110 | To Jeffery Amherst

    Boston May 5. 1762

    Sr

    Last Monday sailed for Halifax 4 Vessels having on board 460 men besides officers: this day another Vessel falls down to take 70 more men on board. Mr Hancock expects to have Vessels for the rest, which will be 208, before the end of the Week. This will compleat the Regiment to 1000 men besides comd. Officers. This day I shall give orders for the rendezvous of the other Regiments at Worcester, except such recruits as lie westward of that Town, who will be allowed to rendezvous at Springfield; thro’ which Town the whole will march. The Men are in general better chosen than they have been in Any year before; and the officers are pickt men, I having disregarded all recommendations in opposition to merit & the right of rank.

    I am affraid the recruiting the regulars will go on Very heavily; as Captn Elliots orders obliges him to reject men that seem to me capable of doing the King good service. I regret the loss of an healthy sturdy lad for want of half an inch in his height or a few months in his age. I see no prospect of raising the men under much restriction469 if it can be done at all. I therefore submit it [to] you whether it would not be best that such sound & strong lads who cannot be placed in the regular ranks at present should be formed in separate corps,470 rather than be entirely lost to the service without any probability of replacing them by other men.

    I wrote to you last thursday471 on the subject of the embargo. I have since talked with Mr Hancock & some other Merchants: and it is the general Opinion that if the coasting from Pennsylvania inclusive to the Northward is not permitted, it will cause great distress & tend very much to the rise of the price of provisions, which has risen greatly within a few days. If We cant be permitted to draw provisions from Pennsylvania & Connecticut, We must for self-preservation stop them going from hence any where; and that will be greatly inconvenient to the Northern garrison Towns and the Newfoundland fishery, which are usually supplied from hence. I shall therefore be glad to know that the Southern ports will be open to bring provisions to us, that We may open our ports to supply Nova Scotia Newfoundland Quebec &c. The sooner I have this assurance the better, as there are sevral Vessels laden for the Northward that are stopt on this account.

    Since I have wrote this I have receiv’d a copy of part of a letter from Lisbon472 advising the arrival of Lord Tyrawley473 his Secretary & Aid de camp there, by whom & by the post they have advice that the King of Prussia has concluded a peace with the Czar, who has accepted a subsidy from England &, it is said, is to keep up 35,000 men in Germany for the service of England & prussia. It is also said that the King of Prussia was about concluding a separate peace with the King of Poland. I congratulate you on this important & timely revolution. I am, with great regard,

    Sr your most obedient & most humble Servant

    Fra Bernard.

    His Excellency Sr Jeffry Amherst.

    P.S.

    In regard to the Number of our forces 3220 & 150 on board the King George make 3370, which is 36 above the complement you set us at.

    ALS, RC WO 34/26, ff 128-129.