- To The Honourable House, Of Assembly, For the State of Virginia.
The petition of the Destressed Inhabitants of the county of Kentuckky, Humbly, shweth, That whereas we your distressed petitioners, situate in this remote part, exposed to all the Bar-berous ravages of inhuman savage, whose savage disposition, being animated by the rewards of Governour Hamilton has enabled, them to hold up a constant war this four years, which term has reduced many, of us so low that we have scarce cattle amongst us to supply, our small Family's and many of us that brought good stocks of both Horses and cows, now at this juncture have not left so much as one cow for the support of our familys, which to our great disadvantage may plainly appear to every spectator, we have thought proper to present you with a just estimation of our losses in settling and defending this extensive country, which we hope will contribute much to the benefit of the common charge, by virtue of the late act of Assembly, in opening and establishing a Land office, tho at the same time we your depressed petitioners many of us will be intirely deprived of the opportunity of geting so much as one hundred acres of land, notwithstanding the loss of our properties and so many of our lives which we have expended in Defence of this country, except we your petitioners get speedy redress by this our petition, (this must be the unhappy event) we must lie under the disagreeable necessity of going Down the Mississippi, to the Spanish protection, or becoming tennants to private gentlemen who have men employed at
this junction in this country at one hundred pounds per Thousand for, running round the land, which is too rough a medicine ever to be dejested by any set of people that have suffered as we have, you the Honourable House of Assembly in whom rests our most sacred rights and priviledges, justice at this time loudly calls your attention we your petitioners hope that the extensive distance of our situation will not create a negligence of this nature, but rather a curious reflection, on our inabilities, we think it expedient to show you the reasons why some of us who first setled in the country will be deprived of geting amends for our losses and troubles first, that many, of our inhabitants both married and single, have been taken by the Indians and carried to Detroyt others killed and their wives and children left in this destitute situation not being able as yet even to support their indigent family's some of which never marked or even choose a piece of Land in the coun-try, we your petitioners think four hundred acres two small a compensation, which will be all we have in our powers to pro-cure. Secondly those who have setled since the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven who have suffered equally as much as they that first setled, who could only loose their all; is now deprived of the opportunity of securing any land except four hundred acres and that at the state price which is fair from many of our capacities to be able to comply with the terms proposed to us by act of Assembly, by our being reduced so in coming to the country and loosing what we had after we got to it by the Indians. Thirdly those who have been in the country before the year, one Thousand seven hundred and seventy eight and only raised a small cabbin perhaps never stayed, three weeks in the country never lost to the amount of one shillings worth yet they are intituled to their choice of one Thousand Acres at State price. If no alteration be made it had been well for us if we had all been such cultivators and never come to settle in the country untill there had been a peace. We have long united on the opening of a Land office hoping each sufferer to receve some compen-sation in Land for his loss trouble and risk, and we your peti-tioners are still in hopes that when this our petition comes under your consideration, and a mature reflexion is cast upon the whole, that you will find that our loss is at this juncture to the great advantage of this state. On a reflection of your justice & mercy we congratulate ourselves that a good cause never suffered in the hands of just men, we cheerfully refer the whole of our grievances to do as you in your wisdom may think right, and we your petitioners as in duty bound shall
ever &c
pray
[Names]
[The names of the petitioners are included at the end of the Filson Club Publication. Numbers beside a name indicate the petition number as organized in the publication, not the page number in the booklet. Elizabeth was one of the petitioners as were numerous others].
- http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/petitions/petitionsSearch.asp (digital copy not yet available online at this source as of 27 February 2013).
Inhabitants, Kentucky Counties, 1779/10/14, Ask for more land than the four hundred acres granted to each settler as compensation for defending Kentucky.,
Reel# 229 Box# 287 Folder # 8
|