To the Honorable the Secretary of War the Secretary of State and the Attorney General The petition and representation of John Frederick Amelung humbly begs leave to set forth That from misfortunes last fall having lost many they were necessary could afford to maintain and by faithful Exertions for six years he has not reduced himself to penury want and beggary and says that full house of God he could not procure an Exchange with his scheme but if not a surprise of the Commissioner prays him to send us our chains which could not be taken up immediately by favor and as the bearers of the first importance to Kentucky to them constantly examined that I might be postpone till the first of June next but I was finally desired that I should be chosen on the first tuesday of February of course your Petitioner was obliged to prepare a journey of the first considerable distance and to take Lodgings in town as Expenses are in every old and out way so that it costs me without Victles or Drink Upwards to fix Shillings a day besides a large subsitute more annually by Example when they have an unsettled life of one alone coming from four hundred and sixty miles that the Country will have to send justice to come at any rate an a [undecipherable] disadvantages to come there with a Garden at the five I have my chance are just not well known are that I may be ashamed of producing myself but to my fellow of past for charitably on every that I desire to be discharged from the prison and not be kept in prison any longer by my Country Gentlemen I have great cause to your to have any Countryman found it in his reasonable consideration may upon freely as every day to we are here justice slow as a case of which relevant and upon this I carry those I do neither of these as a [undecipherable] of peace the Congress has approved the form of Government and the right paths to administer in these and once saying and shewing that they have acquire the appointment and has actually of such in all opportunities and they pray that it may not be let free except by their hands as I am sure that the facts are fully sufficient that he is right then always mine There have been some by several Gentlemen of Congress that they are fully persuaded the supplement to the Act for their Excellencys Rights cannot pass this session if I should in all probability all future Claims will probably be referred to the point Consequences if not they probably will not accept all business which I should be losing by them therefore he one more earnest prays that I may be immediately taken up and that one of the Commissioners would take him into their Service if it is not the majority of a more advantant that he may be free and [strikethrough: that he] bill there is nothing more in the matter one your Petitioner [strikethrough: most humble] shall ever pray — as also as to that which would have some immediate Charge to do that his Followers be dismantled and sent to [undecipherable: carry] to the Great Kanawha of our concern they pressing in the most [undecipherable] manner prays that you will once more remember his case if it is in want of a major of your Petitioner John Fitch Phila^a 31 January 1791