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preservation. The first had prepar'd such a Force as in the opinion of all, considering the ill condition of this Fort, we should not have been able to resist: By the second our men were eas’d in the constant Duty the many ruious places in our Ramparts requir'd to attend: and if the Inhabitants had taken up arms they might have brought three or four thousand men against us who would have kept us still on harder Duty, and by keeping the Enemy for a longer time about us, made it impracticable to repair our Breaches or to gett our firewood and other things of absolute necessity.
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Another concern of no small importance and under which I still labour, is my being oblig'd to supply with the Provisions laid in for the five Companys, all the Auxiliaries and other additional People for whom Provisions are not laid in store, such as Artificers belonging to the office of ordnance and others. These have found means since to supply themselves tho' what has been advanc'd to some of them is not yet made good to the Stores, by the misfortune happen'd to the Vessell which brought it, being one of the two taken in our Bassin by the french Shipping. As for the Auxiliaries they came victuall'd only for three months so that from the first of October most have had provisions from our Stores and all the rest att different periods since. As the Government of Massachusetts, who have otherwise been att a great Expense for our Relief, may not think themselves oblig'd to answer this, nor clothing which it is absolutely necessary to provide for their men; I may find myself oblig'd to engage in that Expence, and to answer it give Bills on the Treasury. I hope in that case the Governor and you will not be wanting in representing the absolute necessity which forces me to such a step.
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The Company of Indians or wood Rangers come last from Boston have prov'd of great service to this Place, they fell soon after their arrival on a family of Indians, kill'd some and scatter'd the rest and by their excursions they have kept off the Indian Ennemy who in small partys rov'd continually about us, which hindred the Inhabitants from supplying of us with fire wood, materials and other necessarys we wanted. As our regular Troops are not us'd to that way of annoying the Enemy, it would be a great advantage to this Place if such a Company could be establish’d here in time of Warr, and therefore I desire the Governor may Joyn his Sollicitation to what may be represented from hence and from the Government of Massachusetts for the Establishment of such a Company for the service of this Province.
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