, Benjamin; Orme, Robert; Napier, Robert; Croghan, George; Gentleman's Magazine. The History of an Expedition Against Fort Du Quesne, in 1755; Under Major-General Braddock, Generalissimo of H. B. M. Forces in America. Edited from the Original Manuscripts, by Winthrop Sargent, M.A., Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania . Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co, 1856. [format: book], [genre: diary; government document; history; letter; narrative; report]. Permission: Schingoethe Center for Native American Cultures, Aurora University
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=winthrop.html

[THE first paper that ensues is printed from a contemporaneous copy in II. Penn. Arch. 203, which more than probably was given to Gov. Morris, if not by the general himself, at least by one of his family; by Shirley or Orme. It naturally differs materially from the copy translated from English into French and back again into English, published in the American version of the French Mémoire. (II. Olden Time, 217.) The second document is that taken from the Mémoire as above, collated with the garbled fragments in XXVI. Gent. Mag., 269.]

G. R. Instructions for our Trusty & well beloved Edw'd Braddock, Esq'r. Major General of all our Forces, and whom We have appointed Genl & Commander of all & singular our Troops & Forces yt are now in North America, & yt shall be sent or raisd there to vindicate our just Rights & Possessions in those Parts. Given at our Court, at St James, ye 25th day of Novr, 1754, in the 28th Year of our Reign.

Whereas, We have by our Commission, bearing date the 24th day of Septr last past, appointed you to be Genl & Commander of all & singular our Forces, yt are or shall be in North America. For your better direction in discharge of ye Trust thereby reposed in You, We have judged it proper to give You the following Instructions.

1st. We having taken under our Royal & serious Consideration the Representations of our Subjects in North America, & ye present State of our Colonies, in order to vindicate our just Rights and Possessions from all Encroachments; & to secure ye Commerce of our Subjects, We have given

direction yt Two of our Regiments of Foot now in Ireland, commanded by Sr Peter Halket & Col. Dunbar, & likewise a suitable Train of Artillery, Transports & Store Ships, together with a certain Number of our Ships of War, to convey the same, shall forthwith repair to North America.

2d. You shall immediately, upon ye Receit of these our Instructions, embark on board one of our Ships of War, and you shall proceed to North America, where you will take our said Force under your Command. And We having appointed Aug. Keppel, Esqr., to command ye Squadron of our Ships of War on ye American Station, We do hereby require & enjoin you to cultivate a good understanding & correspondence with ye sd Commander of our Squadron during your continuance upon ye Service, with which you are now entrusted. We having given directions of ye like nature to ye sd Commander of our Squadron, with Regard to his conduct & correspondence with you.

3d. And Whereas, there will be wanting a number of men to make up ye designed complements of our said Regiments, from 500 to 700 each: And Whereas, it is our Intention yt Two other Regiments of Foot, to consist of 1000 men each, shall be forthwith raised & comanded by Govr Shirley and Sr Wm. Pepperell, whom We have appointed Cols of ye same in our Provinces & Colonies, in North America, and have given directions yt ye Regiment under ye command of ye former should rendezvous at Boston, & yt under ye command of ye latter at New York and Philadelphia; and We haying given orders to our several Governors to be taking the previous steps toward contributing, as far as they can, to have about 3000 men in readiness to be enlisted for these Purposes, & to be put in Proportion as they shall be raised under your command, & be subject to your distribution into the corps above mentioned. And We having thought proper to dispatch Sir John St. Clair, our deputy Quarter Master Genl, & Jas. Pitcher, Esqr., our Commissary of ye musters, in North America, to prepare every thing necessary for ye arrival of ye Two Regiments from Europe, and for ye raising of ye Forces above mentioned, in America. You will inform yourself of such of our Governors as you can most conveniently upon your arrival, & of all of them in due time, & likewise of our sd deputy Quarter Master Genl & Commissary of ye musters, concerning ye Progress they shall respectively have made in ye Execution of our commands above mentioned, in order yt you may be enabled without delay to act accordingly.

