On board the Alliance, Texel,
Oct. 23, 1779.
To bear the humble representation and petition of the Mariners
and Marines on board the Continental ship Alliance.
We have been surprised with the information that our honored
commander, Peter Landais, Esq; has been impeached of
cowardice to your Excellency, relative to his conduct on the
23d day of September last.— We would beg your Excellency’s
indulgeance while we humbly represent, that we conceive it
don’t become us to enter into the particulars of his conduct,
yet we would wish to say, the said Peter Landais, Esq; behaved
through the whole of that day, and especially in the time of
the action with his Britanic Majesty’s ships the Serapis and
Countess of Scarborough, with the utmost magnanimity, prudence,
and vigilence of a wise and resolute commander, and
that he took all the possible methods in so calm a time, and in
the night, to distress the enemy, and to help our friend.
Therefore we flatter ourselves and trust, that upon an impartial
investigation of his conduct, these things will appear so
plain to your Excellency as to remove all the dishonourable
aspersions of the malignant.
We would further beg your Excellency’s clemency while we
say we humbly conceive almost all of us have long since fulfilled
our obligations to the said ship Alliance, and we look
upon it a great hardship that we are detained in a foreign
country on board the said ship, and should think it an addition
to our present uneasiness to have a new commander appointed
over us.— We would humbly pray your Excellency to
consider our long absence from our distressed country and
families, many of us by a tedious confinement in a British
prison; and if it should appear consistent with your Excellency’s
duty, and the interest of our country, that you should order
us home, where, we humbly conceive, our suffering country
may receive much greater service from your Excellency’s
and our country’s devoted humble servants.