-James Smith

Great things being expected from him, he [General Braddock] arrived early in the spring at Virginia, with a considerable land force; and Fort du Quesne seemed to be ours, if we did but go and demand it. The attacks designed against Niagara and Fort Frederick, at Crown

Point, were planned in the winter, and the troops employed against the French in Nova Scotia, embarked at Boston in April. Let us view the events, besides those already mentioned. General Braddock was ready to march in April.

But, through ignorance or neglect, or a misunderstanding with the governor of Virginia, had neither fresh provisions, horses, nor wagons provided; and so late as the latter end of May, it was necessary to apply to Pennsylvania, for the most part of those. This neglect created a most pernicious diffidence and discredit of the Americans, in the mind of the General, and prevented their usefulness, where their advice was wanted, and produced very bad effects, he was a man (as it is now too well known and believed) by no means of quick apprehension, and could not conceive that such a people could instruct him: and his young counsellors prejudiced him still more, so as to slight his officers, and what was worse, his enemy: as it was treated as an absurdity to suppose the Indians would ever attack regulars and, of course, no care was taken to instruct the men to resist their peculiar manner of fighting.

Had this circumstance been attended to, I am fully persuaded 400 Indians, about the number that defeated him, would have given him very little annoyance: sure I am, 400 of our people, rightly managed, would have made no difficulty of driving before them four times that handful, to whom he owed his defeat and death.

The undertaking of the eastern provinces, to reduce the fort at Crown Point, met that fate which the jarring councils of a divided people commonly meet with: for though the plan was concerted in the winter of 1754. It was August before these petty governments could bring together their troops. In short, it must be owned by all that delays were the banes of our undertakings, except in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, where secrecy and expedition were rewarded with success, and that province reduced.

The General continued inactive, from the time he left Oswego, to March 1756n when he was about to resume the execution of his scheme to attack Frontenac and Niagara. What would have been the issue of this project, neither myself nor any other person can now pretend to say, for. just at this crisis, he received orders from England to attempt nothing till Lord London should arrive, which was said should be early in the spring.

However, his Lordship did not get there until the middle of July, so that by this delay time was given to the Marquis de Montcalm (Major-General Dieskan's successor) to arrive from France at Canada with 3000 regular forces, and take the field before us.

But to return from this digression to other transactions. When I was pretty well recovered again, I embarked on board a vessel from Albany for New York; where, when I arrived, I found to my sorrow Captain John Shirley, the General's son, had been dead for some time. He was a very promising worthy young gentleman, and universally regretted. His company was given to Major James Kinnair, who ordered that none of his men should go out on the recruiting parties, as was at first intended by his predecessor; but that the private men should either return to Oswego, or do duty in the fort at New York. Not liking my station here, I entreated the General, who was now arrived, for a furlough, to see my friends at Pennsylvania, which he, having then no great occasion for me at New York, granted for three months.