Letter of General James Murray to Colonel Simon Fraser, July 1760

The magnificent Louisbourg Lighthouse, built in the 18th century, towers over Nova Scotia's early morning sky. In 1758, British forces captured the area in seven weeks after attacking with more than 13,000 soldiers aboard more than 150 ships. The British destroyed the fortress walls because they were determined that area would never again be a French base with strong defenses. (Jeffrey Campbell, Before the Storm, 2024. Artist's rendition created with Perchance AI Image Generator)

Letter of General James Murray to Colonel Simon Fraser, July 1760

LETTER OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL JAMES

MURRAY TO COLONEL SIMON FRASER

[From the Canadian Archives, M. 898-D. (Copied from the original 

draft among the Murray Papers at Bath.)]

Champlain road 25th July 1760

Dr Sir

I was yesterday honor'd with your favor of the 27, I thank you heartily for the Bermudas Sloop, She will be of infinite Service, for as the Diana can go no farther than the Trois Rivieres, we shall want the Bermudian to proceed wth. us to Montreal, let there therefore be no delay in dispatching her to us. Capt. Strobo tells me he came fm Louisbourg in a schooner called Amherst, and excellent Vessell for this river already armed & in the Government's Service, Ld. Colvill it seems has scruples, in keeping her for this service as they cannot be material, I hope you will use your endeavours to remove them I have wrote to him on the subject - the Success of our Affairs in Canada depend entirely upon our being Masters of the river St. Lawrence, & keeping up a Communication with the garison of Quebec, this can only be done by Vessells accomodated for the river & such vessells cannot be essentially necessary any where in America at this time as they are here, I therefore flatter myself there will be no hesitation on my Lds. side, as I am confident you will do all in your power to urge and persuade him to a Compliance. Upon examination i find the quantity of provisions I expected has not embarked, I therefore need not enlarge upon the necessity of supplying us with more, by the most speedy & certain methods you can. From the intelligence I have of the Enemy's powers, & views, & that of Mr. Amherst's motions above, I cannot doubt of being in the Field till the latter end of October, provision must be made accordingly. The Louisbourg fleet of consequence must be victualled for 3 months, & a further Supply for the detachment here of 2 months provisions for 2000 or 1500 men at least, must be forthwith sent to us. - I am glad you have a prospect of getting rid of the French prisoners, you cannot divest yourself of them too soon, let me entreat you to send off De Breaux, & Ferguery [?] amongst the first of them, and it is much to be wished that every french Officer in our possession was sent away or kept close on board the Fleet, till an opportunity Offers. - I am s=Sorry to to find the Garison does not recover, for you are weaker than when I left you I had the Sanguines hopes that the warm weather & your Attention to the wants of the sick, would have soon enabled you to Satisfy your Ambition, I beg you will not be distressed about Jacques Quartier, I meant your friendship by the proposal, I was answerable for any bad Consequences, & you must have reap'd the honor of a happy Success; the enemy's Situation in your district cannot be formidable fifty men is all they have left at Jacques Quartier, & from the nature of things it is most evident to any man Acquainted with war, that they must abandon the lower Country in proportion as we mount, without a possibility of reinforcing it, till both Mr. Amherst's Army & mine are defeated which I think can hardly happen, but enough of this, You are to do as you please, in the mean time give it out that you are to Assault Jacqu Quartier & let your Spies observe the Enemys motions there, remember I tell you, it will not, because it cannot make any Alteration there, the 50 men will continue where they are till we Appear before it, & then they will retire thro' the woods, after having set fire to the houses &ca. In short My Dr. Fraser all I desire & Expect of you as your General is to Execute your original instructions & to Establish a post at the point au tremble if that can be done with ease to your garison, if not to burn ye Country after the harvest is gather'd in, from the river Jacque Quartier to the very banks of Cap rouge, that the Inhabitants of that Quarter may be drove back upon the Upper Canada for Subce. I am positive that this Shou'd be executed before the first day of Octr. if the whole Country before that time has not submitted to His Majties. Arms. Enclosed is a list of pilots for the Upper river, it will be very proper to lay hold of them if possible, that they may be employed for the King - I enclose you an order in form to prevent any Sutlers coming up to us, unless under Safe convoy, it is in form that you may show it to Lord Colvill - The reason I chose to agree with the Masters of the vessells by the Chord rather than to hire their Ships proceeded from a Notion I had that such an agreement wou'd Stimulate their industry, As you have bargained wth. them it is Equal to them whether they work or not, besides you will be very liable to be imposed upon in the measurement of the vessells, in the other way you was Sure of having pennyworths for your money, no imposition and much industry on the part of the owners of the Craft, but now you are almost certain of imposition, Yancky laziness & I fear of consequence a Scarcity of wood in ye Winter, I imagine you did not Consult ye Wise man about this he is an Old faunt Body & certainly will agree to what I have observed on this head. I understand you live like what you are a Great prince, that you may ever be respected as Such, in the sincere Wish of Dr Sir.

                                                                              Your very faithful hble servt.

                                                                                                     J.M.

Gen. Murray to Col. Fraser

                    1760

Source:

Knox, John, and Arthur G. Doughty. Appendix to An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North America For the Years 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760. III, The Champlain Society, Toronto, 1916.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.