Whether he did or not,
I never heard; but, as he represented the injury to his affairs,
it was very considerable.
On the whole, I wonder'd much how such a man came to be intrusted
with so important a business as the conduct of a great army;
but, having since seen more of the great world, and the means
of obtaining, and motives for giving places, my wonder is diminished.
General Shirley, on whom the command of the army devolved upon
the death of Braddock, would, in my opinion, if continued in place,
have made a much better campaign than that of Loudoun in 1757,
which was frivolous, expensive, and disgraceful to our nation
beyond conception; for, tho' Shirley was not a bred soldier, he was
sensible and sagacious in himself, and attentive to good advice
from others, capable of forming judicious plans, and quick and active
in carrying them into execution. Loudoun, instead of defending
the colonies with his great army, left them totally expos'd while
he paraded idly at Halifax, by which means Fort George was lost,
besides, he derang'd all our mercantile operations, and distress'd
our trade, by a long embargo on the exportation of provisions,
on pretence of keeping supplies from being obtain'd by the enemy,
but in reality for beating down their price in favor of the contractors,
in whose profits, it was said, perhaps from suspicion only, he had
a share.
Pages:
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259