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and enter there sword in hand and seize the fort. These being only about 14 feet high can be easilyescaladed by means of the conveniences we shall find, when Masters of the town, or by blowing inthe gate with a few petards or two small field pieces which may be of use to me and I shall findmeans of conveying there, if his Ma‘y will please to have them furnished at La Bochelle to takewith me, and some grenades and other munitions, a list of which I shall hand in separately, andwhich will be deducted from the funds His Majesty destines for Canada so as not to increase theexpenditure of preceding years.
After I shall have become Master of the town and fort of Orange, which I expect to achievebefore the English can afford it any succor, my intention is to leave a garrison of 200 men in thefort witli sufficient supplies which I shall find in the City, and to disarm all the Inhabitants, grant-ing at His Majesty’s pleasure pardon to the French deserters and inhabitants I shall find there, soas to oblige them to follow me.
I shall seize all the barks, batteaux and canoes that are at Orange, to embark my force on theriver which is navigable down to Manathe, and I shall embark with the troops the necessary pro-visions and ammunition, and some pieces of Cannon, to be taken from Fort Orange to serve in theattack on Manathe, [New York.J
This place consists of a town composed of about 200 houses and can put about 400 inhabitantsunder arms. They are divided into four Companies of Infantry of 50 men each, and three Com-panies of Cavalry of the same number, the horses being very common in that country. This townis not enclosed, being situated on a Peninsula at the mouth of the river that falls into a Bay for minga fine harbour. It is defended by a Fort faced with stone having four Bastions with several piecesof cannon, commanding the Port on one side and the town on the other.
I contemplate first carrying the town by assault, it being all open, and making use of the housesnearest the Fort to approach the latter; forming a battery of the Cannon I shall have brought fromOrange and of that I may find in the stores of the town, where the vessels arm and disarm.
It is necessary for the success of this Expedition that H. M. give orders to two of the ships ofWar destined this year to escort the merchantmen who go to Canada and Acadie or the fishermenwho go for Cod to the Great Bank, to come after having convoyed the merchants, towards the endof August, into the Gulf of Manathe and cruize there during the month of September, as well toprevent succor from Europe which may arrive from England or Boston , as to enter the port when Ion my arrival shall give the signal agreed upon, so as to aid us in capturing the Fort which they maycannonade from aboard their ships whilst I attack it on land. They can in case of necessity evenland some marines (to replace the 400 men I shall have left on the road guarding Orange and theBatteaux); also some pieces of Cannon if we require them. They might reimbark and return toFrance in the month of October after the capture of the Fort and carry the intelligence thereof.
After we should have become masters of the town and fort of Manathe I shall cause the Inhabi-tants to be disarmed and send my Canadians back by the Albany river to Orange on their way totheir batteaux and on their return home. I should winter at Manathe with all the troops I wouldhave brought with me except the 200 soldiers left to guard Orange; and as I shall have nothing tofear from the land side, being master of the rivers, I would work through the winter to strengthenmyself against attacks of the English whilst waiting until H. M. should be pleased to send whatmay be necessary to secure this important conquest.
It would render II. M. absolute Master of the whole of Iroquois who derive from this Colonyall the arms and ammunition with which they make war on us. This will afford the means todisarm them whenever considered necessary, and thereby impose on them such laws as H. M.may please; the town of Boston, the capital of New England being too far from them to affordany aid.