their Accounts of Time and expence before the General Court for examination, allowance & payment. Comt Nath Gorham Speaker ttee for making partition of Lands at s Eastward Amendments At A Dele are & insert were. At B Dele the Honble At C Dele Residue of At D Dele Residue of At E Insert to said Parties At F Dele Residue of At G Dele Committee & Insert Committees At H Dele Residue of said. At I Dele Singular & Insert Similar Representation in Behalf Inhabts Machias Plantation. To his excellency the Governor & the Honble the Council of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Representation of the Subscribers being a Committee appointed by & on behalf of the Inhabitants of the Plantation of Machias Humbly Sheweth That notwithstanding the large & repeated supplies sent here The Garrison of this place now is & has been for some months past, in a most deplorable situation upon almost every Col° Allan has removed himself and Family, to account. Passamaquoddy, at which place it is said he will continue, one Commissioned officer five non commissioned officers and privates, only, belonging to the Garrison: five Small arms, only, fit for use & about 20 unfit; about thirty pounds of Powder, only exclusive of a few Cannon & musquet cartridges; Not one flint: provisions none of any kind, we want words to express our surprise at the deficiencies of Ammunition & warlike stores of every kind: what has become of them we know not; and to add to our calamities, the Powder & Balls which was sent here for the sole use of the Militia in cases of emergency gone, Col° Allan took them for the use of the Garrison; being Lodged in the Magazine as a place of Safety: when he had it in his power to replace them, he refused; now he has not got them he cannot return them, if this place were to be attacked before we could be supply we know not what would be the consequence. the Inhabitants are determined to hold out to the last, but what can we do without Ammunition: a return of the ammunition & warlike stores now on hand, belonging to the Garrison, we herewith inclose. Another matter of importance, which we beg leave to observe to your Excellency & Honors, is, the Command of the Troops at this Post and the agency of the Indians for the eastern Department, being united in the same person; it is most certain it has been attended with exceeding bad Consequences, when the Indians come in, they must be Supplyed with whatever they want, if to be had, and the Soldiers must go without; which has many times been the Case, and in our oppinion ought to be prevented in future; this is one instance among many which might be mentioned. We beg leave to Submit to your Excellency & honors wheather it will not be expedient to put this post in a more respectable Situation very speedily; which may be done without such an amazing / to us amazing as well as to your excellency & honors / expence to the publick: Should a Captains Command be Stationed here, to keep the post &c, this with the Militia will be sufficient defence for the place; and if a priest could be obtained, that would be a means of keeping the Indians your Friends. Mr James Avery is imployed to act as agent in behalf of the Inhabitants of this place & should your excellency & honors need any Further information in this affair, he has it in his power to Furnish you therewith We are with the utmost deference & respect your Excellencys & Honors most Humble Serv I beg leave to inform your Excellency that there is a Vessell now here belonging to Machias, which Returns in the Course of this Week - Which will carry any Stores your Excellency may think proper to send, for the Troops there, who have been entirely Destitute for Two Months Past I have the Honor to be With the Utmost Respect Your Excellencys most Obedient Hble Serv His Excellency the Governor Petition Elijah Ayer. To His Excellency John Hancock Esq Governor & Commander in Chief in & over the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Petition of Elijah Ayer Senior Humbly Sheweth That in the Year 1776 Colo Jonathan Eddy with a party of Men from this State made an attack on the Enemys Garrison of Fort Cumberland in the Province of Nova Scotia most of the Inhabitants of which County took up Arms & Join'd said Eddy among the Rest was your Petitioner, some time After the Enemy Receiving a Large Reinforcement said Eddy was obliged to leave that County & a great Number of the Inhabitants who had been most Active and whos lives were In danger was Compell'd to do the same, & abandon their Family, & Estates to the Mercy of an Enraged Enemy Your Petitioner among the Rest Abandoned his Estate & a Large family leaving only one Son to take care & provide for them the other came with him & Resided in this State ever since A few Weeks since the Son whom your Petitioner left to provide for his family was taken on his Passage from Cumberland to St John River by a Privateer & bro't into this Port, by which your Petitioners Family is left Destitute of any person to provide & take care of them & Unless he coud be permitted to Return will Inevitably Suffer, Therefore your Petitioner Humbly Implores your Excellency to take his distressed Case into your Serious Consideration & be pleased to permit his Son (Mariner Ayer) to Return to Cumberland via Penobscott on Parole, and he will engage a Prisoner of Equal Rank shall be returned in his stead, which will Relieve his helpless & Distressed Family, and your Petitioner as in Duty Bound will ever prayElijah Ayer Srt Boston, Dec 6, 1782 In Council Decb 7th 1782 Advised that John Hopkins Esq' Commissary of Prisoners be directed to permit Mariner Ayer, lately captured on his Passage from Cumberland to st Johns River and bro't into this Port, to take Passage on Board the first Cartel that shall sail from hence to Penobscot & said Commissary be further directed to see that said Ayre is exchanged Attest John Avery Sec Petition of Timothy Hodgdon. To the Honble Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Gen' Court assembled Jan' 1783 The petition of Timothy Hodgdon of Arundel in the County of York Humbly Shews that your petitioner in the year 1774 did Bargain with John Sparhawk Esq agent to Sir William Pepperall for twenty one acres and two thirds of an acre of Land - Lying in Arundel aforesaid for twelve shillings p acre and did pay for the aforesaid Land fourteen pounds and whereas Sir William Pepperrell being one of the absentees your petitioner Cannot obtain a Deed for the aforesaid Lands |