USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 22
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Chevalier Andros is a protestant as well as the whole English Colony so that there is no reason to hope that he will remain faithful to the King of England [James II.] and we must expect that he will not only urge the Iroquois to continue the war against us but that he will even add Englishmen to them to lead them and seize the posts of Niagara, Michilimakinak and others proper to render him master of all the Indians our allies, according to the project they have long since formed, and which they began to execute when we declared war against the Iroquois and when we captured 70 Englishmen who were going to take possession of Michilimakinak, one of the most important posts of Canada ; our
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entrepôt for the Fur Trade and the residence of the Superior of the Rev. Jesuit Fathers, Missionaries among our Savages, and which belongs, incontestably, to us.
It is to be expected, then, that they are about to endeavour to invest all Canada and raise all the Savages against us, in order to deprive us wholly of every sort of Trade and draw it all to them- selves by means of the cheap bargains of merchandize they can give them, nearly a half less than our Frenchmen can afford theirs, for reasons which will be, elsewhere, explained, and thus become masters of all the peltries ; a trade which sustains Canada and constitutes one of the chief benefits that France derives from that Colony.
No sooner will the English have ruined our Trade with the Savages than uniting with them they will be in a position to fall on us, burn and sack our settlements, scattered along the River St. Lawrence to Quebec, without our being able to prevent them, having no fortress capable of arresting them.
Things being thus disposed, the only means to avoid this mis- fortune is to anticipate it by the expedition which will be hereafter explained and which I offer to execute forthwith, if it please His Majesty to confide its direction to me on account of the particu- lar knowledge I have acquired of the affairs of that country during five years that I had the honour to serve His Majesty and to command his troops and military there, after twenty years service in the army.
The plan is, to go straight to Orange (Albany) the most ad- vanced town of New-York, one hundred leagues from Montreal, which I would undertake to carry, and to proceed thence to seize Manathe, the capital of that Colony situated on the seaside ; on condition of being furnished with supplies necessary for the success of the expedition.
I demand for that only the troops at present maintained by His Majesty in Canada if it be pleasing to him to fill them up by a reinforcement of soldiers which they require in consequence of sickness that has produced the deaths of many among them.
These troops number 35 companies which at 50 men each ought to give 1750. Yet at the review made when I left, there were
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found only about 1300, so that 450 soldiers are still required to complete them ; thus it would be necessary that His Majesty should please to order the levy of at least 400 men, and to have them enlisted as quick as possible in order that they may be em- barked in the first vessels.
The use I propose to make of these 1700 men is to take " the pick" (l'elite) of them to the number of 1400 and to adjoin to them the elite of the Militia to the number of 600, so as to carry these 2000 men necessary on this expedition ; leaving the 300 re- maining soldiers to guard the principal outposts at the head of our Colony in order to prevent the Iroquois seizing and burning them whilst we should be in the field.
I propose embarking these 2000 men, with the supplies neces- sary for their subsistence in a sufficient number of canoes and flat Batteaux which we already employed in the two last Campaigns against the Iroquois.
My design is, to lead them by the Richelieu River into Lake Champlain as far as a Carrying Place which is within three leagues of the Albany River that runs to Orange.' I shall conceal this expedition, which must be kept very secret, by saying that the King has commanded me to proceed at the head of His troops and Militia to the Iroquois Country to dictate Peace to them on the conditions it has pleased His Majesty to grant them without the interference of the English, inasmuch as the Iroquois are his true subjects ; without letting any one know our intention of attacking the English until we have arrived at the point whence I shall send to tell the Iroquois, by some of their Nation, that I am not come to wage war against them but only to reduce the English, who have caused our division, and to re-establish the good friendship that formerly existed between us ; therefore they had better avoid coming to their aid if they wish not to be treated with the greatest rigor, the said English being unable to protect them from the force I lead against them, and that I shall turn against the said Iroquois, if they dare assist them
As the Batteaux cannot proceed further than the Carrying
1 This " Carrying Place" or portage is now traversed by that section of the Champlain Canal extending from Fort Anne to Sandy Hill.
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Place, my intention is to erect there a small log fort (un petit fort de pieux terrassés) which I shall have built in three days, and to leave 200 men in it to guard the Batteaux ; thence march direct to Orange, embarking our supplies on the River in canoes which we shall bring and which can be convoyed by land, we marching with the troops along the river as an escort.
I calculate to seize in passing some English Villages and Set- tlements where I shall find provisions and other conveniences for attacking the town of Orange.
That town is about as large as Montreal, surrounded by picquets at one end of which is an Earthen Fort defended by palisades and consisting of four small bastions. There is a garrison of 150 men of three companies in the fort and some pieces of Cannon. Said town of Orange may contain about 150 houses and 300 inhabitants capable of bearing arms, the majority of whom are Dutch and some French Refugees with some English.
