Lord Loudoun and the war January 1757

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Here is a look at just one letter dated 22 January 1757.

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Here is a A brief summary

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We continue our trek thru 1757, looking at the details of just one letter from William Fairfax to Colonel George Washington. . The letter writer is high up in the politics of Virginia. His son marries a woman who George Washington adored to the end of his life, writing to her in 1798 that his time with her was the happiest in his life. But that's the side story for later. . And another side story? A Spanish Galleon would travel every year from Acapulco to Manila. And the head of the British Navy made a fortune from capturing it. But that's another story for later. . We cover the movements of Lord Loudoun whose name adorns our streets, walking mall and a fort in Winchester, and the name of a county in Virginia.

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And this man, Lord Loudoun, failed at launching an attack on Fortress Louisbourg for which a successful siege a year later produced 3 heroes that are the names of our streets in Winchester VA -- Amherst, Wolfe, Boscawen. .

Want more details? We write the rest for those who want to find proof and sources.

This letter also gives a good snapshot

of the state of this world wide war in January of 1757. .

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The letter, William Fairfax writes to Colonel George Washington on 22 Jan 1757,

details a world wide picture of this French and Indian War,

including Lord Loudoun's movements.

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There's a side story to this letter writer, William Fairfax. He dies later this same year of 1757. His son, George William Fairfax married a Sara (Sally) Carey, a person George Washington adored, so much so that he wrote her a letter in 1798 saying his times with her were the happiest in his life.

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To George Washington from William Fairfax, 22 January 1757

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So where is Lord Loudoun now?

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All quotes from this letter are in Orange and Founders Online footnotes in Blue.

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Compiled by Jim Moyer 1/24/2021.

William Fairfax writes Colonel George Washington where Lord Loudoun has gone: New England.

. Our last Advices said Lord Loudoun was gone to N. England.

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Lord Loudoun had submitted a plan to descend on Quebec and Montreal, but William Pitt , who recently took the lead on war policy, replaces that plan on 1 May of 1757.

William Pitt wants Lord Loudoun to instead organize for the seige of Fortress Louisbourg.

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All sorts of political intrigue led up to that moment.

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Governor Shirley of Massachusetts and leader of all military forces on the North American continent is under heavy criticism.

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Governor Shirley was replaced by Thomas Pownall who accused Shirley of writing letters to France. Shirley had a French wife.

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Shirley went to London to defend against that accusation and to defend against Lord Loudoun's accusation of mismanagement and malfeasance in the war effort. Shirley lost both his governorship and his role as military leader of all North American forces.

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Founders online footnote expands on this:

Loudoun arrived in Boston on 20 Jan. 1757 to meet with officials of the New England colonies in preparation for his planned expedition to Quebec. It was not until 1 May that Loudoun received specific orders from William Pitt to attack the French fortress at Louisburg instead of Quebec. In order to launch the attack on Louisburg, Loudoun in late May sailed from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was joined there on 10 July by more than 5,000 regular soldiers from Britain and a fleet of British warships, but in August Loudoun decided to abandon the campaign and return to New York. In December 1757 Pitt recalled Loudoun to England. ----end of Founders online footnote.

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Fortress Louisbourg, by the way, has a special meaning to Winchester VA.

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Three streets Amherst, Boscawen, and Wolfe are named for the 3 heroes in the 1758 successful "reduction" of Fortress Lousibourg.

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A fourth street is named for Lord Loudoun because Colonel George Washington named a fort in town for him. Lord Loudoun was going to “reduce” Fortress Louisbourg the year before in 1757.

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The letter by William Fairfax continues with mentioning the original Plan, which was to attack Quebec and Montreal:

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Capt. John Clarke from Salem is now with Us on a Visit,

and declares if his Lordship appears affable

and treats those People in a kind Manner

They will assure at least 50,000 wel armd & disciplind

and with more Chearfulness

if his Lordship would lead Them to Qu——k & Mt—real,

[meaning Quebec and Montreal] rather than cause Them to march the round to Albany as before.

