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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 319
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That Crown Point should be at the same time attacked wth
6000 Troops, a Fort afterwards built on Lake Champlain &
one or more Vessels built to navigate that Lake, & in order to
divide the Force of Canada more effectually after breaking up
all the French Settlements upon the River Chaudiere with
2000 Troops about the same time to make a Feint with them
on Quebec at the Mouth of the said River which is within three
Miles distance from that Metropolis situate on the opposite
Side of the River St Lawrence.
His Excellency then desired the Opinion & Advice of the
Council upon every part of the proposed plan & particularly
whether the Number of Troops proposed for carrying every
part of the said Expedition into Execution at one & the same
time was sufficient or whether any less or greater & what
number might be sufficient to do it —
His Excellency then observed to the Council that if the
beforementioned Attempts for the Reduction of the French
Forts & Settlements upon the Lake & the Ohio & Crown
Point, should not be made at the same time but one of them
only carried on at a time these Dangers would ensue. Viz.
If an Attempt should be made upon the Lake Ontario for the
Reduction of the Forts at Cataracui & Niagara &c without any
against Crown Point, The French would either bend the chief
part of the whole Force of Canada to oppose it in which Case
so large a Body of Troops would be required to encounter it
there as would make the Transportation of them & their Stores
& Provisions to Oswego in time almost impracticable or else
the French would muster so strong a Force against Albany as
might take it & by that means likewise cut off all Communica-
tion between it & the Forces at Oswego which must receive its
whole Support of Stores & Provisions from thence —
On the other hand if an Attempt should be made for the
Reduction of Crown Point only & not against Fort Cataracui
Niagara &c at the same time Oswego which from the Intelli-
gence gained at that place appears to be the great Object of
the French would be in Danger of being lost to them in case
they should bend their principal Force against it, which Loss
would be an irretrieveable one to the English, as it would not
only be Loss of the Country as far as Albany together with the
Six Nations but give the French the Dominion of the Great
Lake & the whole Southern Country.
His Excellency then acquainted the Council that immediately
before his Departure from Oswego as well as since he had
received Intelligence that the French are building at least three
large Vessels of Force in the Harbour of Cataracui which
together with those they had already built will be much
superiour to those built by us on the Lake whereupon he like-
wise desires the Opinion & Advice of the Council concerning
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