Most Respectfully Sheweth:

That it is with the greatest concern and utmost reluctance the Memorialists thus take the liberty of Addressing Your Excellency at a Time too, that Your great efforts are exerting in most momentous Concerns in behalf of our Most Gracious Sovereign and Country; but we most earnestly hope the necessity of our present Application, will plead an Apology to Your Excellency for Your Memorialists.

Your Excellency's Memorialists, being informed, that Captain Nathan FRINK of the same Corps hath represented to Your Excellency some circumstances with respect to it, that might be productive of inducing Your Excellency to Disband or incorporate the Men, of which it is now composed, into Other Regiments as we understand, that Captain FRINK requested to be attached to an Established Regiment He thinking himself entitled to that prerogative, from having a superior number of Men present with the Corps, than any of the other Officers-

We beg leave further to remark to Your Excellency: that for the number of Officers at present with the Corps the Men are nearly equivalent to their different Quotas that they were to raise for their Appointments. Several of the Officers were on actual Service to the Southward, for Six Months: therefore had not the like Opporttunity of keeping their Men together, as Captain FRINK, who was not on Service, and had his Men under his immediate Inspection.

We wish or desire to take not any Merit that Captain FRINK may be entitled to; but can not help observing, that He had the benefit of remaining on the recruiting Service during the whole last Winter, and had the advantage of recruiting Men, to fill up the Casualties, as they happened in his Troop: neither did He join the Corps, until both his Subaltern Officer's Ouotas of Men were Complete.

We, who are most short of our reduced Complements, are ready to use every exertion in compleating them again, and wish for nothing more, than that liberty from Your Excellency, (as it was Observed by the Reform intended to be put into practice.

As we most earnestly wish, to use every endeavour for the good of the Service: we will engage to complete our different Quotas of Men from the number we have yet remaining in a reasonable Time.

Your Excellency's Memorialists most respectfully submit this their Memorial and Case to Your Excellency's superior Wisdom and humanity for consideration and relief, and have the Honor to be with the utmost Respect.

Your Excellency's
Most Obedient, devoted and most Humble Servants
[blank]

Camp, Staten-Island
the 24th August 1782


N.B.
This Memorial being the first, done agreeable to Major MENZIES's Advise: was by Him refused his Recommendation thereof; to me, in presence of Captn. LIVINGSTON, and Lieut. FURLONG; who were with others ready to sign it, if recommended-

Michael HOUSEAL

[endorsed by Frederick MACKENZIE]
    This Memorial is
improperly presented-
should be made thro
the Officer Comdg. the
Regiment & District-
put off

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Headquarters Papers of the British Army in America, PRO 30/55/5394.

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