Allies and Partners: “It’s Complicated” even in the 18th Century

By February 1757, the Seven Years War in North America (also called The French and Indian War) had stalled. Although the British Navy commanded the seas, the French with their vast contacts to several Native American Empires and their command of internal waterways, stymied the British in all directions. Gen Braddock suffered a humiliating defeat at the Monongahela just short of Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh) in 1755.

French General Montcalm, in turn, used the largess gained Braddock’s loss to gain native allies and hold off the British all across the Great Lakes. Even the victories on the south shore of Lake George, New York in 1755, proved pyrrhic for the British. They were able to build forts but could not take the fight northward. Spending great expenses and keeping the forts occupied and sustained over hostile territory. The French and Indigenous control of the waterways and wilderness made the taking and holding of territory difficult and expensive.

William Pitt: Stick and Carrot or just a Stick?

In this environment, William Pitt, the Secretary of State for the British, wrote a letter encouraging the Governor of Pennsylvania (William Denny) to raise and pay for an Army to support the planned campaign into French-Canada the following summer.

Pitt wrote his letter in pointed fashion. Eschewing the classic positive-negative-positive diplomatic format (in a modern colloquialism the “poop sandwich”), he gave William Denny only the negative.

He began:

“The King, having nothing more at heart than the preservation of his good subjects & Colonies of North America; has come to a revolution of acting with the greatest vigor in those parts, the ensuing campaign; all necessary preparations are making for sending a considerable reinforcement of troops together with a strong squadron of ships, for that purpose, and in order to act offensively against the French.”*

Translation: George III, is spending precious capital on soldiers/ships to take the fight to Canada (vs. the stalemate of ~ 18 months).

Pitt then minces no words and directs Governor Denny:

“And the King doubts not but that the several provinces, holy sensible of his paternal care in sending so large a force for their security will exert their utmost endeavor (emphasis added)…not delay the entitlements of their men or…the money for their pay with such limitations…hitherto found to render their service difficult and ineffectual…I am to acquaint you, that the training of the men, their pay, and clothing will be all that will be required for their campaign on that part of the several provinces, measures having been already taken for laying up Magazines of stores and provisions of all kinds at the Expense of the Crown.”*

Translation: Britain continues to invest a significant sum in the defense of Pennsylvania. We are paying for sustainment and arms costs. You owe us soldiers and must pay them enough so they do not leave during the campaign season and return home.

Pitt ends with a final deterrent:

“I am likewise to acquaint you that the Earl of Loudon is directed to send forthwith to Virginia a battalion of regular forces to be employed as the exigency shall require for the succor & defence of…any other of the Southern Colonies.”*

Translation: If you cannot get your colonial army organized, we will send regular British forces away from the Northern colonies to the South.

Thus, despite the colonists being under the control of Britain, and subjects themselves, Pitt still had to negotiate. He uses the promise of economic and military support for the war and the deterrent of disappointment by the King and the possibility of precious troops moved elsewhere.

Even internal alliances take work, effort, and sometimes threat. This small interchange highlights how much the Seven Years War was beginning to cost Britain, and how much of that was bound up in sustainment of troops. By 1757, logistics had come to dominate British strategy development and campaign planning for the war.

*Excerpts taken from “William Pitt to the Governor of Pennsylvania, 4 Feb 1757” from the online archive collection at the University of Pittsburgh.

Original document at the link below (Note Pitt’s neat handwriting–always impressive by modern standards):

https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735060226416/viewer#page/2/mode/2up