Humbly Sheweth

That your Memorialist from his attachment to his Sovereign was induced in the year 1777, at the request of Colonel SHERRIFF in behalf of General HOWE to embark in the harzadous [sic] Business of furnishing his Majesties Generals in this City with intelligence of intentions and motions of the Rebel army, and of every other matter that occurr’d of consequence;

that he has with the utmost diligence and risk taken great pains from that time to make every discovery and to communicate it to his Majesties Generals that the paper annexed contains only a part of the services he has rendered.

That your memorialist has been unavoidably put to great expence besides bestowing the greater part of his time for five years past in makeing and Communicating discoveries.

That he entered into this business from motives of rendering services to His Majesty, and not from any lucrative views, he has never asked nor received any acknowledgement for his services, neither has any reimbursement been made him for the monies he was unavoidably obliged to expend in that services.

That your memorialist but for his late misfortune had no Idea of claiming any merit from these services or any reward for them or a reimbursement for the monies he had Expended as he was independently circumstanced in Life with a Fortune sufficient for his and families Support.

That your memorialist as your Excellency is already informed was some time since discover’d in the act of giving Intelligence to your Excellency; that he was apprehended and after being three months a Prisoner and after incurring the expences hereunto annexed while a Prisoner he made his escape from them.

That by reason of the premises your memorialists Property will be wrested from him and his Estate will be Confiscated.

That your memorialist has left behind him a wife and five small children who he expects will be speedily sent in after him to be companions of his distress here or that without support from him they must suffer in the Rebel Country.

That your memorialist thus circumstanced and reduced is reluctantly obliged to submit his case to your Excellency and to ask such relief as to your Excellency shall seem meet.

[Pierre DePEYSTER]

October 16th 1782


            Copy

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 109, folios 18-19.

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