Separate
<Govrs. of New Hampshire, Massachusets Bay, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pensylvania, Virginia, No. Carolina, So. Carolina.>
Whitehall Decr. 12th. 1761
Sir,
The King having taken into His Most serious Consideration, how highly essential it is to the Interests & Security of His Subjects in North America, that the Regular Regiments, serving in that Country, be recruited, with all Convenient Expedition, to their full Complement of Effectives, and at the same Time, seeing the impracticability of compleating them from Great Britain, considering how this Country is drained, by the great Number of Men furnished for the various Services in all Parts of the World; I am therefore to signify to You the King's Pleasure, that You do, immediately on the Receipt of this letter, exert your utmost Influence to induce your Province, to carry into the most speedy & effectual Execution this very important Object, by immediate Compliance with any Requisition; which Sir Jefferey Amherst shall, in Consequence of His Majesty's Orders, make for furnishing on certain Conditions which he will explain to You, such a Number of Recruits, from Your Province, as he shall demand as their Quota, towards compleating the Regular Regiments which have been sent to America, for the Defence & Protection of the Possessions of His Majesty's Subjects there; And the King cannot doubt, but that the Provinces will chearfully & readily comply with this reasonable Demand, so obviously calculated for their own Security and Advantage, at the same Time that You Zeal for His Majesty's Service will naturally excite You to use all your Influence & Power in bringing effectually to bear a Measure, which His Majesty has so much at Heart, and with Regard to which, any Failure or Disappointment would be extremely disagreable.
| NB. This Paragraph was omitted to Maryland, Virginia, No. Carolina, So. Carolina. The above Provinces, being enter'd, as last year, to raise their full Number of Men. | I have it also in Command from the King to acquaint You, that tho' the present Situation of Affairs, would have fully justified, the having required of the Provinces, as large a Number of Men, as they ever have raised for any of the former Campaigns, instead of the Quota which was demanded the last Year; yet, His Majesty considering the high Importance of the Service, which makes the Subject of this Letter, and being desirous to ease the Burthens of His Faithful Subjects, as far as shall be consistent with their own Safety, has been pleased to require only the same Number of Men as for the last Year, in order thereby to facilitate a Measure, so essential as the compleating the Regular Regiments by Recruits to be furnished from the Provinces in North America, And the King is persuaded that the said Provinces, duly sensible of His Majesty's tender & Paternal Care for their Welfare, will, in return, readily & chearfully comply with the Orders now sent You. |
I am &ca.
Egremont
Drat. to the Governors
in North America
Decr. 12th. 1761
(Separate)
