To the Honorable Council & House of Representatives Assembled at Watertown, the 19th of July AD 1775

The Petition of the Subscribers in Behalf of the Inhabitants of Machias in the County of Lincoln and Province of Massachusetts Bayー

Humbly Sheweth, that your Petitioners in the Present unhappy Times, have been at Great Expence in guarding the Coast at Machias, by Which means the inhabitants have Done but Very Little else for two months Past, which Leaves US in a Very Distressed situation: unable to Defend our selves, or the Common Cause for Which our Country in general is Contending, however We beg leave to hold our selves Ready and Willing to Exert our Selves Still further, by Virtue of Such incouragement, as your Honours Shall think proper, we therefore pray your Honours would please to allow us the previlidge of Raising a Company of men amongst our selves on the Expence of the Province, by Which means we humbly Conceave we should be Enabld to gaurd our own Port by Continuing the young men in the place, which at Present is wholly out of imploy, and Contribute in some measure to the Necessity of the poor Inhabitants [&] the Company So Raised, to be under Such Restriction & Regulation as your Honours Shall think fit. we would also beg Leave to Represent to your Honours, that we have not a Sufficientcy of Powder & Ball to make any Considerable Defence in Case of an Invation, we humbly Pray your Honours would Supply us, with two Hundred weight of Powder & Balls in Proportion.

Your Honours are Doubtless Sensible of the great Cost & Charge your Petitioners must necessarily be at, in the Conveyance of a number of Prisoners from Machias to Watertown Near three Hundred & fifty miles Distant the Particular accompts of Which we Beg Leave to Lay before your honorable Committee  we there force Pray Your Honours, [would Please to Grant such a sum] of money to be Paid unto your Petitioners as will enable us to Defray all Such Charges as Shall be found Right & Just and your Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever Pray