94 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, I753-1761.

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.
p. 76

Part of the whole of the Provincial Troops as he should find
necessary to Defend the same, and to Protect the Indians in
those Parts as well as the Settlements which had been broke
up.
3^dly That the next Service which his Majesty directs, &
declares to be of the greatest Importance and therefore to
Demand the utmost Care, and Attention, is the Dislodging
the French from the Forts they have at the Falls & Passes
of the Niagara, and the Erecting such a Fort there as shall
for the future make his Majestys Subjects Masters of the
Lake Ontario and that if for this purpose the said late
General Braddock to have Ships upon the said Lake Ontario,
he should Concert with the Commander in Chief of his
Majestys Ships and the Governors of New England and New
York the manner and means of Building & Manning such
vessels as shall be most proper for that Service
4^thly That it is in the said Instructions Declared to be his
Majestys further Will and Pleasure, that in order to Accel-
lerate the Execution of so Sallutary an undertaking the said
General Braddock should in Case the Regiments intended to
be raised by Governor Shirley and Sir William Pepperal
should be ready to Act befor the French could be drove from
their Posts on the Ohio, to employ the said two Regiments
in the immediate Reduction of Niagara and Crown Point

5^thly That in Case the said two Regiments of Shirley and

Pepperals should not be Raised and ready to Act till the time
that the Service on the Ohio should be finished It is declared
to be his Majestys Will and Pleasure that if then the said
General Braddock should find it necessary to March his
whole Force to make himself Master of the Posts before
mentioned at Niagara he should take the most prudent
means of Joining- his said Force with the British Batalions
to Effect that most Essential and Necessary Service
6^thly That if the said General Braddock should find that
the two British Regiments would be Sufficient for perform-
ing the Service at Niagara he might then employ the two
American Regiments at the Same time in Dispossessing the
French from their Posts at Crown Point on the Lake Cham-
plain, which was the next point he was to Endeavour to
gain, But that no Possitive Instructions should be given him
on this head as he could only Judge thereafter whether such a
Separate Operation could be undertaken at the same time,
that he was making himself Master of the most Material one
at Niagara, however that after he should have Possessed
himself of the Niagara Forts and should have Opened a
Safe Communication betwixt that and Oswego it was his