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258 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. II.
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you will excuse the Liberty I presume to hint my Opinion
farther to your Lordship. You have been ee'r this informed
what is doing to the Northward; that Colonel Monkton has
succeeded in Nova Scotia to the utmost of his Expectations
we have lately had the Satisfaction to hear & we also entertain
very sanguine hopes that Colonel Johnson with the Provincial
Troops will make a successful Attempt on Crown Point (Fort
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Frederick) as we are told the Garrison therein is at this time
very inconsiderable, Governor Shirley's & Sr W Pepperell's
Regiments are at this time engaged in making Oswego Fort
more defensible & in building Gallies on Ontario Lake whereby
it is hoped they will be Masters thereof & be enabled to make
an easy Descent on the French Fort at Niagara, but should
the French from the Ohio immediately reinforce their Garrison
at that place before Shirley can execute the Business or Part
he undertook to act at this time, his Enterprize may be also
rendered abortive & himself be obliged to act on the Defensive
only, however I entertain warm hopes that by fortifying on
Ontario Lake & building Vessels thereon he will secure the
Navigation thro it & cut off all Communication between Canada
& the Ohio by water. I think that the Militia Law which has
been lately made by the Legislature of New York will remove
& obviate any Difficulty that there might otherwise have been
in conveying him Provisions which I beleive are seldom scarce
in that Province & can be Water-born almost from N York to
Oswego. If the Ohio Garrison can be thus deprived of
Supplies from Canada I think they cannot but be greatly
distressed for want of Provision shortly, & will no doubt make
Incursions into & supply themselves from these three defence-
less Colonies which however we could easily prevent if our
People would but be persuaded of the Necessity of a Law to
regulate the Militia as I suppose Yr Ldp will think when you
are told that we have in this Province 18.000 Men fit to bear
Arms. Could some Artillery be procured & wd these Colonies
unite & exert themselves, the Season is not yet too far advanced
to pursue the General's plan by attacking Fort du Quesne in
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the temperate months of 7ber 8ber & 9ber but as we have no
Artillery in this Part of His Majestys Dominions, & there
being little Probability of the Colonies uniting or acting with
unanimity, I am afraid the Troops under the Command of
Colo. Dunbar will scarcely proceed to Action again before
Instructions can be received from England unless he marches
with some of them Northward to support Shirley or to Enfort
himself somewhere in the distant Parts of Pensilva near the
Easternmost Branch of the Ohio River. I am apt to think as
I above hinted that what the French will now have principally
in view & will leave no Stone unturned to accomplish is the
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