To the Honorable the Congress

The Memorial of Harmon Courter, shewith, that your Memorialists is a Native of America, & from his early Youth hath been bred to the Knowledge of Sea-Affairs, that Your Memorialist having been taken on board the private Armed Ship Oliver Cromwell by the beaver Sloop of War¹ was after a variety of Sufferings carried to England and Confined in A prison Near portsmouth from whence he Escaped² and Arived Safe in paris—that whilst there he was recommended to the American Commissioners and by them entrusted with Dispatches to your Honorable Body—³ that in undertaking this business your Memorialist was Solely influenced by the desire of serving his Contry that had he been instigated by the Love of gain he could by his Connections in Europ Easily have taken Measures for the Increase of his Fortune, but the Insult and Barbarities inflicted on him in England have made him desireus Of being employed in the American Navy⁴; He can produce ample Vouchers of this Capacity & therefore prays the Honorable Congress to reconsider his Application And if they shall judge it expedient to retain in this Service an American whose Enemies, will acknowledge that he fought them bravely, he will esteem himself happy to be honored with the Commission Of Cap^t., to be employed when there may be a Sufficient Number Of Ships for those now holding that Rank who may be capable Of the important Trust, but in the Interim he will gladly forego any Pay which might accrue by Virtue of his Commission, he not being Desired to receive the public money without rendering an adequate Serves—⁵

York Town [Pa.] 
June 3^th. 1778