To the honble the Great and General Court of the Colony of the massachusetts Bay now setting at Watertown

The memorial of the Committee of Falmouth

Most humbly sheweth ー

that not satiated with the desolations they have allready Spread amongst us. Our Relentless Enemies have throtned another descent On the Remains of this Ruined Town. Capt Symons in the Ship Cerberus Arived here yesterday and soon after Coming to Anchor Sent On Shore a manifesto a Copy of which we Take the liberty here with to Transmitt.² Together with it he made to Our Committe of Truce a Demand of Twenty Sheep. of permission to the officers of the Customs to go On Board Said Ship and of Liberty for Boats to Come On Shore from his [ship] for such things as they want ー

The Committee were dismis'd On promiseing to Return this morning with an Answer to his Request

it is Impossible for us fully to Describe the Consternation of this Distressed People under the most alarming apprehentions of the Enemys haveing a Concealed Design to land Troops  Erect military works  Establish Magazines and make this port a place of Rendezvous ー

Fully Determined to Exart the Utmost of there power in the Great cause in which all America is now Engag'd But Consious of there utter Incapacity of Doing any thing Effectual for the Defence of this Town against a Ship of Twenty four Guns sopos'd to Carry four hundred men On Board, and much less against the Rest that may be Daily Expected they know not what to Do: Whilst the Remaining Distresed families are hurrying Out of Town in the utmost Confution Expresses are gone to Raise the militia of the County in Expectation of a Cannonade from the Ship without Delay. But what can be expected from any muster amongt us may be Easily Conseaved of by the honourable Court when they Consider that In Draughting a Regiment of Troops from this County's Great part of itts force is Exhausted and But a few Remain Capable of vigorous Exartions at a Time when Both the Town and the adjacent Country is so Busied in providing for the destres'd Inhabitants that have Ben driven hence, and Especially when they Concider that we are allmost Entirely Destitute of Ammunition haveing Only two half Barrels of Powde[r] Amongst us. In this perplexety your memorlst think it their Duty to lay their situation Before the Fathers of this. Country. most Earnestly Requesting that the Case may be immediately Taken unto Consideration, and if Posable that some armed force together with a necessary Quantity of ammunition may be despach'd for our Releaf Or In Default there of Some Directions may be given to this people what Steps to Take, and Some provisions made for the Destres'd poor who must be Redusd to the last Extremitys when they as well as the whole number of the Inhabitants are fourced to Desert the Town and flee for Shelter to the wilderness and your memorialest as in Duty Bound shall Ever pray ー

[Endorsed] In the House of Representatives Nov 6. 1775

Read & sent up J Warren Spkr