To the Honl Council of the State of the Massachusetts Bay the Petition of the Followg Persons
Humbly Sheweth

That We your Petitioners have Serv'd this Colloney in Difft Departments on Board the Schooner Dilligente John Lambert Commander since the 16th March last which we are sorry to say to little advantage to the Publick or Ourselves. We therefore beg that your Hons woud take it into your Wise Consideration and Honourably Acquit us, Discounting for the time Serv'd or place us in some way wherein we may serve the General Cause of America and Ourselves, as we cannot be so happy in any other way as in the Defence of the Country But in the Channel we are now in we cannot make ourselves Easy Unless we are lost to a Sense of all Honour & Justice, as all the Privates have left the Vessl but as to yo[ur] Petition-ers we are not willing to leave the Service Unless it meets with the Sanction of your Hons Approbation. We therefore beg leave to Enquire the Reason of the Detainment of our Wages, is the Captures we brot in Unlawfully taken or is it for Embezzelments, or are we Accountable for the Captains Conduct when our Commissions from your Honours obliges us to Obey his Commands If we are Impeach'd with any thing being Conscious of our Innocence we beg to be Brot to an Immediate Tryal by which means we Doubt not of being able to Acquit ourselves with Honr and to your Satisfaction as we Esteem our Honour Dearer than our Intrest or even our Lives we therefore heave ourselves at the feet of your Honours hopg youll Consider our Distress'd Situation in so Expensive a place as this, havg Allready ex-pended a great part of our Wages in the Pursuit of them, we therefore pray we may no longer be kept in Suspence but have an Immediate Ansr that we may not loose our [wages] and time, in Complying with which we shall Esteem ourselves under the greatest Obligations & as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray

[Endorsed] In Council [Watertown] Sept 20[th] 1776 Read & Ordered that Walter Spooner & Saml Holton Esq'rs be a Comittee to take the within Petition under Consideration & Report

John Avery Depy Secy