Report of Colonel Simon Fraser to General Forbes, Jan. 1758

Dear Sir,

I have at length sent you the Report & Controut of Quarters which I am afraid you expected sooner, but when you look at their extent, & consider that I was oblig'd to visit them all twice, & at same time to Settle the Draft for Otways, you will perhaps do me the Justice to believe the Report was not delay'd thro my idleness.

I take for granted the Controut is not exactly acording to the form used in England, because the Men are here quarterd in private houses, & that the towns extend to 12 & 15 Miles without any distinguishing Names for the several parts, except those of the Landlords or proprietors of houses; but I hope it will answer the end you desired of shewing whether the Men are crouded in the billets & whether the quarters are compact. Upon the whole I think we have reason to be satisfied with the quarters & with the inclination of the people to Accomodate the troops; in some places they might be brought a little closer together, but so little that it is not worth moving for, especialy as they woud then be worse accomodated, for where there are many in one house, they have a part of the house alotted them with fire & untesils to dress their provisions, but where there are only a few, they give in their provisions & mess with the people & live vastly better. You seemed desireous to know some of these particulars so I chose rather to mention them here than at the end of the Report, We find some difficulty with regard to firing for the Officers, the people here hitherto furnish'd it conditionally, but they are anxious to know if there are any allowance for that Article, I remember when it was thought we shoud have staid at Halifax, there was a certain sum to be paid every Officer acording to his rank, Will you be so good to inform me if there is any thing of that sort given here.

I wrote you a few lines from Fairfield in a hurry to beg your advice about an unlucky accident that happened here & it has since been examined by Court of Enquiry which I thought the surest method of procuring an Accounty that might be depended on, I have inclosed a Coppy of the proceedings which I am told agree exactly with the Coroner's inquest. I must in justice to the unhappy survivor say that he was one of the most useful & best behaved Men in the Battalion, in which he never before received a reprimand.

There having been no application from the Civil power he still Continues confined in the gaurd, the only prison in this place. Why wont you take the trouble to tell me either as Adjt. Genl. or as a friend what I am to do in regard to him, for I am unwilling at least till I am instrued, to do any thing that might at all be construed to carry it out of My Lord Loudoun's hands.

As the publick orders bore that all Reports & returns were to be made to Genl. Webb, altho it was by you I was directed to make out the Report & Controut of Quarters I was at a loss whether to send it to you or Genl. Webb, however in order to be sure I have sent him a Coppy of it along with the Monthly Return & the proceedings of the Court of Enquiry.

One of the Sloops that carrys Otways drafts carrys you a barrel of Norwalk Oysters.

I am with great regard,

Dear Sir,

Your most Obedient & most humble Servant 

[signed] S. Fraser

Stratford, Janry 10 1758

Source:

Letter of Col. Simon Fraser to Colonel Forbes, Adjutant General, at His House in the Broadway or at the Fort, New York. NAS GD 45-2-29-3.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, Fraser's 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.