“I beg leave to submit it to your Grace’s Consideration, whether the most staunch Protestants, & Families the most zealously affected to his Majesty’s Government, a Number at least of such, should not rather, if possible, be transplanted there as soon as may be; I could wish four or five hundred of ’em could be induc’d to go from some Part of New England; I think from the Experience I had of the Inhabitants of this Province at least upon the late Alarm
given by the french Fleet, I might safely venture to be answerable to his Majesty, that if I had suggested in my late Orders for assembling a Body of ’em under Arms in Boston from all Parts of this Province to oppose any Attempt of the Enemy, that there was a design of landing a Son of the Pretender’s here, it would not have been possible to have kept any one Man, who was capable of marching hither, from appearing under Arms with the most determin’d Resolution of hazarding his Life to the utmost in defence of his Majesty’s Governmt.; And as the late Appearances of a fondness for removing from hence to Cape Breton seem to be quite vanished at present, I should not be without hopes of some families removing from these Parts to Nova Scotia upon due Encouragement; Protestants likewise from among the Swiss Cantons, & other Northern Parts in Germany, who are generally bred up in the Exercise of arms, and make sober and industrious Settlers, might be safely trusted in Accadie; Great Numbers of ’em yearly flock into Pensilvania, whereby the Inhabitants of that Province are almost incredibly increas’d within these twenty Years; And from the behavior of the Irish coming out of the Northern Parts of Ireland hither, a Number of which is setled in the Eastern Parts of this Province, I should think they too might be safely trusted in Nova Scotia; and it is certain that these poor unhappy Highlanders (I mean such of ’em as may be design’d to be transported into the Plantations) would be more safely dispos’d of among the four Governmts. of New England, or in New York & the Jerseys, where they would not be in danger either of corrupting the Inhabitants, or being again seduc’d themselves, but might make useful Subjects to his Majesty.
“I hope, my Lord, I shall be excus’d if I have gone beyond my Line in submitting these Observations to your Grace, at a time when the fate of one of his Majesty’s
Northern Colonies, the most important of ’em all to the Crown in many respects, as I apprehend, and which will be in the hands of the french the Key to all the other British Colonies upon this Continent, & even to Cape Breton, And in his Majesty’s Possession the Barrier of ’em against the Enemy seems to come to a Crisis.”
Shirley to Newcastle, Boston, New England, 27 February, 1747.
“My Lord Duke,
“I am sorry that I am now to Acquaint your Grace with the Advices I receiv’d last night by Express from Nova Scotia giving me an Account that the Detachment of Troops under the Command of Lieut. Colonel Noble, which I Inform’d your Grace in my last of the 21st. instant had taken possession of Minas, and had kept it near two months, was for want of a proper Security for the Men and Intelligence from the Inhabitants surpriz’d on the 31st. of January last at three o’Clock in the morning by between 5 & 600 Canadeans & Indians in which Lieut. Colo. Noble with four Officers more and about 80 men were killed, and three Officers and about 60 Men were wounded and taken prisoners before it was light enough for our people to get together; they however obliged the Enemy, upwards of 20 of whom were kill’d, and about 15 wounded, to allow ’em an honourable Capitulation, a Copy of which I inclose to your Grace together with the Account given of this Affair by the Officer who was Commandant of the Detachment at the time of the Capitulation, & Extracts from Lieut. Governour Mascarene’s Letter to me upon this Subject, from whence I choose your Grace should receive the Accot. in the same light it has been Conveyed to me in, and which upon the best Inquiry I can make, seems to be a just one. I also Inclose to your Grace an Extract from Col. Noble’s Letter to me dated two days before his
death, giving me an Account of the Situation of Affairs then at Minas; from whence your Grace will perceive that even then he was in Expectation of being Join’d by the Rhode Island Forces & the Company from this Province, which had the Misfortune to be Shipreck’d; and that, had they arriv’d at Annapolis, and the New Hampshire Companies had not return’d home without acting, the Enemy would in all probability have been drove out of Nova Scotia, and every good purpose, which I had propos’d, been answer’d before this time. As it is I shall use my best Endeavours forthwith to fit out a sufficient force by Sea to destroy Mr. Ramsay’s Vessels at Schiegnecto, and recover our own by Spring, & to send Mr. Mascarene such a Reinforcement of Troops as may still drive the Enemy out of Nova Scotia by the same time and prevent any bad Consequences from the late Accident there, which seems necessary to be done (if possible) and I shall hope to succeed in, if the neighbouring Governments of New England will assist in, which I shall urge ’em to do.
“I likewise inclose the Answer of the Inhabitants of Minas to the French Letter which I some time ago Inform’d your Grace I sent Mr. Mascarene last Fall, and a Paragraph out of one of his Letters to me upon the same matter; whereby your Grace will perceive that that Letter seems to have had an happy Effect upon the Inhabitants at a most critical Conjuncture.
“The late Secresy of the Inhabitants of Minas with regard to the Enemys Motions, and the very certain Intelligence which the Enemy gain’d of the particular Quarters of the English Officers, notwithstanding their Supplying the King’s Troops with Provisions, and the Curtesy of their Behavior to ’em before this Surprize, and their professions of being sorry for it afterwards seems to shew the necessity of his Majesty’s Keeping a strong Blockhouse there with a Garrison of 150 men; And the constant ill behavior of the Inhabitants