To James Robertson Esquire Brigadier of his Majesty's Forces in North America &c &c &c The Memorial of Crean Brush Esqr humbly sheweth That your Memorialist on the fifth day of February last had received into his custody sundry Goods Wares & Merchandize to a considerable Amount by virtue of his Commission of which on notification being received of the evacuation of the Town of Boston your Memorialist anxious to be directed in their disposition did make application to the Commander in cheif to your Honor to the Quarter-Master General and Adjutant General for aid and assistance using his utmost Endeavor but without effect Thus circumstanced your Memorialist at your Honor's request did under high Wages engage four Persons to abandon their own private Concerns and devote their whole time & attention in the making up packing and casing the Goods on hand and assist in conveying them on board in the best manner the peculiar exigence hurry & confusion of the times would permit no Cart or Boat to be procured altho a most exorbitant Price was offered and Capt Buckmaster absolutely refusing to spare one altho your Memorialist applied to him by your H~n6rs & Major Hutchinson's direction The Brig Elizabeth had but two Boys and a Man on board none of them Mariners & ignorant of stowing Goods which were however put away in the best manner they could and the freest from damage.-On the 10th of March your Memorialist received the Order of his Excellency the Commander in cheif to take into his custody .all Linen & woolen Goods. In :virtue of this Order your

Memorialist accompanied by the Assistants he has named did visit the Stores of Samuel Austin John Scolly John Rowe Cyrus Baldwin John Barret & Sons one [Samuel] Dash[er]wood & one [Samuel] Patridge from whence were removed the Goods answering the description of his Orders which were ready packed in Trunks & Cases and if any Articles were removed which did not answer the description the Parties are only to blame they being repeatedly called on to declare the Contents of each which they obstinately refused ー These People your Memorialist are irritated against him but your Memorialist begs leave to assure your Honor he is fully able to prove that his Conduct toward them was governed with politeness coolness & moderation true it is that when attempts were made to engage his attention in tedious dissertations on Magna Charta & the rights of British Subjects with intent to retard him in the execution of his Office he did interrupt such Harrangues & with an Irony which inflamed their resentments complimented them on their Eloquence which had in Town Meetings been so successful as to threw all America into confusion but that I was upon Business which I was determined to execute without interruption ー The Goods I received from the Stores were taken on board & stowed away with all the care & attention my peculiar Situation would possibly admit and I solemnly aver that from the 5th to the 13th March my own Assiduity was so great that I did not in any one Night allow Myself more than two Hours Sleep and the Weather was so very wet that nothing could be done as to any Labor on board-That soon after the arrival of the Fleet in Nantasket Road your Memorialist in the execution of his duty was instrumental in securing the valuable Goods on board the Ship Peggy on board the Sloop Polly, and in discovering two Trunks on board a Vessel where Mr George Leonard & his Family are Passengers and while your Memorialist was impatiently waiting for the interposition of Government in sending proper Assistance to pack up & properly stow away the Goods the sole think [sic thing] undone & the Work only of a day this being the case your Honor may judge my surprize to find the first exertion of Government to be to render your Memorialist the Servant of Governmt meerly nominal and vesting his Authority in others for so small a Purpose as putting up some Goods of Mr. Rowe's (which were unpacked when received) into Bags & stowing others away in bulk most of them without Inventory or Account & the whole with tedious ceremony & parade finished in two days ー Your Memorialist's attention was (as he justly informed your Honor Capt Balfour Mr [William] Davis & Lieut Campbell)*so much engaged as not to pay the least regard to the Articles of Stores & provisions as he jus!lY &c * 3 to whom he applied for relief . but so far from his receiving any he was really greived to find all Parties declare that not a single Article would be supplied moreover the Persons who assisted me whom I assured a Passage and who were furnished with Stores out of which I had engaged a Supply were singled. and set apart from the whole of the Passengers & Negroes aboard & possitive Orders produced for the immediate removal of them & Families on board the Ship Peggy altho in their present Circumstances such removal must have been highly dangerous to some of them even so as to risque their Lives and yet this would have been executed had not the Weather rendered it impossible by which means the innocent People would in the public eye be involved in the guilt of the Plunders on board & render my own Character suspicious. Nineteen Barrells of Flour I had Major Hutchinsons orders to take on board and as much more as could be sent for which I gave my Receipts the second Barrell which was opened I sent for some which when discovered by Mr [Caleb] Wheaten he imperiously flourished over me while in Bed & told me he was surprized at the assurance I dared to shew in giving directions to have any, Upon which I told him he was an insignificant inpertinent Puppy. Captain [Peter] Ramsey at that instant came in declared he would not hear one word of the occasion which provoked me to use the words I have mentioned but that if I uttered three words more he would send me Prisoner on board the Commodore ー The Circumstances I have latterly mentioned must arise from the express orders of Government and are sufficient to shew that your Memorialist has been unfortunate enough to incur its displeasure ー Your Memorialist very uneasy under any imputation which he really thinks malitious, frivolous & groundless prays proper Persons may be appointed by his Excellency the Commander in cheif to examine into his conduct and the conduct of those he employed so far as relates to him that your Memorialist may have an opportunity of shewing that he executed the trust reposed in him with ability probity and integrity to the Honor of the Character of Government and his own ー Your Memorialist therefore most humbly prays his request may be laid before his Excellency the Commander in cheif & that he may be releaved in the Premises and receive suitable Satisfaction for the injuries & damages reced ,

[Endorsed] A true Copy attest Seth Loring Clerk in Secys Office No 52 Brush's memorial