To His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esqr.
Petition for a Patrol Company Anson Co.
To His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esqr. Cap General & Governour in Chief in & Over the Province of North Carolina—
The Humble Petition of the Inhabitants on the frunteers of Anson County in This Province Most Humbly Sheweth—
Whereas Many of yr. Petitioners, have Been Robbed, & asaulted, By the Indians who Calls themselves Shanaws, and Sometimes Sinakers & at other times Cherekees which we Doubt not but they are a Mixter of the Three; & By them our Cattle is Killed & Horses and Houshold Goods, Dayly ar taken away from us, and our Houses By them Burning, and threatining to take yr. Petitioners Lives, and very often abusing our women & Children. So that Severals of yr. Petrs. was obliged to fly from our Livings, and Leave our Crops which seem'd to be a plentiful appearance of a Large Harvest which is all Lost By the Barbarous and Cruel Enemy which is Daily Making Prays of yr. Petrs. and others. We yr. Petrs. Being at a loss, By Not having authority from yr. Excellency to Proceed against our Enemys, the Shanaws, and their asociates, which are Daily amongst us, Discovering of our Defenceless & Naked Condition which Enemy we have Great Reason to fear is harboured, & Countenanced Both by the Cherekee, & Catauba Indians, & Doubts not but the End will be Dangerous, if Not prevented, By yr. Exelencies Wise & Prudent Means. Therefore we yr. Petrs. Most Humbly Begs that yr. Excellency will take yr. Petrs. Cases into yr. wise and Prudent Consideration; and grant yr. Destressed Petrs. Relief, by appointing us a Scout for our Safegaurd & Defence and to be stationed Between Enoree River, & the Head of Waters of Thickety & [illegible] your Petrs. Mutualy agree [an]d Nominate the Bearor, Capt Wm. Green to be Captain of the [illegible line] Conduct and Courage and well aquainted with the Woods, also yr. Petrs. Does think it will be highly convenient that a fort Should be forthwith Erected, in Such a Place in the Bounds aforesaid, as yr. Exellency and the Bearor Shall think Proper which Countenanced By yr. Excellency, will be a Mean to Encourage yr. Petitioners to abide By the Rights and will be a very Great Encouragment to others to Come and Settle, there being Large Bodies of Good Land to yettle, in yr. Exellencies Bounds Therefore we yr. Peitioners most Humbly Pray yr. Excelency would be pleased to take our Present Condition under yr. wise and Prudent consideration and Endeavour our Relief by Such prudent Means as yr. Excellency will think most Proper and with all the Speed the Nature of the Case will admit of many of us almost Resolved to Leave our all and go where we may Most Reasonably Expect to Enjoy peace, But as we have purchased our Lands in the Goverment we most Humbly Begg and pray yr. Excellencies Protection and yr. Petitioners as in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray.
The Subscribers underneath Coppied of by order