Humbly Sheweth,

That your petitioner born in America, took a very early and decided part in the late war, in favour of Great Britain.

That he served as a Volunteer in the Campaign of 1777, that in the Campaign following, he acted as a Lieutenant, in Lt. Colonel ALLEN's Regiment, and embarked soon after for Pensacola in West Florida, where he had an opportunity of personally distinguishing himself, as the enclosed Certificates will certify.

That in Storming a Spanish Redoubt, he was wounded in two places, one of them with a Bayonet; That he was afterwards one of the few, who survived from being blown up, with the rest of his Regiment in Pensacola.

That the cause of your petitioners now troubling your Lordships, originates from motives of the deepest distress, and of the most singular and unprecedented kind.

That your petitioner has greatly involved himself in debt (besides being under the necessity of mortgaging the half of his pay) by crossing and recrossing the Atlantic, in hopes of obtaining justice from the American Congress, for an immense tract of Land (Comprising one of the finest and most fertile Countries in the world) granted by the Indians at Sir William JOHNSON's in 1768, as an indemnification for Goods belonging to his Father, and destroyed by the aforesaid Indians amounting in value to near one Hundred Thousand Pounds Pennsylvania Currency.

That the province of Virginia about the close of the war, passed an ex post facto Law, against your Petitioners family and other sufferers, seized their property, and Sold it to defray their share of the debt incurred during the American Rebellion.

That having neither deed nor Survey, to lay before the Commissioners of American claims, he is induced to make application to your Lordships, and however late he may appear, your Lordships he trusts will not suffer this delay to argue against him, when your Lordships are informed, that he could not, as an honest man, bring any claim before your Lordships, so long as he had any hopes from the American Congress, and that it is not until every application has failed, and all hopes cut off from America, that he now makes appeal to your Lordships, from whom alone he can expect redress.

In all humility therefore, he throws himself entirely on Your Lordships benevolence and compassion, and humbly hopes, when your Lordships consider the active part he has taken in the war, and that he has no profession or means of living besides his half pay as a reduced unestablished Captain, your Lordships will think him worthy of further support, by allowing him a small Sum to pay his debts, unavoidably incurred, during his Stay of two Years in America (where he was treated as an alien and enemy) as well as to redeem the aforesaid mortgage, and by adding something more, to his half pay, or procuring for him in any other manner, which your Lordships in your great goodness, may think his situation and his services entitle him to; and Your Petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray &ca &ca &ca

Benjamin BAYNTON

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 70B, folio 158.

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