Memorial of Ben Uncas

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the Colony of Connecticut to be held at Hartford within and for Said Colony on the Second Thursday of May 1757            

The memorial of Benjamin Uncas, Sachem of the Mohegan Indians, in behalf of himself and the rest of said tribe of Indians in New London in said colony humbly showeth that the state and circumstances of the lands at said Mohegan belonging to said tribe of Indians are such that renders it absolutely necessary that an open highway be laid out through the same from Norwich line southward at or near the place where the road or path now goes.  That on account of constant travelling, bad fences kept by the proprietors of the adjoining lands, leaving open gates, etc., it is found by experience the improvements on said lands can not be well secured without fencing on both sides the road.

That there is no highway properly laid out through said lands and those lands, being under the special regulation of the Assembly, your memorialists apprehend a highway can not be opened there without the special order of Your Honors.  Therefore humbly prays this Honorable Assembly to appoint, order, and empower a committee to survey and lay out the same accordingly or in some other way relieve your memorialist as in your wisdom shall be thought fit and your memorialist shall, as in duty bound, ever pray.

Benjamin Uncas in behalf of himself and tribe

Dated at New London, May 8, 1757

            Legislative Action:        No. 61 / Memorial of Ben Uncas Sachem, etc. / May 1757 / Bill /

Passed Upper House / May 31 a.m. / Passed Lower House / Entered    

            Cataloguing:                96, 10