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OSL PETITION TO MEIGS

New Philadelphia Sept. 24th. 1812

To the Honnerable Return J Meigs

Governor of the State of Ohio

We the undersigned Inhabitants of the County of Tuscarawas and Town of New Phila. labouring under many disadvantages and hoping that you will take us into Consideration and our defenseless County the Inhabitants of which all allarm at present and a great many moving in different directions especially since the murders committed near Green Town; the Receipt of your Orders we have and should they be put in execution we believe that not a family will left west of us on this place your honnour will remember that we have three Companys Now in actual two are stationed on our front- iers and the one under your Command at urbanna and should we pretend to fill the Vacancy our County would doubtless be ruined the Inhabitants look for more help; and Should more be taken away not a family would be contented westerly from this, Inhabitants have Signs of Indians through the Country not more than eight or ten Miles from this place and expect daily to be attacked by the Savages these two days past Inhabitants have been Moving to Town with their familys in the present Crisis we would deem it highly impropper; for the preservation of the Inhabitants of this County to Send array any more Men you may rest ashured it is thin enough in its present state the Inhabitants who yet remain at home are just on a Balannce and the first allarm they will start and we are Certain should the Your orders be made known it would be enough to set them agoing for every one says if there is any more taken away that they will not stay it would be the ruination of our County and themselves the Inhabitants in many parts will not nor cannot Get half their seed in the ground which they bught to have for the preservation of their familys and other Inhabitants; we do believe should we try to march those men that cou[l]d not one be got to go -- they say sooner than leave their familys in the situation they are give all the papers - for their fines we are willing and ready to do what we can but it certainly cannot be good Pollicy to drain so new a county so nigh the frontiers two we need help instead giving; we hope your honnour will make yourself acquainted with the Situation we stand in and excuse any more men being taken away till we are out of Danger at home at which time you will find us reddy at our countrys call; we hope Genl. Harrison will soon dispurse the savages from our frontiers so that our Citizens who have movd may return and get their seed in the ground for the mantainace of familys Genl. Bay Left this place this Morning for the detachment on the fronteers the Citizens assembled with Millitary officers and advisd together and all agree that should the least attempt be made to take those men army it would ruin the County and themselves; we therefore thot. propper to address you in behalf [of] our County and by granting our Petition we shall be in duty bound ever to pray signers Inhabitants Names

[Here follow the names on the petition. ]