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To the Senate & House of Representatives of Massachusetts ¶ Your Petitioner humbly beg Leave to Shew that in yo year 1775 he was apointed By y Congres then Siting at watertown, agent for yo Eastern Indians and they ware directed To me for to set forth their grevences to Government Which with Submision I now do for yo Bu[ ]rers in behalf of ther Compney which is about thirty two who Live at Ammascoggen They Say in truth they have been friends to The Country Ever Sence the present War and are Now Sufers on that a Count and therfore desire they might Have some help for them selves and families in that way your Exclency Shal think Proper as I have got yo Indian Sourley they tell me they would be glad To have a Peace of Land to improve and Leave ther families on wilest the go to hunting as the Cannot go to gether in Safty for fear of y® Canada Indians who will Kill them for being friends to this Countrey if they also say they would be glad to have a small quantity of goods at Ammascoging in some honest mans hands that They may perches with their Skins & furs for Want of which they do Realy Sufer therfor your petisiner humbley Pray that your Excelency would take it in to your wise Consideration to grant them some Releaf In that way your Honors wisdom shall think best your Exelenys most obedient humble Servent is in Duty bound to Pray John Lane

Fryburg may yo 24 1782

To his Exclency y° govener of y Massachusetts State.

Petition of Jacob Ludwig.

To the Honble Senate and the Honble House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the General Court Assembled

May 29, 1782

The Petition of Jacob Ludwig in behalf of the Town of Waldoborough in the County of Lincoln Humbly Sheweth

¶ That the Inhabitants of said Town are by their Situation greatly exposed to the incursions of the Enemy so that some of the Inhabitants have been killed by the Enemy in their own Houses, and the Cheif way said Inhabitants had to support themselves was by the carrying Lumber to Markett, this is now entirely cutt off they having lost all their Vessells by the Enemy, and thereby all their Trade destroyed; Last year The Drought affected them so that many of the Inhabitants have not bread to eat. The cheif of said Inhabitants are Germans who are but poor & unable to contribute any thing for the Publick Expence

For the above Reasons Your Petitioner prays the Compassionate Regards of this Hon" Court that the Taxes levied on said Inhabitants may be abated them or otherwise be releived as in the Wisdom & Justice of this Hon'd Court shall seem meet. ¶ And your Petitioner as in Duty Bound shall ever pray

&c

Jacob Ludwig

Petition in Behalf of Town of Bristol.

To the Honourable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

May 29, 1782

The Petition of Alexander Nichols in behalf of the Town of Bristol in the County of Lincoln ¶ Humbly Sheweth

That the Inhabitants of said Town by their Situation being bounded by the Rivers and Sea almost round the Town are greatly exposed to the Enemy and have lost in the Course of the War about one dozen sail of Vessells wch is the only way said Inhabitants have to support themselves by carrying Lumber and the Fishery, and Last year the extreme Drought

in the Eastern parts greatly affected the Husbandry that the Crops of Corn and the Hay were cut so short as that many of the Inhabitants had not Bread to eat; and the Trade being so distressed by Sea, that they could not send Lumber to Markett to purchase any. For the above Reasons and ¶ many others that could be mentioned Your Petitioner would recommend the Inhabitants of said Town to the tender Compassion and Consideration of this Honoured Court and earnestly pray that under their distressed Circumstances, as to remitt their Taxes laid on them for two years past, either in Whole or Part or otherwise grant them such Relief as in the Justice and Wisdom of this Honoured Court shall seem meet they being in no Capacity able to pay the same. as in Duty Bound your Petitioner shall ever pray &c Alex: Nickels

¶ And

Petition of Selectmen of Newcastle.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

To the Honble Senate and the Honble House of Representatives to be assembled in General Court

May 29th 1782

¶ May it please your Honours The Petition of the Select-Men of Newcastle in the County of Lincoln on behalf of said Town Humbly Sheweth, That the Town of Newcastle

a Concurrence of calamitous Circumstances is at present in a most Deplorable Situation and under the necessity of imploring Relief from your Honours-That the Wood and Lumber Trade of our Rivers was before the Commencement of the War the chief means of the Subsistence of the Inhabitants and the only means of bringing any Money into the place That the War at first brought great Embarrassments upon this Trade and thereby reduced the Inhabitants

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to the last Extremities for the Necessaries of Life and that altho' our attention has since been more turned to Agriculture yet from the Barrenness of the Soil and the severe Droughts that have been in these parts of the Country for six years past (one year only excepted) Our Produce has never been near equal to the necessary Consumption of the PeopleThat this Deficiency could be made up only by importations by water which are attended with such a Risque that the Price is vastly enhanced to the purchaser - that the pressing necessities of the people (the painful Sense of Hunger) oblige them to part with every vendible article of Property at the Buyer's price in Order to procure necessary Bread for their Families, That the Scarcity of Hay, Occasioned by the Droughts, has diminished their Stocks of Cattle and that these, and the many other Burdens and Disasters of the War have greatly impoverished them. Your Petitioner would further shew, That, Since the Enemy have been in possession of the Harbour on the Mouth of Penobscot River, we have severely suffered from the Encroachments and Depredations of these our hostile Neighbours, who, beside almost entirely suppressing our Lumber Trade, incessantly infest our Rivers, with their Armed Boats and prey upon every Species of our Navigation from the Lumber Vessel to the smallest Canoe that floats on the Tide That, hence, we are in a manner deprived of the Privilege of the Fishery in and about the Mouths of the Rivers, which, heretofore, was Considerable and a great means of Support to Numbers of People. ¶ Your Petitioners would also further shew, That all the Measures of Government that have as yet been adopted to protect us & Our Lumber Trade from the Encroachments of the Enemy in our Neighbourhood have proved ineffectual for that purpose. That last year, in particular, the Guards Ordered By Government for the Defence of the Eastern parts being stationed at Kennebec River, we were left defenceless

and exposed to the continual Depredations of the EnemyThat at this time there is not a Single Vessel belonging to the Town & scarcely one to either of the Rivers on which the Town lies, to Carry our Wood & Lumber to Market or bring any Supplies of Provision or Money to the place; and,— that, as Our Crops were almost wholly Cut off last year, this Town now exhibits a most striking Scene of poverty & Distress. From a sufficient acquaintance with the Circumstances of Individuals, your Petitioners can aver that there are many families in this Town that are now, & have been for some time, destitute of Bread and have no means to obtain any; and that there is not Money Eno' in the Bounds of the Town to pay the smallest State Tax now laid upon us & that at present there is no apparent possibility of procuring it. ¶ Your Petitioners would therefore humbly Recommend the Town of Newcastle, under its present Circumstances, to your Honour's most wise, serious and good Consideration, and pray your Honours to Grant us that Relief which Necessity compels us to ask, Viz A Remittance of the Taxes laid upon us by Government the two Last Years and an Exemption from State Taxes for the future, till an Alteration of Circumstances shall put it in our power (which now it is not) to fulfil the Requisitions of Government from us. ¶ And your Humble Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever pray &c T

James Little
Sam' Kennedy
Benj Woodbridge Jun'

Newcastle May 6, 1782

Select Men

of Newcastle

Petition of Inhabitants of Sudbere, Canada.

To the general Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The humble petition of the subscribers Inhabitants of Sudbere Canada In the County of Cumberland & the Com

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