<To the Govr. of Pensylvania and like Letter to Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina.>
Whitehall, Decr. 12th. 1761
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; And I am particularly commanded by The King to acquaint you, that His Majesty expects, that your Province will not obstinately persist in refusing to comply with their Duty to the King on this Head; a Behaviour, which cannot fail to incur His Majesty's just Displeasure. To Virginia and So. Carolina. As large a Body of Men, as the Number & Situation of It's Inhabitants may allow. To North Carolina. As large a Body of Men, as the Number of It's Inhabitants may allow. |
As the King has nothing so much at Heart as to secure and improve the great and important Advantages gained since the Commencement of this War in North America, and having seen His good Dispositions to restore the Publick Tranquility entirely frustrated by the Insincerity and Chicane of the Court of Versailles in the late Negotiation; And as nothing can so effectually contribute to the great & essential Object of reducing the Enemy to the Necessity of accepting a Peace, on Terms of Glory & Advantage to His Majesty's Crown and beneficial, in particular to His Subjects in America, 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 and Important Enterprize against the Enemy; I am commanded to signify to you The King's Pleasure, that, in order the better to provide for the full & entire Security of His Majesty's Dominions in North America, & 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 and Assembly of your Province, to induce them to raise, with all possible Dispatch, within your Government, at least the same Number of Men, as was required from your Province, by Mr. Pitt's Letter of Decr. 17th. 1760, Vizt. Two Thirds of what they raised the preceeding Campaign; and forming the same into Regiments, as far as shall be found convenient, that you do direct Them to hold Themselves in readiness, & 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 to 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 in your Province, as you shall judge from their Weight & Credit with the People, & 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 has been renewed by His present Majesty. |
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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, and Tents, as well as to order Provisions to be issued to the same, by His Majesty's Commissaries, in the same Proportion, and 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 and 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 ado any Thing to animate 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 and Attachment, that you will employ yourself, with the Utmost Application & Dispatch in this promising and decisive Crisis.
I am &ca.
Egremont
Draught to the Southern Governors
Decr. 12th. 1761.
