Hardy, Charles, Sir (1716?-1780) to George Montagu-Dunk, the Earl of Halifax
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09054.22 Author/Creator: Hardy, Charles, Sir (1716?-1780) Place Written: Fort George, New York Type: Manuscript letter Date: 1 July 1756 Pagination: 4 p. : docket ; 31.7 x 20.2 cm. Order a Copy
Informs Halifax about further information concerning the intercepted letters. "I have reason to Suspect a treasonable Correspondence has been, and is Still carrying on with the French, both in Europe and America, by some persons in his Goverment, Maryland, or Virginia." Believes information "was given the French Commandant at Fort DuQuesne of the disposition and strength of Gen. Braddock's army." Hears rumors about the French enlisting Germans. Writes that "it is very plain the Author has been industrious to acquire a thorough knowledge of every Transaction on the Continent; and I think in some things, that he ought not, nor could not have known, but from those, who had no right to inform him." Writing only on the right hand side of each page. Noted at the top as "Copy of Sir Charles Hardys Letter to the Earl of Halifax." Gilt edges and watermarked with a crest and the letters LVC.
Braddock was the British Commander-in-Chief for North America at the start of the French and Indian War. He planned four separate initiatives; Shirley would attack Fort Niagara, General Johnson Crown Point, Colonel Monckton Fort Beausejour the Bay of Fundy. He would lead an expedition against Fort Duquesne at the Forks of the Ohio. After months of preparation, in which he was hampered by administrative confusion and want of resources, he took the field with a picked column, in which George Washington served as a volunteer officer. The column crossed the Monongahela River on July 9, 1755 and almost immediately afterwards encountered an Indian and French force. The troops were completely surprised and routed and Braddock was mortally wounded.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.