The Memorial of Timothy HIERLIHY, Major Commandant of His Majesty’s Independent Companies.

Most humbly sheweth

That your Lordship’s Memorialist was an Ensign at the Battle of Lake George in the Year 1755, under the Command of Sir William JOHNSTON, Lieut. & Adjutant at Fort Edward the Winter following;

Captain in the Year 1756 under the Command of the Earl of Loudon, Captain & Major of Brigade in 1757 under the Command of General WEBB.

In the same Station in 1758 under the Command of General ABERCROMBIE;

and with the much lamented Lord Viscount HOWE the Day he unfortunately fell at the Landing place at Ticonderoga;

Captain of Grenadiers and Major of Brigade in 1759 under sir Jeffrey AMHERST, at the taking of Ticonderoga & Crown Point;

In the same Station with Sir Jeffrey AMHERST in 1760, at Oswego, taking of Fort William Augustus, Montreal in Canada &c at Crown Point in 1761, and at the taking of the Havannah in 1762 under the Command of the Earl of Albermarle,

A Major in General LYMAN’s Regiment, which Campaign concluded the last War.

And in Consequence of your Memorialists acting for some Regular Regiments during Sir Jeffrey AMHERST’s Command, received pay from the Crown for the same, and was entitled to the Benefit of his Majestie’s Royal Proclamation of the 7th October 1763 as a reduced Officer.

That in the Beginning of this most unatural and unprovok’d Rebellion against the best of Sovereigns and the British Constitution, your memorialist was sollicited to accept of a Regiment in the Rebel Service which he refused with the Contempt it deserv’d, being repugnant to the Duty he ow’d his Sovereign, his Regard to the British Constitution, as well as the Honour of his Native Country, which at all Events he was resolved Inviolably to maintain.

That on Governor BROWN’s Arrival at Middletown in Connecticut a prisoner, your Memorialist proposed to him raising a Brigade of Loyalists for his Majestie’s Service, which he dispaired of effecting, (not being acquainted with the Inhabitants of the Country) till your memorialist brought him a number of Gentlemen he could confide in, who undertook to raise Men at their own Expence for said Brigade, your memorialist travelling through the Country engaging such Gentlemen as he knew to be Loyal, and had the greatest Influence with those of their own Sentiments.

That your memorialist sent off his Son with HOYT, a noted pilot for the British fleet (who has been of infinite Service) and Dispatches from Governor BROWN to the Commander in Chief in August 1776, which were safely delivered; on which he served as a volunteer in the Queen’s Rangers till your memorialists Arrival, when he joined Governor BROWN’s Brigade and recruited Twenty five men.

Your Lordship’s Memorialist came off in Septr. 1776 at the Risk of his Life with Dispatches from Governor BROWN to the Commander in Chief, leaving a Wife and Nine helpless Children (now suffering the cruelest Tyrany & Oppression among the Rebels) himself exposed to great Danger, taken up by a Committee of Inspection, of which he got clear by much Adress, cross’d the Sound in the dead of Night, Twenty Six Miles wide in a little open leaky Boat, passing by a Rebel Battery of 23 Guns &c.

That your Memorialist served as Major, and his Son as Captain in Brigadier General BROWNE’s Battalion till the 25th of March 1777, when he attained a Lieut. Colonel’s Warrant for raising a Battalion, and left one hundred & Twelve fine Recruits (rais’d by himself & Officers at their own Expence) in Brigadier General BROWNE’s Battalion, since which he has, at great Expence & Trouble, recruited the Independent Companies he now has the Honour to command.

That in Consequence of your memorialist retaining his Loyalty to his King, and zealous Attachment to the British Constitution, leaving his numerous Family, his property, and all his Connections, to serve his gracious Sovereign, the Rebels have seized all his Effects, and confiscated his Estate in New England, by which means, his Family is drove to the greatest Distress that Poverty & Bondage can reduce them to, they being detained as Hostages for your Lordship’s Memorialist and his Son.

Your Memorialist having received orders from His Excellency Sir Henry CLINTON to repair with the Corps he has the Honour of commanding to this Island, sometime after his Arrival here, he was informed that Charles Lee Esqr. (formerly a Lieut. Colonel in his Majestie’s Service, but since the Beginning of the Rebellion, and at this Day, is a Genl. in the Rebel States Service) was possessed by Grant, or Patent, of half a Lot or Township No. 24 on the Map or Survey of this Island, which was given to him by His Majesty’s Royal Munificence, which Lot or Township, your Lordship’s memorialist conceives the said Lee, by having revolted from his Allegiance, has forfeited.

Therefore your Lordship’s memorialist, from his Services before mentioned, and being at this Day in his Majestie’s Service, by which he has, as before set forth, lost all the property he was possess’d of in two of the Rebel States, he humbly conceives himself entitled by way of Restitution to a grant of said Lot, or half Township, the same being forfeited as belonging to a Rebel & Trayter.

The Memorialist trusting that there will be such an order made for his Relief in the Premises, as in your Lordship’s Wisdom shall seem meet,

And your Lordship’s Memorialist, as in
Duty bound, shall ever pray
Timothy HIERLIHY Major
Comdt. Independent Companies

In Major HIERLIHY’s of
   27th August 1779.

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Colonial Office, Class 226, Volume 7, folios 42-44.

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