Beschreibung:

7 Manuscript Documents, 88 pp, folio except as noted, fair copies in various hands, [London, circa 1757-1761], concerning a Parliamentary enquiry ordered by Pitt into the supply of rations to General Braddock’s troops in his campaign against Fort Duquesne, and to the garrison at Oswego, New York. Condition varies, generally excellent except as noted, with some frayed edges and light offsetting, housed in a custom cloth box, comprising: 1. "Memorial of the Earl of Loudoun, Commander in Chief of his Majesty’s Forces in North America," 1 p, [February 27, 1756], Loudoun attributes Braddock's defeat to the fact that the Armies under his command "were often in want of Provisions, and therefore rendered incapable of performing the necessary Service…." 2. "Articles of Agreement made and concluded this 26th of March, 1756," 3 pp, a copy of the contract for supplies to the American forces with Mssrs. Baker & Shilby, some edge chips with small loss, folds begin to separate. 3. Resolution, 1/2 p, 4to, apparently by a parliamentary committee, that the contract "was prudent and necessary," tipped to the above item. 4. "State of the Evidence Relating to the Contract ... of 26th March 1756," 10 pp, giving comparative statistics of the supplies called for and actually delivered. 5. Copies or copied extracts of 67 documents, 56 pp, all dated from various places in America, bearing on the lack of supplies for Braddock's army and Fort Oswego, including minutes of councils of war held at Oswego and Lake George in 1755. 6. "A Short State of the Facts," 17 pp, covers largely the same matter as the previous but in abridged form with commentary. 7. "Proposed Order of Reading the Papers," 1 p, with docketing "These papers all relate to the Enquiry set on foot by Mr. Pitt against the Duke of Newcastle," not all papers listed are present, separated at folds. General Braddock’s defeat near Fort Duquesne and the subsequent surrender of the fort were startling losses for the British, in part leading to the fall of the Newcastle ministry in December 1756. Pitt became Prime Minister, recalled Loudoun from his position as commander in chief in North America and at some point began this investigation. The present documents give detailed evidence of the inadequate supply of British troops at the beginning of the French and Indian War. See illustration.