4th. Whereas, it has been represented to Us yt ye Forces, which are to go from Cork under your command, may be in want of Provisions upon ye arrival in America, We have caused in consideration thereof 1000 Barrels of Beef and 10 Tons of Butter, to be put on board the Transport Vessels,

& to be delivered to you upon your arrival in America, in case you shall find ye same to be necessary in order to be distributed among ye officers & Troops, & ye several Persons belonging to ye Train of Artillery. But it is our Royal Will & Pleasure, yt in case ye Govrs of our Colonies shall have provided a proper Quantity of Provisions for our Troops upon their arrival, you will then signify ye same to ye Commander in Chief of our Fleet in those Parts, yt ye sd 1000 Barrels of Beef and 10 Tons of Butter, or such Part thereof as shall not be expended may be applied to ye Use of our Royal Navy.

5th. Whereas, We have given Orders to our said Govrs to provide carefully a sufficient Quantity of fresh victuals for ye use of our Troops at their arrival, & yt they should also furnish all our officers who may have occasion to go from Place to Place, with all necessaries for travelling by Land, in case there are no means of going by Sea; & likewise, to observe & obey all such orders as shall be given by You or Persons appointed by you from time to time for quartering the Troops, impressing Carriages, & providing all necessaries for such Forces as shall arrive or be raised in America, and yt the sd several Services shall be performed at the charge of ye respective Governments, wherein the same shall happen. It is our Will & Pleasure yt you should, pursuant thereto, apply to our sd Governors, or any of them, upon all such Exigencies.

6th. And Whereas, We have further directed our said Govrs to endeavour to prevail upon ye Assemblies of their respective Provinces to raise forthwith as large a sum as can be afforded as their contribution to a common Fund, to be employed provisionally for ye general Service in North America, particularly for paying the charge of levying ye Troops to make up ye complements of ye Regiments above-mentioned. It is our Will & Pleasure yt you shou'd give them all ye advice & assistance you can towards effectuating these good Purposes, by establishing such a common Fund as may fully supply ye intended Service; But you will take particular Care to prevent ye Payment of any money whatever to ye Troops under your command, except such as shall be, pursuant to ye Returns, made to you of effective men.

7th. We having likewise directed our sd Govrs to correspond, advise & confer with you about all such matters as may tend to ye promoting the said Levies in their respective Provinces, you are hereby required to be aiding & assisting to them in ye Execution of our sd Instructions, for which purpose you will not only keep a constant & frequent correspondence in writing with them, but will likewise visit the sd Provinces, or any one of them yt you shall think it necessary for our Service so to do. And you will remind our said Governors to use all possible dispatch, that ye Execution

of our design may not be retarded by ye Slowness of Levies to be made in their respective Provinces, or for ye Want of Transports, Victuals, or any other necessaries, at such times & Places as you shall think fit to appoint for their General Rendezvous. And if any Preparation should be necessary for carrying on our Service, which is not contained in these our Instructions, you shall, with ye concurrence of the Governors who are to assist in any such Service, make any such Preparations, provided yt ye same shall appear to you absolutely necessary for ye Defence of our just Rights and Dominions; and you will, in all such Emergencies & occurrences yt may happen, whether herein mentioned or not provided for by these Instructions, not only use your best Circumspection, but shall likewise call to your assistance a Council of War when necessary, which We have thought fit to appoint upon this occasion, consisting of yourself, ye Commander in Chief of our Ships in those Parts, such Governors of our Colonies or Provinces, & such Colonels & other of our Field officers as shall happen to be at a convenient distance from our sd Genl & Commander of our Forces, and you shall with ye advice of them or a majority of them, determine all Operations to be performed by our said Forces under your command, and all other important points relating thereto, in a manner yt shall be most conducive to ye Ends for which ye sd Forces are intended, & for ye faithful discharge of ye great Trust hereby committed to you.

8th. You will not only cultivate ye best Harmony & Friendship possible with ye several Governors of our Colonies & Provinces, but likewise with ye Chiefs of ye Indian Tribes, & for ye better Improvement of our good Correspondence with ye sd Indian Tribes, you will find out some fit & proper Person agreeable to the Southern Indians to be sent to them for this purpose, in like manner as we have orderd Col. Johnson to repair to ye Northern Indians, as ye person thought to be most acceptable to them, to endeavour to engage them to take part & act with our Forces, in such operations as you shall think most expedient.

