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CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.
PETITION OF COL. PATTERSON AND HIS FELLOW SUFFERERS.
[Erom Ass. Pap. Vermont Controv.]
To his Exelency George Clinton Esquire Governor of the State of New York and the Honourablethe Senate and Assembly of the same State &c a . &c a . &c a .
The Petition of the Subscribers in behalf of themselves and their associates Most Humbly Sheweth,
That during the continuance of the Controversy which Subsisted between the State of NewYork and the Frinds and Supporters of Vermont your Petitioners and their Associates wereuniformly Loyal to the State of New York Supported the rights and Interests thereof having notonly frequently risqued their Lives but expended large sums of money, and Lost an abundanceof time in Defence of the said State, in consequenc of which many of your Petitioners wereimprisoned and others dispoiled of Property to a considerable amount, by the Vermonters ; all whichfacts were abundantly proved to your Excellency and the Honourable Legislature unanimouslyResolved “ that they would indemnify and support your Petitioners and associates in their RightsLiberties and Properties,” recommending to them at the same time to persist in supporting theInterest of the State of New York as will appear by your Excellencys letters and Proclamations—That in Obedience thereto as well as from real Inclination your Petitioners and their associates, atGreat risque expence, trouble and loss of time, continued to exert themselves in Support of theState of New York until they were left totally abandoned to the fury of their Enemies, who again andagain Imprisoned maney,and otherwise Injured your Petitioners very materially, so that rather thanbe Deprived of their whole Property they were obliged to submit to the usurpation of the Gov-ernment of Vermont .
That while your Petitioners and their Associates were Strugling to Support the Government of theState of New York in manner before specified the Chiefs of Vermont divided the whole of the wildLand, in that Country among themselves and their Adherants to the Injury of your Petitioners mostof whom would have obtained a considerable part thereof had it not been for their uniformLoyalty and Adherence to the State of New York .
That the faith of the Government of the State of New York being pledged to your Petitionersand their Associates in manner before suggested, they humbly conceive themselves clearly Entitledto a Compensation for their Losses and sufferings which Compensation if agreable to your Excelencyand honours they would wish to receive by a Grant of vacant and unappropriated Lands within thisState of New York .
The truly unfortunate and critical Situation of Public affairs in the Neighbouring States and theRiots and Tumolts in other quarters of the Countrey induce your Petitioners sincerely to wish fora Grant of Lands in the State of New York , in support of whose Government they have resqued theirLives and fortunes as long as they possibly could, a Government whose Constitution they admire, andwhose rulers they revere, from that upright and Equel administration of Justice for which theState of New York is so Emminently Conspicuous.
Your Petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that in consideration of their Loyalty, the Equityof their Case and the Losses they have suffered your Excellency and Honours would be favorablypleased to Grant to them and their Associates, a Patent of wild Land in Compensation therefor.And they will as in duty Bound, ever pray. Eleazer Patterson,
Same. Knight, John Sergeant,
Benj. Butterfield, Josiah Arms in behalf of
themselves and the Son of Samuel Minot deceased & their Associates mentioned in the List transmitted.