APPENDIX D—­TO CHAPTER IV.

(State Department MSS.; No. 48, Vol.  “Memorials &c Inhabitants of Illinois, Kaskaskias and Kentucky.”)

The Petition and Prayr. of the people of that Part of Contry [sic] now Claim’d. by the State of Virginia in the Countys of Kaintuckey and Ilinois Humbly Sheweth—­That we the leige Subjects of the United States Labour under many Greivences on acount of not being formd into a Seperate State or the Mind and Will of Congress more fully known respecting us—­And we Humbly beg leave to Present to the Honorable Continental Congress our Humble Petition seting forth the Grievences and oppressions we labour under and Pray Congress may Consider Such our greivences and grant us redress.

We your Petitioners being situate in a wide Extencive Uncultivated Contry and Exposd. on every side to incursions of the Savage Indians humbly Conceive Ourselves approssed by several acts of the general assembly of Virginia for granting large Grants for waist and unapropriated lands on the Western Waters without Reservation for Cultivating and Settling the same whereby Setling the Contry is Discouraged and the inhabitants are greatly Exposd. to the Saviges by whome our wives and Childring are daly Cruily murdered Notwithstanding our most Humble Petitions Canot Obtain Redress—­By an other act we are Taxd. which in our Present Situation we Conceive to be oppresive and unjust being Taxd. with money and grain whilst Enrold and in actual Pay residing in Garrisons.  We are Situate from Six Hundred to one Thousand Miles from our Present Seite of Goverment, Whereby Criminals are Suffered to Escape with impunity, Great numbers who ware Ocationaly absent are Deprived of an Opertunity of their Just Rights and Emprovements and here we are Obliged to Prosecute all Apeals, and whillst we remain uncertain whether the unbounded Claim of This Extencive Contry Ought of right to belong to the United States or the State of Virginia, They have by another late act required of us to Sware alegince to the State of Virginia in Particular Notwithstanding we have aredy taken the Oath of alegance to the united States.  These are Greivences too Heavy to be born, and we do Humbly Pray that the Continental Congress will Take Proper Methods to form us into a Seperate State or grant us Such Rules and regulations as they in their Wisdoms shall think most Proper, During the Continuance of the Present War and your Petitioners shall ever Pray

May 15th, 1780.

[Signed] ROBERT TYLER RICHARD CONNOR THOMAS HUGHES ARCHIBALD MCDONALD ABRAHAM VAN METER (and others to the number of 640).

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APPENDIX E—­TO CHAPTER VII.

(Haldimand MSS. Series B, Vol. 123, p. 302.)

Sir,