[Footnote 387:  Minutes of Council of War held at New York, 12 and 13 Dec. 1755.  Shirley to Robinson, 19 Dec. 1755.  The Conduct of Major-General Shirley briefly stated.  Review of Military Operations in North America.]

[Footnote 388:  Lords of Trade to Lords of the Treasury, 12 Feb. 1756.  Fox to American Governors, 13 March, 1756.  Shirley to Phipps, 15 June, 1756. The sum was L115,000, divided in proportion to the expense incurred by the several colonies; Massachusetts having L54,000, Connecticut L26,000, and New York L15,000, the rest being given to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New Jersey.]

[Footnote 389:  Letter and Order Books of General Winslow, 1756.]

While he was struggling with contradictions and cross purposes, a withering blow fell upon him; he learned that he was superseded in the command.  The cabal formed against him, with Delancey at its head, had won over Sir Charles Hardy, the new governor of New York, and had painted Shirley’s conduct in such colors that the Ministry removed him.  It was essential for the campaign that a successor should be sent at once, to form plans on the spot and make preparations accordingly.  The Ministry were in no such haste.  It was presently announced that Colonel Daniel Webb would be sent to America, followed by General James Abercromby; who was to be followed in turn by the Earl of Loudon, the destined commander-in-chief.  Shirley was to resign his command to Webb, Webb to Abercromby, and Abercromby to Loudon.[390] It chanced that the two former arrived in June at about the same time, while the Earl came in July; and meanwhile it devolved on Shirley to make ready for them.  Unable to divine what their plans would be, he prepared the campaign in accordance with his own.

[Footnote 390:  Fox to Shirley, 13 March, 1756.  Ibid., 31 March, 1756.  Order to Colonel Webb, 31 March, 1756.  Order to Major-General Abercromby, 1 April, 1756.  Halifax to Shirley, 1 April, 1756.  Shirley to Fox, 13 June, 1756.]

His star, so bright a twelvemonth before, was now miserably dimmed.  In both his public and private life he was the butt of adversity.  He had lost two promising sons; he had made a mortifying failure as a soldier; and triumphant enemies were rejoicing in his fall.  It is to the credit of his firmness and his zeal in the cause that he set himself to his task with as much vigor as if he, and not others, were to gather the fruits.  His chief care was for his favorite enterprise in the direction of Lake Ontario.  Making Albany his headquarters, he rebuilt the fort at the Great Carrying Place destroyed in March by the French, sent troops to guard the perilous route to Oswego, and gathered provisions and stores at the posts along the way.