After having invested the Town and summoned it to surrender with promise not to pillage if it capitulate, I propose in case of resistance to cut or burn the palisades, in order to afford an opening, and enter there sword in hand and seize the fort. These being only about 14 feet high can be easily escaladed by means of the conveniences we shall find, when Masters of the town, or by blowing in the gate with a few petards or two small field pieces which may be of use to me and I shall find means of conveying there, if his Maty will please to have them furnished at La Rochelle to take with me, and some grenades and other munitions, a list of which I shall hand in separately, and which will be deducted from the funds His Majesty destines for Canada so as not to increase the expenditure of preceding years.
After I shall have become Master of the town and fort of Orange, which I expect to achieve before the English can afford it any succor, my intention is to leave a garrison of 200 men in the fort with sufficient supplies which I shall find in the City, and to disarm all the Inhabitants, granting at His Majesty's pleasure pardon to the French deserters and inhabitants I shall find there, so as to oblige them to follow me.
I shall seize all the barks, batteaux and canoes that are at
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Orange, to embark my force on the river which is navigable down to Manathe, and I shall embark with the troops the neces- sary provisions and ammunition, and some pieces of Cannon to be taken from Fort Orange to serve in the attack on Manathe, [New York.]
This place consists of a town composed of about 200 houses and can put about 400 inhabitants under arms. They are di- vided into four Companies of Infantry of 50 men each, and three Companies of Cavalry of the same number, the horses being very common in that country. This town is not enclosed, being situated on a Peninsula at the mouth of the river that falls into a Bay forming a fine harbour. It is defended by a Fort faced with stone having four Bastions with several pieces of cannon, commanding the Port on one side and the town on the other.
I contemplate first carrying the town by assault, it being all open, and making use of the houses nearest the Fort to approach the latter ; forming a battery of the Cannon I shall have brought from Orange and of that I may find in the stores of the town, where the vessels arm and disarm.
It is necessary for the success of this Expedition that H. M. give orders to two of the ships of War destined this year to escort the merchantmen who go to Canada and Acadie or the fishermen who go for Cod to the Great Bank, to come after having con- voyed the merchants, towards the end of August, into the Gulf of Manathe and cruize there during the month of September, as well to prevent succor from Europe which may arrive from Eng- land or Boston, as to enter the port when I on my arrival shall give the signal agreed upon, so as to aid us in capturing the Fort which they may cannonade from aboard their ships whilst I at- tack it on land. They can in case of necessity even land some marines (to replace the 400 men I shall have left on the road guarding Orange and the Batteaux); also some pieces of Cannon if we require them. They might reimbark and return to France in the month of October after the capture of the Fort and carry the intelligence thereof.
After we should have become masters of the town and fort of Manathe I shall cause the Inhabitants to be disarmed and send my
19
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Canadians back by the Albany river to Orange on their way to their batteaux and on their return home. I should winter at Manathe with all the troops I would have brought with me except the 200 soldiers left to guard Orange; and as I shall have nothing to fear from the land side, being master of the rivers, I would work through the winter to strengthen myself against attacks of the English whilst waiting until H. M. should be pleased to send what may be necessary to secure this important conquest.
It would render H. M. absolute Master of the whole of Iroquois who derive from this Colony all the arins and ammunition with which they make war on us. This will afford the means to dis- arm them whenever considered necessary, and thereby impose on them such laws as II. M. may please; the town of Boston, the capital of New England being too far from them to afford any aid.
Having mastered the Iroquois we shall have equal control of all the other Savages who will come without hesitation and bring us all their peltries. This will cause the trade of our Colony to flourish ; will considerably augment H. M.'s revenues and event- ually diminish the expences he is obliged to incur for the preser- vation of Canada.
It will firmly establish the Christian Religion as well among the Iroquois as among the other Savages to whom we shall be able to speak as Masters when they are encircled on the side of Canada as well as of New York. It will secure and facilitate the Cod fishery which is carried on along our Coasts of la Cadie and on the Great Bank. It will give H. M. one of the finest harbours in America which can be entered during almost all seasons of the year in less than one month of very easy navigation; whilst that from France to Quebec cannot be prosecuted except in summer on account of the Ice which closes the River St. Lawrence, itself long and perilous.
It may be objected to this plan, that the Colony of Orange and Manathe may remain faithful to the King of England, and in this case it would not be apropos to attack it and draw down an open war with that English Colony to the prejudice of the Treaty of Neutrality concluded between the two nations.
