Circular to the Southern Governors. 

New York May 5th. 1757.

Copy.

As I have received a Copy of a Letter from One of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State to You, signifying His Majesty's Pleasure, that you should apply to your Council and Assembly in the Strongest manner, to raise with the utmost Expedition, as large a number of Provincial Troops, as maybe, for the Service of the ensuing Campaign, over and above what they Shall Judge necessary, for the immediate defence of their own Province. 

And as I am now preparing, agreeable to His Majesty's Orders to me, to leave this Province with the Transports, in order to Join the Fleet and Succour from Europe; Tis necessary to acquaint you; that I shall leave Major General Webb, to Command at Albany, and the Forts, with a Body of His Majesty's Regular Forces, together with the Troops raised by the Nothern Colonies, who will have the principal Command during my absence. 

And that in Consequence of the Plan settled, at the Meeting I had with the Governors of the Southern Provinces at Philadelphia I leave Colonel Stanwix with 5 Companys of the 1st Battalion of the Royal American Regiment, to take post in the back Part of Pensilvania and to have the command of the remaining part of the Pensilvania Troops, The Troops raised in Maryland and the remaining part of the Troops, raised in Virginia. 

And that I detach Lieut. Colonel Bouquet with the other 5 Companys of that Battalion to South Carolina, who carries with him 200, of the Pensilvania Troops: 400, of the Virginia Troops, and I have ordered 200, of the Troops raised by North Carolina to meet him in South Carolina, where he is to take the Command of His Majesty's Three Independent Companys,and likewise of the Troops raised by the Province of South Carolina, for the Security of that, and the most Southernly Provinces. 

And in order to prevent any dispute hereafter, it will be necessary here to remind You, that at that meeting, it was settled and is agreeable to His Majesty's Orders from His principal Secretary of State, that I should Supply the Provincial Troops detached from Pensilvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, to South Carolina; but that the Provincial Troops who remain and are employed for the defence of their Respective Province should be entirely Supported and Maintained by the Provinces by whom they are raised. 

As to the Plan we had Settled, before the arrival of His Majesty's Orders by His Principal Secretary of State, I hope, if punctually and Speedily executed on your part, will prevent any immediate Danger, I must recommend it to you in the most earnest manner that you will immediately in Consequence of His Majesty's Orders signifyed to you, set about raising and getting in readiness a considerable Force, to be ready to Join, and Support the Troops already agreed upon to be raised for the Publick Service. 

And that You will in the mean time give Orders, that the Militia of your Province, should be properly Armed and furnish with Amunition, and have a Standing Order, to march to the Aid and Assistance of the Forces already appointed, on the Requisition of the Commander of them, and that this order should be more particularly given, and enforced in such parts of your Province, as are most nearly Situated to those Forces; on the Passes thro' which the Enemy can enter without waiting for any further Orders from you. 

From your Zeal the Publick Service, I cannot doubt of your Complying with this Recommendation, and hope if the necessary orders are given and Strictly obeyed by them to receive the same benefit from your militia, that we did lately on the Enemy Attempt, on Fort William Henry from the Militia, in the upper part of this Country. 

<I shall send a Copy of this to Colo.Stanwix to whom by Phila. &ca. was mentiond in the Letters to Govrs. Denny, Sharpe, and Dinwiddie.

In the Letters to Governors Dobbs Lyttleton and Ellis, it was wrote—I shall send a Copy of this to Lt. Colo. Bouquet to whom by Charles Town South Carolina Vidzt.> I shall send a Copy of this to Colo. Stanwix, to whom by Philadelphia, I desire you will communicate, the Orders you give, and to whom, that he may know what Officers of your Militia to call upon, on any Emergency; And that You will likewise transmit a Copy to me at New York.

I am with great Regard

Sir etc.

Additional Paragraph to Governor Denny's Letter—

The above is my Circular Letter; but as we can benefit nothing by the Militia of your Province, its necessary to add, That as the Constitution of Pensilvania, differs so widely from all the other Provinces, and in Particular in having no Militia Law ^in Force^, by which either the Service can be benefitted, in the mean time, or the Province protected in case of any sudden Attack, I must beg that you will, in Compliance with His Majesty's Commands, apply in the most earnest manner to your Assembly to collect at least 500 Men, to be added to those already agreed on to Supply the want of a Militia, which every other Province has so wisely provided for their defence. 

I am sorry to be obliged to mention, that I am informed, that the 200 Men, that are to be furnished by Pensilvania, for the Publick Service, in South Carolina, are not Ready to embark along with Lieut. Colonel Bouquet, from the delays you have and with in that Article, which has obliged me to give Colonel Stanwix Orders to remain with the Troops at Philadelphia, to assist you in getting those 200 Men forwarded to South Carolina, by which means they deprive themselves of the Assistance of the Regular Troops under him, who would otherwise now have been, in their back Country for their Protection.