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OSL JAMES KILBOURNE TO MEIGS

To his Excellency Return J. Meigs Esqr. Governor & Commander in Chief of the Military forces of Ohio. --

The following statement of facts is respectfully submitted for con- sideration, and such redress as your Excellency can with propriety grant in the premises.

The most ruinous & oppressive System has been adopted & is now acting upon in the militia department in Franklin & Delaware Counties, under the direction as it is understood, of Genl. Joseph Foos calling, as is con- ceived, for the summary interfearance of some superior officer, and the immediate pressure of the case has induced the application to be made dir- ectly to your Excellency for the needed relief. --

The whole Militia force of Deleware, & Worthington had been called out by the Officers of the Regiment in a case of alarm, which proved a false alarm, and was so ascertained before they had assembled at Delaware. but it was determined to march them to the boundary line, to make observations & detain for three or four days, and they were marched accordingly to the Little Scioto 6 miles above the line & there encamped where they were all ordered by the General to be detained, without the exception of a man lia- ble to military duty, not even of those who stand detached under the Law of Congress & Subject to the call of the President, or secretary of War. --

Frequent applications have been made by the Company & field officers, & by private Citizens both in & out of the line for the release of the men but without effect when no apparent object exists for their detention, ex- cept it be to furnish a pretex for keeping Certain officers on public pay & rations. -- Furlows have indeed been given for short times to individuals, allowing them about as much time as to go home & return -- but not for effecting any business of importance, -- The expense of this encampment must be enormous, as the extent of their Numbers has been from 3 to 5 hundred, Officers & Soldiers, & among them there have been 2 Majors of Battalion, One Colonel, one General, one Brigade Inspector, two Sets of Regimental Staff, & Commissioners, Waggon Masters, forage Masters quarter Masters &c &c, the smile as for an army -- a part of the Officers & Men first on the ground have been allowd to return, viz Majr. Strong & two Companies of his Battalion, and two Companies in & about Franklinton -- Still detaining the two Companies from Worthing entire, 45 of whom are Men having families, with not a person beside Women & small children to do the smallest chose of work, & several of them New settlers of the present year, who have no means of supporting their families but daily labour, -- no invasion of the fronteers has hapend in this quarter nor is any at present apprehended & it the individual oppinion of all the officers, soldiers & Citizens in these parts that the Battalion formed by detachments from Companies Comm- anded by Colo Kenick is all sufficient for the purpose of erecting Block- house on the line, & affording the Necessary Guard & protection to their part of the frontier -- unless immediate relief can be given in the case not a field of small grain can be put in the ground the present year, un- less by eglecting other business of equal importance. -- Under these Circumstances the seasonable interference of the Commander in Chief is most ernestly requested for the relief of the people in this part &c &c