May it please your Excellency! Your distinguished Philantropy Patriotism, and liberal Attachment to the rights of Human Nature emboldens me to approach your exalted Person with my few Lines, to lay my deploreable situation before you, the reading of which is sufficient to make the Ears tingle, and enough to make any Human being Shudder and contains briefly the following doleful Transactions Vizt. That I bought a Tract of Land in the Year 1776 containing 61 As. with its Appurtenances for the consideration of £266. There I brought my all I acquir’d since I came from my Mothers Womb: I had 5. heads of black Cattle, with two Horse kind, and Plough’d about 4. As. for Indian Corn, and made every thing ready to spend the remainder of my Days with my Children on said Land: When to my great Sorrow I went to my former Nabors, I kept School, in Cowisscopp ? before I had signed any Bond or Articles (though ready drawn and left in the House with all my other Goods, together with my Wife and Six small Children, who were down with the small Box When to my great Astonishment, on my return, I found my Houshold broke, as said Crisman in my Absence, push’d another Family in that House, two Weeks before my Family knew’d where to take Shelder, turn’d Horses into my Corn before ripe, tore up my Garden Drugg, and in fine ruind me that I am almost compell’d to take Shelder under a Tree in the open Air for I never had the Benefit of a Single haulm of Grass nor grain of Indian, nor other Corn of said Land: And said Crisman on the other hand, Occupies it and destroys the best Timber as if he never had Sold it. And besides took 43. Dollars good hard Money from me alledging I gave him that Sum to take my Land back again who in the World want me to buy my utter ruin: On Causing my Family to go out, I hear he took 4. Dollars rent from the other ? for the remainder Time of said Year; being from August the 8th. in said Year; so my Wife with all the Children took Shelder at one of her Brothers Conrad Shunk, who likewise Swore an accompt of 21 Shillings per Month for only House room: so that by that Trick on putting my foot on those 61. As. of Land I am to loose 24. 2s. 6d. besides my Credit for those 6. Weeks the Time I work’d on it, said Crisman want me to leave him those 43. Dollars with the Land, and Conrad Shunk want me to pay him 8. for giving only Shelder to my Children: That Crisman never Offers me a Mite of that Money, nor will suffer me to go in that House, now even offering me Blows, as I try’d to repossess it when  ?  threaden to send his father, up, to that House, with a ? whip to drive me off. Gentlemen if One takes my Land, House Houshold Goods, Implements of Husbandry from me, in my absence and on my coming, I am to loose Home, Wife, Children, Cattle, Money Cloathing, Bedding, and in fine my all, what shall I live by? He alledges I gave it up, a fine Story to buy ruin, what Christian requires that from me, if he hath a drop of Christian Blood in him, he would offer some Compensation, it is the taking the Bread from me and my Childrens Mouth, las Year he had a Crop of 36. Acres of Winter Grain on that Land, never offers me a handful for my and Children Support, so that I have not a drop of Milk, neither Meat, neither Bread neither wood, but my poor Children are driven to and fro, wanting their Land and I keeping School near Azael Thomas, and John Haws about 2½ Mile from that strip of Land said Crisman sold to me, and now re-occupies it as if never sold, Surely this is an Easy thing for another to get rich if he sells Land, and gets Money to retake it, and never Intents to restore neither Money, nor Land, O Earth Open thy Mouth, and o Ye Rocks Split asunder, and revenge Injustice: See to it O Israel, and help the Oppressed Groaning under the Yoke of maintaining said Crisman, for he has the income of my my Land, how can I say otherways, I Submissively Subscribe myself Your very humble Servant