It may be answered to this, that the colony of Manathe and
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Orange, being the same as that formerly called New Netherland which the English took from the Dutch, and the greater part of which is still of this latter nation and all Protestants, it is not to be doubted but that they would receive the orders of the Prince of Orange and even force their Governor, did he 'not consent, to ac- knowledge him, and therefore we must look on as certain a war between that Colony and us, and not give it the time to push its intrigues with the Savages to ruin us by means of them, if we do not anticipate them. And in case that, contrary to all appearances, they remain faithful to the King of England during the general rebellion of the English, we might, if H. M. thought proper, being on terms with that King, confide to him the secret of this expedi- tion, draw from him an order to the Commandant of Orange and of Manathe to surrender these places into H M.'s hands, who would keep them for him and prevent the Rebels becoming masters of them, so as to have an opportunity to treat them as rebels did they not obey that order, being besides this, in a position to force them to it, on condition of negotiating eventually with the King for that Colony, which is the only means of securing Canada, firmly establishing Religion, Trade and the Kings authority through- out all North America. If the favorable opportunity which presents of becoming master of that Colony be neglected, it may surely be calculated that, through its intrigues with the Iroquois and other Savages, it will destroy Canada in a little time ; whose ruin will entail that of the establishment at Hudson's bay, the beaver and other peltry trade ; that of Acadia, the local fishery, and that of Newfoundland ; and if we be forced to abandon Canada, it will, hereafter, in consequence of the frequent chasing of our fishermen by English vessels, render very difficult and dan- gerous for H. M.'s subjects the Codfishery on the Great Bank, which produces several millions to France, and is one of the most profitable investments that we have.
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MEMOIR OF INSTRUCTIONS TO COUNT DE FRONTENAC
RESPECTING THE EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW-YORK. 7TH JUNE, 1689.
[Paris Doc. IV.]
The King, having examined the proposition made him by Sieur Chevalier.de Callières Bonnevue of Montreal to attack New-York with his Majesty's troops in Canada and a number of the militia of that country, has the more willingly assented to it as he knows that the English inhabiting that quarter have resolved since the last year to excite the Iroquois Nation, His Majesty's subjects, and force them to wage war against the French, having furnished them for that purpose with arms and ammunition, and endeavoured in every way, even to the prejudice of the King of England's or- ders and the faith of Treaties, to usurp the trade of the French in the country in possession of which they have been from all time.
To accomplish this project His Majesty has given orders to Sieur Begon to prepare the munitions necessary for the expedition and has caused two of his ships of war to be equipped in the port of Rochefort under the command of Sieur de la Caffinière whom he has ordered to follow exactly the directions which said Sieur de Frontenac will give him regarding this expedition.
He will set out with all diligence to embark at Rochelle in on of the ships and sail without loss of time for the entrance of the gulf of St. Lawrence and Campseaux bay, where he will embark in the best of the merchantmen that will follow and repair to Quebec. *
Therefore on his arrival at Quebec he will take advantage of the state in which he will find things, to complete the suitable arrangements for departing with batteaux, canoes and all the equi- page necessary for this expedition with the Chevalier de Callières who will command the troops under his orders.
He will despatch by land or water as he shall deem most cer- tain, orders and instructions to Sieur de la Caffinière, to the place he will have designated, as to what he shall have to do, in
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order to repair to Manathe, he making use of the cypher which shall have been furnished him.
He will order him to sail directly and without undertaking any thing along his course, follow the coast of Acadie (where he will leave in passing what he shall have for the said coast of Acadie) down to Manathe, and order him to anchor as safely as posible and to observe well the quarter where he will make his landing when said Sieur de Frontenac shall have arrived there.
He will give orders to the Sieur de la Caffinière' to seize the vessels he will find in the bay of the said Manathe, without ex- posing himself to any accident that may render him unable to cooperate in that enterprise.
As it is impossible to fix on a certain rendezvous for the arrival of said vessels at Manathe at the same time that the Sieur de Frontenac will arrive there with the troops, without alarming those of that place, the two vessels of war must go right into the bay, more especially as the attack on the frontier post of New- York will give warning to those of Manathe ; and the vessels thus arriving before the land forces, will cause a diversion.
*
The said Sieur de Frontenac having informed himself of the route he is to take, of which he will make more particular enquiries on the spot, as regard the convenience, security and expedition of the troops, His Majesty will not enter into further detail on this subject, nor on the attack on Orange and Manatte nor on any thing that relates thereto. He will solely recommend him to act as much as possible, in such a manner that those of Orange may not be advised of his march, so that he may surprise this first post and cut in below Orange to secure the number of vessels he may require to descend on Manathe, and to place things in such order as not to be uneasy when he shall depart for and be established at, the said Manathe. For this purpose he ought to leave a confidential officer at Orange with such detachment as he will find necessary to be left there, with orders to be on his guard and to fortify him- self, and obtain all information possible for the success of the expedition against Manathe. He will also cause all the inhabitantsto be disarmed and their effects to be seized, giving them to hope every
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good treatment with which they can flatter themselves until he entertains no further apprehensions ; then His Majesty desires that what is hereinafter prescribed to him, may be executed.