9th. You will inform yourself from time to time, of ye Nature & Value of ye Presents yt shall be voted or orderd by ye Assemblies of our different Colonies & Provinces, in ye accustomed manner of the inviting & engaging ye Indian Tribes to our Alliance & Interest, and you will be very watchful yt a just & faithful distribution be made of ye same, by all such Persons who shall be entrusted therewith, and you shall assist ye sd Persons with your best advice in ye sd distribution. You will likewise give a particular attention to ye prudent disposal of such Presents as shall be made upon any Occasion, or such as shall have been prepared by Lieut. Governor Dinwiddie, for ye said Indians, out of ye money already vested in his Hands or otherwise.

10th. Whereas, it has been represented to Us, yt an illegal Correspondence & Trade is frequently carried on between the French & our Subjects in ye several Colonies, you will diligently take all possible measures to prevent the continuance of all such dangerous Practices, particularly that the French should not, upon any account whatever, be supplied with Provisions, &ca.

11th. Whereas, We have thought it necessary upon this occasion to establish & ascertain the Rank that shall be observed between the officers bearing our immediate Commission, & those who act under the Commissions of our Governors, Lieut or Deputy Governors, or ye Presidents of our Colonies, for the Time being. We have orderd several printed Copies thereof to be put into your Hands, to be affix'd or dispersd as you shall judge proper in America.

12th. You will herewith receive a Copy of ye early directions that were sent by our Order on ye 28th August, 1753, to our several Governors, enjoining & exhorting our Colonies & Provinces, in North America, to unite together for their common & mutual defence, & you will see by our directions of 5th July, Copies whereof are now also delivered to you our repeated commands, for enforcing the Observance of our said orders of ye 28th August, 1753, and yt We were graciously pleased to order the Sum of £10,000 to be remitted in Specie to Lieut Govr Dinwiddie, to draw Bills for a farther Sum of £10,000, upon ye conditions mentioned in our Warrant of the 3d July last, & transmitted to ye sd Lt Govr Dinwiddie, on ye 27th Septr following, by our Order for ye general Service & Protection of North America, and ye several other Letters of October ye 25 & 26, & of Novr ye 4th, to our Govrs, to Sir Wm. Pepperell & Col. Shirley, Copies of which will be delivered to you herewith, will fully acquaint you with our Orders & Instructions which have been signified to our officers & Governors upon this Subject, at those respective Times, will enable you to inform yourself what Progress has been made in the Execution thereof; And as Extracts of Lieutt Govr Dinwiddie's Letters of May 10th, June 18th, & July 24th, relating to the Summons of the Fort which was erecting on ye Forks of ye Monongahela, and ye Skirmish yt followed soon after, & likewise of ye action in the Great Meadows, near the River Ohio, are herewith delivered to you, you will be fully acquainted with what has hitherto happened of a hostile Nature upon the Banks of that River.

13th: You will not fail to send Us by the first, & every occasion that may offer, a full and clear account of your Proceedings, & of all material Points relating to our Service, by Letter, to one of our Principal Secretaries of State, from whom you shall receive, from time to time, such farther Orders as may be necessary for your Guidance and Direction. G. R.

LONDON, November 25th, 1754.

SIR,
His Royal Highness the Duke, in the several audiences he has given you, entered into a particular explanation of every part of the service you are about to be employed in; and as a better rule for the execution of His Majesty's instructions, he last Saturday communicated to you his own sentiments of this affair, and since you were desirous of forgetting no part thereof, he has ordered me to deliver them to you in writing. His Royal Highness has this service very much at heart, as it is of the highest importance to his majesty's American dominions, and to the honour of his troops employed in those parts. His Royal Highness likewise takes a particular interest in it, as it concerns you, whom he recommended to his majesty to be nominated to the chief command.

His Royal Highness's opinion is, that immediately after your landing, you consider what artillery and other implements of war it will be necessary to transport to Will's Creek for your first operation on the Ohio, that it may not fail you in the service; and that you form a second field train, with good officers and soldiers, which shall be sent to Albany and be ready to march for the second operation at Niagara. You are to take under your command as many as you think necessary of the two companies of artillery that are in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland as soon as the season will allow, taking care to leave enough to defend the Island. Captain Ord, a very experienced officer, of whom his Royal Highness has a great opinion, will join you as soon as possible.

