96 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761.

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

as Sehenecteday, and very Possibly be soon followed with the
Loss of the City of Albany
That from the Best Information he can procure it appears
to him that the French Forts and Settlements at Niagara,
upon Lake Erie & the Ohio and even as far as Missilimack-
inack upon the Lake Huron are wholy Supported with Stores
and Provisions from Montreal by Water Carriage thro the
River Iroquois and across the Lake Ontario and not from
the French Settlements on the Missisippe, which being at
near the distance of 2000 Miles from any of them are too
Remote to Afford them any Support especially as the Navi-
gation from thence to the French Settlements on the Ohio,
is against the Stream and Attended with other difficulties in
many Places.
That Consequently the Dislodging the French from Fort
Frontenac & their Small Fort at Fronto, and barring up their
Entrance into the Lake Ontario, thro the River Iroquois
would Cutt of all their Forts & Settlements upon that and
the Other Lakes and the River Ohio from all Support from
Canada without which they could not Possibly long Subsist
That therefore his Excellency Proposes the following Plan
for the Ensuing year Viz^t
That a Body of 5000 Troops should be assembled at Os-
wego by the last Week in April, and Fort Frontenac and La
Gallette upon the River Oswegatic be Attacked with 4000 of
them & in the beginning of May leaving 1000 at Oswego for
the Protection of that Place.

P. 78

That after Dislodging the French Troops at Cataraqui &
La Gallette they should be employed in Attacking the French
Forts and Settlements at Niagara, Presqu' Isle, the River
Au Beuf Detroit & Missilimackinac, and to Secure the Sev-
eral Posts there. That 3000 Troops should at the same time
be Marched to Fort Duquesne by Land from Wills's Creek
to Attack that Fort.
That Crown Point should be at the Same time Attacked
with 6000 Troops, a Fort afterwards built on Lake Cham-
plain and one or more Vessels built to Navigate that Lake
and in order to Divide the Force of Canada more Effectually
after breaking up all 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 of that Metropolis Sit-
uate on the Opposite Side of the River S^t Lawrence
His Excellency then desired the Opinion and Advice of the
Council upon every part of the Proposed Plan and particu-
larly whether the Number of Troops Proposed for Carrying