Petition of Lemuel Prescott, of Boston, to the Massachusetts Congress

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That before he left Boston he had, for a considerable time, assisted at Faneuil Hall in teaching a number of men the military art, and upon his arrival in the camp at Cambridge, he was, by some gentlemen of the Committee of Safety and Council of War, encouraged to raise a company out of those men, and to hope that a sufficient number of small-arms would be provided for them by the Colony, as, by the stipulation with General Gage, (which was consented to by the honourable Congress,) their own were lodged with the Selectmen of Boston; that he has now

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forty men, including officers, who have borne their share of camp duty since the 17th of last month; but the want of fire-arms not only prevents their perfecting themselves in military exercises, and is the reason why the company is not now complete, but leads those who are enlisted to fear they will soon be dismissed from the service: Your petitioner therefore humbly prays the honourable Congress to take this matter into consideration, and afford such relief to a number of men whose situation is peculiarly distressing, as in your wisdom and goodness you may deem meet; at the same time assuring your Honours, that it will be their grand aim to be as much distinguished by their exertions for the common cause of their Country, as they have been by their sufferings, and that, as in duty bound, shall pray, &c.

LEMUEL TRESCOTT, behalf of a Company.

Cambridge, June 13, 1775.