To His excellence Benjamin Franklin Esquire

I the subscriber your Excellence’s most humble pettioner an American subject, my place of residence, when at home is in Orange County North Carolina, where I have resided for a Number of years past, till Cornwallis attacked General Green at Guilford Court House, then I went out to the W: Indies with a small property on my acct. and traded among the French W. India Islands, but very unfortunately a little time before St Kitts was Captured, by the French, on my passage from Bassterre Guardaloupe, bound for St Thomas, I was taken by a English privateer and carried into St Kitts, when I lost everything in my possesion, even my wearing apparal and remained a prisioner till Count De Bolica Governor of Martinico?, took that Island, after which I went down to Cape Francois, where I entered on Board a French Merchant ship bound for this port to do a little business in the writing way and to get a little knowledge of the trade carried on here but having small wages, which is now all expended and no American ships here that will sail for those some Months to come, and at present quite out of Cash, few wearing apparal, quite a stranger, no friends nor acquaintance, Therefor I am under the real necessity of giving your Excellence this trouble, and, prays your Excellence out of your great goodness would please order me some assistance in my present distress, without which I must unavoidably suffer in this strange Country, your Excellence, immeidally [immediately?] ordering me whatever you to please to see proper, will for ever oblige your Excellence’s most humble pettioner, I was very luckey fifteen days ago in meeting with our Mr. Depass, with whom I have staid since, and am inform’d has been a great friend to the distress’d Americans, for my part I must say so with great propriety, he uses me extreamly well though I have not any money in my possesion, nor has not had since I have lived in his house, to pay him, and he can have no Expectations from me in the least, without your Excellence, pleases immeidately to order me some assistance when I may have it in my power to pay him for his Expence with me, he is even so Kind as to lend me Cloths to wear, which I am very much in want of. I have been brought up to the merchantile business, and should be happy of getting employ for a few months or purpose to get a little knowledge of the trade. I most humbly beg your Excellence would please take my present unhappy situation into consideration, and pray order me some assistance, without which I must unavoidably suffer, I address’d a pettion to your Excellence dated the 12th. Instant but imagines it never went to hand, a few lines directed for me at Mr. Depass Opposite the Augustine, should your Excellence, be pleas’d to write will come to hand, pray excuse this trouble I give your Excellence, which will for ever oblige your Most humble Pettioner