Petition of Jeremiah Obrian for Himself & the Machias Liberty Crew ー Humbly Sheweth, that your Petitioner with the above Crew hath been Employ'd in the Colony Service since the first day of February last, & have not receiv'd any Pay therefore the Chief of the Men being Almost Naked, & have no other dependance but the Money Allow'd by the Honble Court ー which Court through false Representations made to them by Mr [Moses] Hagen, have Ordered Our Wages to be Stopt, to make good an Illegal Demand of Sd Hazen's upon us as we Understand to the Amount of Eight Hundred Pounds for Goods taken out of his Vessell, which had Vessell & Cargo been taken would not Amount to that Sum ー The Manifest of her Cargo was One Thousand Bushells of Salt, Ten Hhds Molasses, Ten hhds Rum, One Bagg Cotton, two Small Baggs of Coffee, part of a Cask of Loaf Sugar, One Trunk Shoes Codd Lines and Mens Capps ー Out of which your Petitioner took for the Colony Service, One & half hhd Rum, One bbl Molasses & three Quartrs of hundred Sugar, One Pr Coils Rigging, which your Petitioner Supposed the Vessell to be a Lawfull Prize, & the Property [of] the Colony's, and they Standing ih Need of such Articles presumd to take them Keeping a Proper Account thereof & to Account with the Colony therefor ー Your Petitioners hope that Act of Independance shall not Exclude them from their pay, but that your Honors wou'd take the Matter into Consideration & award them as in your Wisdom Shall see Meet ー The Sloop that your Petitioner Commands is now at Marblehead Newly Graved & fitt for Sea with two Months Provision on board full Mann'd and Waiting the Orders of the Honble Court as in duty Bound shall ever pray

Jeremiah Obrian