Appendix 12

    THE EARL OF HILLSBOROUGH TO THOMAS GAGE

    (No: 11)

    Whitehall July 30th. 1768.

    Sir,

    In my Letter of the 8th of June last,1 I communicated to you the Advices which had been received of the Disposition that appeared in the Town of Boston to deny the Authority & resist the Execution of Acts of Parliament; & His Maty has the fullest Confidence, that every prudent and proper Step will have been taken for carrying into due Execution the Orders contained in that Letter.

    Since that Time further Advices have been received from Boston of great Riots & Disturbances in that Town, and that the Commrs. of the Customs have been obliged, from Hazard of their Lives, to seek Protection on board the Romney Man of War, & afterwards in Castle William.2

    Upon these Advices; upon what has appeared in other Colonies of a like dangerous Spirit of Opposition to the Authority of the Laws of this Kingdom, and upon a full Consideration of the State & Distribution of the Troops under your Command, His Majesty has thought fit that the Hands of Government in His Colonies should be further strengthened by the Addition of Two Regiments from Ireland, and His Majesty’s Commands are signified, that the 64th. and 65th. Regiments of Foot, which were intended for the usual Relief in No. America next Spring, should be augmented ^by Draughts,^ to 500 each and sent immediately to Boston, [there]3 to be disposed of in such Manner as you shall think most advise[able] for the Purposes of supporting and protecting, when properly and legally called upon, the civil Magistrates & Officers in the Discharge of their Duty, and for inducing a due Obedience to the Laws of this Kingdom.

    Transport Vessels are preparing with all possible Dispatch in order to take on board these Troops at Corke and to proceed with them to Boston, and I am to acquaint you that it is His Majesty’s Intention, that when these Regiments are landed at Boston, such a Number of the Transports as shall be sufficient for the Reception of the 62d. Regiment, which is to be brought from the ceded Islands4 to Ireland, should proceed to those Islands for that Purpose, and that the Remainder should follow such Orders as you may think proper to give them, either for their Return to England or otherwise.

    I am further to signify to you, that it is not His Maty’s Intention, that either one or both of the Regiments in No. America, which would have been sent Home next Spring in the ordinary Course of Relief, should be immediately exchanged for the two Regiments now sent out, unless you think that His Majesty’s Service in the present Situation of Affairs may safely admit of it,5 in which Case you will avail yourself of the Transports that will remain after the Service in the West Indies has been provided for and make the usual and necessary Provision for their Passage Home on board such Transports.

    At the same Time the King has thought fit, upon a Consideration of the present State of Affairs in No. America to augment His Troops by Land, His Majesty has also had a proper Attention to the State of the naval Force there; and I have signified His Majesty’s Commands to the Lords of the Admiralty,6 that the Frigate that convoys the Transports from Ireland to Boston, and also a Ship of the Line which is preparing for the Reception of Lord Botetourt, whom His Majesty has appointed to be His Lieutenant & Governor General of Virginia, should be ordered to remain in those Seas, if you shall judge it to be necessary.

    As it may be of Use to you to be informed of the Instructions given to Governor Bernard, in relation to the present State of Affairs in his Gover^n^ment, I herewith inclose to you, for your private Satisfaction, a Copy of my Dispatch to him of this Day’s Date, and am to acquaint you that your Letters to me, Nos. 3, 4, & 5,7 have been duly receivd and laid before the King, and that I shall hope to be able to transmit to you His Majesty’s Orders thereupon by the Pacquet of Saturday se’nnight.

    Just as I had finished this Dispatch I received your Letter No. 6,8 which was immediately communicated to His Majesty with the Papers inclosed, and [I]9 have it in Command to acquaint you that His Majesty entirely approves the Steps you have taken in consequence of the Application made to you by [the]10 Commissioners of the Customs.

    I am &ca.

    Hillsborough

    Major Genl. Gage.11

    L, Copy     CO 5/86, ff 124-127.

    Enclosed a copy of No. 661 (not found). Variants: CO 5/241, ff 48-50 (L, LbC); Gage, vol. 79 (LS, RC). Gage would have received the RC c.3 Sept.12 Not printed in Correspondence of Gage.