As soon as Shirley's and Pepperel's regiments are near complete, his Royal Highness is of opinion you should cause them to encamp, not only that they may sooner be disciplined, but also to draw the attention of the French and keep them in suspense about the place you really design to attack. His Royal Highness does not doubt that the officers and captains of the several companies will answer his expectation in forming and disciplining their respective troops. The most strict discipline is always necessary, but more particularly so in the service you are engaged in. Wherefore his Royal Highness recommends to you that it be constantly observed among the troops under your command, and to be particularly careful that

they be not thrown into a panic by the Indians, with whom they are yet unacquainted, whom the French will certainly employ to frighten them. His Royal Highness recommends to you the visiting your posts night and day; that your Colonels and other officers be careful to do it; and that you yourself frequently set them the example; and give all your troops plainly to understand that no excuse will be admitted for any surprise whatsoever.

Should the Ohio expedition continue any considerable time, and Pepperell's and Shirley's regiments be found sufficient to undertake in the mean while the reduction of Niagara, his Royal Highness would have you consider whether you could go there in person, leaving the command of the troops on the Ohio to some officer on whom you might depend, unless you shall think it better for the service to send to those troops some person whom you had designed to command on the Ohio; but this is a nice affair, and claims your particular attention. Colonel Shirley is the next commander after you, wherefore if you should send such an officer he must conduct himself so as to appear only in quality of a friend or counsellor in the presence of Colonel Shirley: and his Royal Highness is of opinion that the officer must not produce or make mention of the commission you give him to command except in a case of absolute necessity.

The ordering of these matters may be depended on, if the expedition at Crown Point can take place at the same time that Niagara is besieged.

If after the Ohio expedition is ended it should be necessary for you to go with your whole force to Niagara it is the opinion of his Royal Highness that you should carefully endeavour to find a shorter way from the Ohio thither than that of the Lake; which however you are not to attempt under any pretence whatever without a moral certainty of being supplied with provisions, etc. As to your design of making yourself master of Niagara, which is of the greatest consequence, his Royal Highness recommends to you to leave nothing to chance in the prosecution of that enterprize.

With regard to the reducing of Crown Point, the provincial troops being best acquainted with the country, will be of the most service.

After the taking of this fort his Royal Highness advises you to consult with the Governors of the neighboring provinces, where it will be most proper to build a fort to cover the frontiers of those provinces.

As to the forts which you think ought to be built (and of which they are perhaps too fond in that country), his Royal Highness recommends the building of them in such manner, that they may not require a strong garrison. He is of opinion that you ought not to build considerable forts, cased with stone, till the plans and estimates thereof have been sent to England and approved of by the Government here. His Royal Highness

thinks that stockaded forts, with pallisadoes and a good ditch, capable of containing 200 men or 400 upon an emergency, will be sufficient for the present.

As Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence, who commands at Nova Scotia, hath long protracted the taking of Beau-Sejour, his Royal Highness advises you to consult with him, both with regard to the time and the manner of executing that design. In this enterprize his Royal Highness foresees that his majesty's ships may be of great service, as well by transporting the troops and warlike implements, as intercepting the stores and succours that might be sent to the French either by the Baye Françoise, or from Cape Breton by the Baye Verte on the other side of the Isthmus.

With regard to your winter quarters after the operations of the campaign are finished, his Royal Highness recommends it to you to examine whether the French will not endeavor to make some attempts next season and in what parts they will most probably make them. In this case it will be most proper to canton your troops on that side, at such distances, that they may easily be assembled for the common defence. But you will be determined in this matter by appearances, and the intelligence, which it hath been recommended to you to procure by every method immediately after your landing. It is unnecessary to put you in mind how careful you must be to prevent being surprised. His Royal Highness imagines that your greatest difficulty will be the subsisting of your troops. He therefore recommends it to you to give your chief attention to this matter, and to take proper measures relative thereto with the Governors and with your quarter-masters and commissaries.

I hope that the extraordinary supply put on board the fleet, and the 1000 barrels of beef destined for your use, will facilitate and secure the supplying of your troops with provisions.

I think I have omitted nothing of all the points wherein you desired to be informed: if there should be any intricate point unthought of, I desire you would represent it to me now, or at any other time; and I shall readily take it upon me to acquaint his Royal Highness thereof, and shall let you know his opinion on the subject.

I wish you much success with all my heart; and as this success will infinitely rejoice all your friends, I desire you would be fully persuaded that no body will take greater pleasure in acquainting them thereof, than him, who is, etc.
(Signed.) ROBERT NAPIER.
(A. D. C. to the Duke.)

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