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This Evg [evening abreviated] Colo. Carlyle advisd Us,

He had an Account of three Regiments being just arrivd at N. York.

I suppose a good Squadron of Ships conveyd them that are to assist any Operations agreed on.

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So all the troops came to New York before migrating up to Boston and then to Halifax.

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This part of the letter mentions politics and lost battles.

This letter mentions tumult at the highest levels of leadership in England and mentions the lost battles in Minorca and Oswego:

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It’s expected the present Parliament

will enquire after every Mismanagement in the Ministry;

Some say the D. of Newc—— Ld An—&c.

[Duke of Newcastle and Lord Admiral Anson]

will be impeacht,

insomuch that the most vigorous Measures

will be attempted

towards regaining our lost Honor

in the Mediterranean [Minorca] and at Oswego.

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Impeaching D. of Newc—— Ld An—&c. ?

Founders Online footnote expands on this:

Premature reports that the ministry of the duke of Newcastle and Henry Fox had been replaced by that of Pitt and the duke of Devonshire appeared in the colonial press in the late fall of 1756. Pitt did not take office as secretary of state for the Southern Department until early December 1756, and the Pitt-Devonshire ministry did not meet Parliament until it convened on 17 Feb. 1757. The king dismissed Pitt in April, and when Pitt returned to office at the end of June it was to form the famous coalition ministry with the duke of Newcastle that managed the war to its successful conclusion. George, Lord Anson, was the first lord of the admiralty in the Pitt-Newcastle ministry.

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And Admiral Anson? An - &c ?

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This guy was not a nobody. He's big. And he's unbelievably rich. He captures a Spanish Galleon carrying a treasure worth in 2011 US dollars, 54 million dollars. Once a year a Spanish Galleon travelled from Acapulco to Manila. Anson is operating in and around Canton China (above Hong Kong) during his around the world trip in 1742. Admiral Anson is now head of the entire British Navy in this world wide war of which the French and Indian war was but one theatre.

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And what about that lost honor in the Mediterranean?

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Wikipedia gives an overview of what that reference is about:

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In 1756 [Lord Admiral Anson] was criticised for not sending enough ships with Admiral Byng to relieve Minorca because he wanted to protect Britain from a threatened invasion, only to see Byng fail to save Minorca while no invasion attempt materialised. He left the Admiralty when the Newcastle ministry fell in November 1756 and then served again as First Lord when the Pitt–Newcastle ministry was created in June 1757.

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And what about that loss of Oswego?

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Wikipedia gives an overview of what that is about:

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The Battle of Fort Oswego was one in a series of early French victories in the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War won in spite of New France's military vulnerability. During the week of August 10, 1756, a force of regulars and Canadian militia under General Montcalm captured and occupied the British fortifications at Fort Oswego, located at the site of present-day Oswego, New York.

In addition to 1,700 prisoners, Montcalm's force seized the fort's 121 cannons. The fall of Fort Oswego effectively interrupted the British presence on Lake Ontario and removed it as a threat to the nearby French-controlled Fort Frontenac.

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A French Privateer stole the supplies:

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The French Pirate authorized as legal by the French Government took the supplies Carlyle and William Fairfax had ordered.

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The French privateer was reported to have taken what it robbed to Bayonne France.

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I have seen your Regiments Cloathing at Mr Carlyles

and think them well chosen and made:

hope You will soon have them;

also the expected Pay

as Mr Kirkpatrick was to meet Mr Treasurer and the Committee

on the 17th at Wmsburg.

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G. Fx, Mr Carlyle & I lost our Necessarys sent for,

being shipt on board the Friendship

Capt. Robt Lee bound for Patuxent &

sayld with Channel Convoy

but in August

was taken by a Privateer and carried into Bayonne.

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Bayonne, France, is the place originating the word, Bayonet.

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"During the sporadic conflicts that troubled the French countryside from the mid 17th century, Bayonne peasants were short of powder and projectiles. They attached the long hunting knives in the barrels of their muskets and that way they fashioned makeshift spears later called bayonets"

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