History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1745] KiNC George's French and Indian war. 113
ally became known, however, it met with, such great favor
among the people, that tlie Governor, sustained by a number
of petitions from some of the sea-coast towns, again
brought the subject before the Legislature, and after considerable
debate, the expedition was sanctioned by a ma-
jority of one vote.
The Expedition William Pcpperell, of Kittery, Me., a
OrgauiztKi. trader, who had received scarcely any military
training whatever, was chosen com-
mander-in-chief, with Roger Wolcott of Connecticut, as
second in command. An attempt was made to interest all/
the colonies in the enterprise, but with scant success. New
England furnished all the troops ; New York voted £3,000,
and Gov. Clinton sent in addition a quantity of provisions
raised by private subscription, and loaned ten eighteenpound
guns ; New Jersey contributed £2,000, but declined
to send any men ; and Pennsylvania voted £4,000 to purchase
stores. Massachusetts provided much the largest
contingent, sending three thousand two hundred fifty men,
while Connecticut was represented by five hundred sixteen,
and New Hampshire by three hundred four. So tardy was
Rhode Island that her soldiers arrived too late to participate
in the siege.
It Proved Quite Tliroughout Massachusctts this expedition
Popular. ^as SQ ^qI\ received, that more men enlisted
than were required, and several companies
were refused. The capture of Louisburg has been
so many times and so minutely described, that there is little
occasion to recall its incidents, except so far as to chronicle
to some extent, the part taken in it by citizens of Northampton
and vicinity. Fortunately there exists for this
purpose a mine of valuable information in the Journal and
Letters of Gen. Seth Pomeroy ; the former will be given in
full, and the latter drawn upon to elucidate the narrative.
Great carc was exercised to keep the enet"
^a,ii- my in ignorance of the projected movement,
and in the official correspondence
And was soon Ready
of the time it is only vaguely alluded to as "the expedi-