Original.
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[Shirley to Sharpe.]
Camp at Oswego Sept. 9th 1755
Sir
As it may be acceptable to your Honour to know the Situa-
tion of the Service, which is under my immediate Care, I
transmit you the following account of it.
The last Division of the Forces under my Command were
twenty Six Days upon their march from Schenectady to this
Place, where they did not arrive untill the 2d Instant: The
Troops are so much reduced by Desertion and Sickness, and
absence of Detachments upon Parties & Command, that by a
Field Return, which I ordered to be taken yesterday it Appears,
that the number of men in the three Regiments & Independent
Company fit for Duty upon the Spot don't amount to 1400,
out of which we are oblig'd to keep 100 at work upon a New
Fort, and if the Body of the Forces moves from this Place,
must leave 300 at least for the Defence of it, so that not 1000
men will remain for other Service, & of these 60 must be
employ'd as Matrosses, & a number as Pioneers: To this I
am to add that we have Suffered greatly by Desertion of
Battoesmen, after being impress'd and even proceeding Part
of the way with us; by which means we are in want of Pro-
visions for any Service, that will require ten days in the
Execution.
However, if I am not disappointed of Supplies of Provisions
which I hourly expect; I am encourag'd, upon the Intelligence,
I have gained since my arrival here, that with our Naval Force,
and the Assistance of the Indians, whom I have pick'd up in
my Passage thro the Country of the five Nations, and the
Albany men, whom I hired to go with me as a Scouting party
of Guards (both which may Amount to 140 men) I say, I am
encourag'd, Sir, to hope that we may proceed upon Action in
a very few Days, and that a foundation will be laid this year
for such a Campaigne the next, as I flatter myself (provided
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