31 | From Jeffery Amherst

    New York 22d. February 1761.__

    Sir,

    I have before me Your two favors of the 7th. & 8th. Inst. the latter Accompanying a Copy of the Council’s address to You at the opening of the late Sessions; the not sending of which sooner, give me leave to Assure You, requires not the least apology; as I am very Confident that business of much greater moment, must have been the occasion of it:186 however as the honorable mention made of me in that address Deserves the most warm Return on my part, I beg, that, if You do not think it too late, You will be my kind Interpreter, and permit me to make Use of Your Channel, to Convey to them my most gratefull Acknowledgements, with Assurances that I shall ever Esteem myself happy in the opportunities of Contributing to the well being & prosperity of His Majesty’s faithfull American Subjects, and that it Shall be my Constant Study never to neglect any.__

    I Come now, Sir, to Your first Letter, Acquainting me with Your having Communicated to the Assembly the notification I had given You, that the Assistance of the Colonies in the prosecution of the War would be Expected for this Year; but that, as no Destination was as yet proposed, You could not ask for a previous provision and that therefore You had made a short prorogation; for which I am much obliged to You; And as I am in daily Expectation of the King’s orders, for the Ensueing operations, and hope to receive them soon enough to be able to Impart them to You before the 4th. of march, I need not at present Say anything more on that subject than, if You should not receive any Application from me in Consequence thereof before, or by that time, that You will be so good as to Continue those Short prorogations, untill You do, in order that this business may be sett about & settled without delay, which the then advanced Season will not admit of.

    Altho’ I do not permit any men to be Discharged at this time, Yet as You seem to Interest Yourself so strongly in behalf of Mr. Butler, I will order Capt. Cruikshanks to Enlist, a good able bodied man in the room of Mr. Butler’s Son, and to let me know what that Recruit Stands him in, that I may Inform You thereof, and You Enquire of the father, whether he Chuses to be at the Expence, in which Case his Son shall be immediately Discharged without any other reward.__

    As I have not Yet heard from Lieut. Small,187 who was the officer appointed to pay the Provincial Troops their fourpences in lieu of Provisions, I must Deferr Settling that Accompt untill I do; and as I Expect that will be eare long, I shall say nothing further on the subject at present.__

    I was ignorant of Any Prisoners of War, having been sent to Your Province from Quebec; if they are belonging to the Regular Troops, I shall Desire they may be sent here in order to go to France, & their Accot. Shall be settled; but if they are Canadians, or Sailors they Should be released & permitted to seek their own livelyhood as no Charge can be brought in Accompt for them: there are Numbers in the like Case here, & the Provinces adjoining, the Inhabitants of whom are glad to have them, nay even secret them, to prevent their returning home.__

    I am glad to hear the Detachment of the Royal behaved so well during their stay among You; am glad they are sailed; And hope they have reached their Destination in Safety.__

    I Cannot Sufficiently Commend Your, and the Assembly’s wise Views for the Establishing a free and open Trade with the Indians, and approve much of the two Truck Houses they have Enabled You to set up in the North East parts of Your Province; As to that You propose Establishing at Crown point, I must postpone advising You thereto, untill I receive my Dispatches from England, when I shall best know whether it will be advisable or not.__

    I am, with great Regard, Sir, Your most Obedient Humble Servant.

    Jeff: Amherst

    His Excellency Governor Bernard

    LS, RC BP, 9: 169-172.