He wishes particular care to be taken to prevent any plunder o! provisions, merchandize, ammunition, property, cattle, utensils and principal household furniture ; and as his object must be to place Forts Orange and Manathe in a state of defence, and to support the Frenchmen who will have remained there, he must not only victual the forts for the longest time possible but collect there all he can of provisions, and in default of a sufficient quantity of magazines in said forts, he will lock them up in the towns, taking care not to touch those which he should deposit in said forts except when obliged.
His Majesty does not wish any suspected inhabitants be left in that Colony. His intention also is that an exact Inventory be made in the settlements and plantations by Commissary Gaillard (whom His Majesty wishes him to take with him,) of all cattle, grain, merchandize, furniture, effects and utensils he may find in each of the said settlements ; that he select from among the inhabitants of Canada and the officers and soldiers of the troops those who will be found qualified to maintain and improve them, and that he furnish these with farms in His Majesty's name leaving them of the provisions that will be found there, as much as shall be neces- sary to support them until they have produced some; and he will examine, one with another, those to whom he will think proper to grant said farms, so as to distribute the greater number in pro- portion to their skill and strength, observing to associate several in the same settlement when he shall deem such necessary. He will inform his Majesty of all he shall have done in this regard by sending him the enumeration of all that he shall have left in each such settlement, and furnish his opinion of the Quit rents which they will be in a condition to pay him. After having settled on what he shall judge absolutely necessary to leave to those to whom he will have given these farms, he will place in store all the surplus, such as grain, whale oil and all sorts of merchan- dize and other principal effects of which also inventories shall. be made to be equally sent to his Majesty.
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He will examine into the means of distributing said property so that from what he will acquire there, his Majesty may. order, on his advice, the gratuities he shall judge fitting to bestow on said militia, the army and navy officers, soldiers and sailors who shall have distinguished themselves and given individual marks of that satisfaction which he expects from their zeal and industry on this occasion.
If he find among the inhabitants of New York, whether Eng- lish or Dutch, any Catholics on whose fidelity he considers he can rely, he may leave them in their habitations after making them take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty, provided there be not too many of them and they do not excite any suspicion; having regard, in that, only to what will best promote the pre- servation and advantage of the Colony and its security at the same time as well as that of the French.
He may likewise retain, if he think proper, mechanics and other working people necessary to cultivate the land and work at forti- fications in the capacity of prisoners, distributing them among the French inhabitants who may require them, until matters being in' a state of entire security, they may be restored to liberty.
The officers and principal inhabitants, from whom ransoms can be exacted, must be detained in prison.
Respecting all other foreigners, men, women and children, His Majesty deems it proper that they should be put out of the Colony and sent to New England, Pennsylvania and to such other quar- ters as shall be considered expedient, either by land or sea, toge- ther or in divisions-all according as he shall find will best secure their dispersion and prevent them, by reunion, affording enemies an opportunity to get up expeditions against that Colony.
He will send to France the French Refugees whom he will find there, particularly those of the pretended Reformed religion: When he will have captured the fort and conquered that Colony he must think particularly of his return to Canada to convey thither the Militia and Soldiers' he shall deem necessary for the King's service, according to the disposition in which he shall find things both as regards the Iroquois as well on the side of Canada as on that of New York, and inproportion to what
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troops he will calculate necessary to be left to guard the forts and country.
And as nothing appears more important, after his expedition, than to take advantage of the season to return to Canada, he must, in case he cannot execute all that is above contained, con- fide its execution to Sieur Chevalier de Callières, giving him orders conformable and according to what he shall consider most fitting the King's service; His Majesty having determined to confer on the said Chevalier de Callières the Government of New York, and of the town and fort of Manathe in particular, under the authority of His Majesty's Lieutenant General in New France.
He will select, before leaving, the officers and soldiers he will deem proper to leave at New York and put over the posts those officers best qualified to maintain and fortify them.
In case he find, after having provided sufficient troops for New York and concluded on the number of soldiers necessary for His Majesty's service in Canada, that he has a superabundance, he can send some to France in the King's Ships, and retain thirty- five to forty men to be sent eventually to Acadia.
His Majesty is very glad to observe to him on this head, that he must regulate himself, as regards the number of men he will leave in New York, by the means of subsistence there and the necessity of guarding the country ; and he will also consider that his return to Canada will be more convenient for those he will have to convey back there, when they will not be more numerous.
In case, contrary to all appearance, the season be too far advanced to admit his return to Canada during the remain- der of the Fall, he will give advice of his expedition and sojourn there until the Spring, and he will employ himself during winter in securing his conquest and waging war on the enemy.
However that be, he ought if he be obliged to remain, either personally or through Chevalier de Callières, if that be conven- ient, profit by circumstances to conclude a solid and advantageous peace with the Iroquois, whom he will, doubtless find disposed to
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