The Humble Petition of Ship Wrights now Employ'd on the Publick work att Poughkeepsie.
Worthy Gentlemen :

It is with the greatest Reluctance Imaginable we your humble Petitioners are under the disagreeable Necessity of thus addressing you By this their Humble Petition Respecting our Wages nor should we att this time presume to Intrude on your Goodness did not Every Idea of want & Misery most lmpertinately stare us in the face, occasion'd By the Curtailing of our wages and the great Rise of every Necessary of Life which we Need not mention, for we make no Doubt but that the Honble Convention are fully acquainted with the Prices of all nor will they Bear mentioning In Competition with our wages which is no more than 8s. Pr Day & 10s.6d. Pr Day for the Foreman much Less than has been known for a Serious of years Before the Last. We also take Liberty to say that not a Mechanick that Derives Protection from the Honble Continental Congress but has greater wages now than they Had Before this unhappy Civil war Began Except Ship Wrights & Joyners and it's Evident to a Demonstration that they in a particular manner are the Great Bulwark of the Navy, which no war Can be vigorously Prosecuted without, altho the Projectors thereof are held in Little Esteem, But we your humble petitioners fearing to tire your Patience Make no Demand But beg your Consideration But a few Moments on the Nature of this our Petition. We make no Doubt but from the readiness of your Honours to Receive Petitions the Natural Inclination to Releve the opprest your Right to justify the Injured and your Power to Encourage the Sons of Liberty that you will augment such a Due Proportion to our Present small Wages as will make the Hearts of your Humble Petitioners Leap for Joy that has been so Long swoln against the unknown Curtailor of our Wages. Then worthy Sirs you will have all the prayers that can Flow from the gladned Hearts of Sirs Your Devoted most obedient Faithfull Servants to Command, Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Body of Mechanicks.

To the Honbl. Convention of the State of New York.

[Endorsed] Jany 30, 1777. Lowest wages for which the Foreman of the Ship Carpenters & the Journeymen agree to take to continue in the Service of this State viz., Robert Hatton, Foreman, 14s. pr Day & a half Pint Rum; George Peek, in Behalf of himself & the Rest of the Journeymen, 1 ls. pr Day & half pint Rum.