Copy.
Triplicate.
Whitehall Decr. 17th. 1760—
To the Govr. of Pensylvania, and a like Letter to Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, & South Carolina.
Sir,
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To Maryland, instead of the Words Underlined. As large a Body of Men, as the Number, & Situation of It's Inhabitants may allow (in the due Performance of which Service, it is expected, & required, that They will not again presume to fail in their Duty to The King, as They have hitherto done.) To Virginia, instead of the Words underlined. As large a Body of Men, as the Number & Situation of It's Inhabitants may allow (yr. Province having been extremely wanting to The King's Service in this respect last year.) To North Carolina, instead of the Words underlined. As large a Body of Men as the Number of it's Inhabitants may allow, (your Province having hitherto been extremely wanting to The King's Service in this respect) To South Carolina, instead of the Words underlined. As large a Body of Men as the Number and Situation of it's Inhabitants may allow, (your Province having hitherto been extremely wanting to The King's Service in this respect.) |
His Majesty having nothing so much at Heart, as, by the most vigorous Prosecution of the War, to reduce the Enemy to the Necessity of accepting a Peace on Terms of Glory & Advantage to His Majesty's Crown, & Beneficial, in particular, to His Subjects in America, and as nothing can so effectually contribute to that great & essential Object, as The King's being enabled to employ, as immediately as may be, such Part of the Regular Forces in North America, as may be adequate to some great & important Enterprize againt the Enemy; I am commanded to signify to you The King's Pleasure, that, in order the better to provide for the full and entire Security of His Majesty's Dominions in North America, and particularly of the Possession of His Majesty's Conquests there, during the Absence of such Part of the Regular Forces, you do forthwith use your utmost Endeavours, & Influence with the Council & Assembly of your Province, to induce them to raise, with all possible Dispatch, within your Government, Two Thirds of the Number of Men They raised for the last Campaign; and, forming the same into Regiments, as far as shall be found convenient, that you do direct Them to hold Themselves in readiness, and particularly as much earlier than former Years, as may be, to march to such Place, or Places, in North America, as His Majesty's Commander in Chief there, or the Officer, who shall be appointed to command The King's Forces in those Parts shall appoint, in order to be employed there, under the supreme Command of His Majesty's said Commander in Chief, or of the Officer to be appointed as above, in such Manner as, from the Circumstances and Situation of the Enemy's Posts, and the State and Disposition of the Indian Nations, on that Side, He may judge most conducive for The King's Service; And the better to facilitate this important Service, The King is pleased to leave it to you to issue Commissions to such Gentlemen of your Province, as you shall judge, from their Weight & Credit with the People, and their zeal for the Publick Service, may be best disposed, & enabled, to quicken & effectuate the speedy Levying of the greatest Number of Men; In the Disposition of which Commissions, I am persuaded you will have nothing in View but the Good of The King's Service, and a due Subordination of the whole to His Majesty's Commander; And all Officers of the Provincial Forces, as high as Colonels inclusive, are to have Rank according to their several respective Commissions, agreable to the Regulations contained in His Late Majesty's Warrant of the 30th. of December 1757, which is renewed by His present Majesty. |
| To Maryland, Virginia, North & South Carolina, instead of the Words underlined: to the fullest Exertion of your Force, | The King is further pleased to furnish all the Men, so raised as above, with Arms, Ammunition, & Tents, as well as to order Provisions to be issued to the same, by His Majesty's Commissaries, in the same Proportion, & Manner, as is done to the rest of the King's Forces: The whole, therefore, that The King expects & requires from the several Provinces, is, the Levying, Cloathing & Pay of the Men; And on these Heads also, that no Encouragement may be wanting to this Great and salutary Service, His Majesty is farther most graciously pleased to permit me to acquaint you, that strong Recommendations will be made to Parliament, in their Session next Year to grant a proper Compensation for such Expences as above, according as the active Vigour, & strenuous Efforts of the respective Provinces shall justly appear to merit. |
It is His Majesty's Pleasure that you do, with particular Diligence, immediately collect, & put into the best Condition, all the Arms, issued last Campaign, which can be, any ways rendered serviceable, or that can be found within your Government, in order that the same may be again employed for His Majesty's Service.
I am further to inform you, that similar Orders are sent, by this Conveyance, to Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, & South Carolina. The Northern Governments are also directed to raise Men in the same Manner, to be employed, as His Majesty's Commander in Chief shall judge most conducive for The King's Service in North America.
It is unnecessary to add any Thing to annimate your Zeal in the Execution of His Majesty's Orders in this important Conjuncture, which is finally to fix the future Safety and Welfare of America, and of your own Province in particular; And the King doubts not, from your known Fidelity & Attachment, that you will employ yourself with the utmost Application & Dispatch, in this promising & decisive Crisis.
I am &ca.
W: Pitt.
