39 | To William Pitt

    Boston Ap. 6. 1761

    Sr

    I had the honor to receive your letter of the 17th of Decr (the triplicate) on the 21st of March.211 I had, in expectation of his Majesty’s Commands, continued the Assembly by short prorogations, so that I got them together on the 25th of March. I enforced his Majesty’s orders in general by a Speech, & for particulars by a Message. In the latter I argued, that the Nature of the Service & the delay of it by the Kings orders arriving so late made it impossible for them to expect that the Men they should raise could be discharged before Winter; & therefore it would be necessary to enlist them for at least a year. This was a new point never before gained in any of the provinces, at least not in this; but it seemed to me so necessary to the Service that I gave more attention to the time than the Numbers. However I succeeded well in both: The Assembly voted 3,000 Men (very few hundreds short of the largest Number that could be reckoned as their proportion) for fifteen months & fully cloathed & accoutred.212

    It is generally supposed that this province gives the lead to its neighbours: if so there could not be a better precedent than that of carrying the Service of the Men into the next summer, which I hope, with the blessing of God, will be extensive enough for the present War. General Amherst, to whom I communicated my intention, of urging this point, expresses his great satisfaction at my proposal to engage the Men to the first of May 1762: that I have gained two Months more, namely, to the 1st of July213

    It is with great pleasure that I am able to assure you that the distinguished Loyalty & public spirit of this people have received no abatement: of which it will be sufficient proof to observe that the appointments now made for the Kings Service, notwithstanding the Danger is so happily removed from their neighbourhood, is in itself as expensive, as that of any other year whatsoever; since tho’ the Numbers are less, the time of the Service is more than doubled.

    I have the honor to be, with great respect, Sr Your most obedient & most humble Servant

    Fra Bernard.

    Right Honble William Pitt Esqr

    ALS, RC CO 5/20, ff 109-110.