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Letter Bk. III
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them & shall think myself extreemly fortunate if by your
means I shall ever get from the Govt any considerable part of
the money which appears to be due to me by the inclosed
Account.
You have I doubt not before this time received particular
Advices of the Reduction of the French Fort at Niagara by
Sr Wm Johnson & of the Enemy's having on the Approach of
General Amherst thought it prudent to abandon their Posts
at Ticonderoga & Crown Point, Events which encouraged
even the General to hope that all Canada would be reduced
before the End of the Summer, such a Conquest however I
am afraid cannot be made this Campaign, as General Amherst
was still at Crown Point the 9th Inst. not daring to venture
down Lake Champlain till he should have some Vessels
launch't wch might be able to encounter those which the French
had before built on that Lake. The Siege of Niagara was
begun in a very lucky hour for had it been delayed a Day or
two longer the French & Indians who were assembled at
Venango would have fallen down the Ohio & attacked Pitts-
burg the Garrison whereof was by no means formidable, far
from being well supplied with Provisions & the.Fort scarcely
proof against Musquetry; Brigr Stanwix was then on the
Frontiers of Pensa unable as it was said to proceed for want
of Waggons; soon after Niagara surrendered the Enemy's
Forces on this Side the Lakes being vastly reduced by their
unsuccessful Attempt to raise the Siege of that place they
thought it was impossible for them to keep Post any longer
on the Ohio if Brigr Stanwix should choose to act offensively
& therefore at once abandoned & destroyed their several
Forts on the South Side of Lake Erie & on the Head Branches
of the Ohio whereby they have left us Masters of that River
with all the Country on this Side of it & the Indians seeing at
length that the French cannot protect them are now become
very tractable & quiet. I presume you receive Accounts of
General Wolfe's operations almost as soon as we get Advice
of them & that before this can reach you you will know for
certain what hath been or must be the Issue of the St Law-
rence Expedition, however lest that should not be the Case
I shall inclose you a Gazette which contains the latest Articles
of News that have been sent us from that River which shew I
think that His Majesty's Troops in that Quarter have not been
idle this Summer, but I am afraid they are not sufficiently
numerous for the Service on which they are employed & as
to a Junction between Mr Wolfe & General Amherst this Cam-
paign I suppose there is not now any room to hope for it.
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