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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC09054.02 |
| From Archive Folder | Papers of British Secretary of War, Henry Fox, relating to Braddock's defeat near Fort Duquesne and the recall of William Shirley due to the "Intercepted Letters Scandal" |
| Title | Abstracts from Governor William Shirley's Letters of December 19th and 20th |
| Date | 19-20 December 1755 |
| Author | Shirley, William (1694-1771) |
| Additional authors | Alexander, William, Lord Stirling (1726-1783) |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | From December 19th: Discusses the minutes of the Council of War at Albany, New York on December 12th. Outlines a plan to attack Niagara and that "3000 Troops should, at the same time be marching to Fort Duquesne from Willis Creek to attack that Fort." Note lists those present at the Council of War and that no account has been received of the plan. From December 20th: Writes that William Johnson was given a new commission and mentions the letter "regarding engaging the Six Nations to the assistance of Pensylvania..." Discusses a possible treaty with the southern Indians to assist the English. Notes a lack of date. Main portion of writing on only the right half of the page, with comments on the large left margin. Gilt edges and watermarked with a fleur-de-lis, V, backward C, I and VI. |
| Subjects | Global History and Civics Military History Spying French and Indian War France American Indian History Treaty Corruption and Scandal |
| People | Shirley, William (1694-1771) Alexander, William, Lord Stirling (1726-1783) Johnson, William (1715-1774) |
| Theme | Foreign Affairs; French & Indian Wars; Native Americans |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Shirley was the British governor of Massachusetts from 1741 to 1759. Alexander was an American major-general during the American Revolutionary War. During the French and Indian War, he joined the British Army where he became aide-de-camp to Governor William Shirley. He traveled to London in 1756 to testify on behalf of Shirley, who was facing charges of dereliction of duty. Johnson was an army officer in colonial New York, and the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1755 to 1774. Shirley was the British governor of Massachusetts from 1741 to 1759. Alexander was an American major-general during the American Revolutionary War. During the French and Indian War, he joined the British Army where he became aide-de-camp to Governor William Shirley. He traveled to London in 1756 to testify on behalf of Shirley, who was facing charges of dereliction of duty. Johnson was an army officer in colonial New York, and the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1755 to 1774. He served on the Governor's Council in New York, and earned the rank of Major General in the British forces during the French and Indian War. The Six Nations, or the Iroquois Confederacy is a group of First Nations/Native Americans that originally consisted of five tribes: the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca. A sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined after the original five nations were formed. They are often referred to as Iroquois. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |