Petition of Philip Rhinelander and others to the New-York Congress

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New-York, August 21, 1775.

To the Honourable the Provincial Congress:

We, the subscribers, hereby beg leave to certify that Philip Schurman, carpenter, one of the unhappy persons that were taken by the American Army at Boston, was, about twelve months ago, seduced to that employ by Jonathan Hampton, which was the more easily done as he is but a very young man, and had but just ended his apprenticeship at the time of his going to Boston. His friends here had wrote long ago pressing him to come home, and are well informed that he would have done so, provided any opportunity could have been got. His friends here, many of whom are and always have been steadfast in the support of the liberties of this Country, are suffering much distress on his account, and propose to send his brother, John Schurman, to the camp to-morrow, in order to solicit for his liberty. And they humbly request that this Congress will take the case of this poor young man into consideration, and favour them with a letter to General Washington in his behalf.

PHIL˙ RHINELANDER,
WILLIAM RHINELANDEH, Jr˙,
JACOB RHINELANDER,
T˙ JOHN VAN WINCKEL,
JOHN SANDFORD,
GEORGE ELWYN,
JOHN ACKLAY, House-Carpenter.
JACOB CLOCK, House-Carpenter.
CHARLES HUESTIS, Carpenter.
WILLIAM CARMAN, House-Carpenter,
JOHN ADAMS, House-Carpenter.