Response of Samuel Miller and John Shephard to the petition of Samuel Moho and Others to the Massachusetts General Court

Province of the Massachusetts Bay

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To His Excellency William Shirley, Esq., Captain General and Commander in Chief of said Province, to the Honorable His Majesty's Council and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled, December 24, 1753

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The answer of Samuel Miller and John Shepard, Esqs., surviving Commissioners of the Indian inhabitants of a place called Ponkapoag in Stoughton in the County of Suffolk, to a paper called the memorial of Samuel Moho and others belonging to said Stoughton Planters,[1] a copy of which was this day given to them importing grievous complaints against your respondents and to which they would in general answer that they humbly conceive, that the matter and things in said paper contained are entirely false and groundless and is the effect of the artifice and contrivance of some of the vicinity who are continually filling the ears of these Indian inhabitants with groundless surmises of injury done them.  We could particularly make evident to Your Excellency and Honours that the whole of the said memorial or complaint is groundless and vexations, but pray that we may be heard more fully [2]thereon, either upon the floor or by a Committee, that so we may have an opportunity of acquitting ourselves openly from the idle insinuations of some of the White inhabitants of said Stoughton and handed down to Your Excellency and Honours by the sign or cross-manual of said Indian inhabitants, who as your respondents humbly conceive were at the same time ignorant of the contents of said vexatious papers or as Your Excellency and Honours in your wisdom shall see meet otherwise to direct and order.

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And (as in duty bound) your respondents shall ever pray, etc.,

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Samuel Miller

John Shepard

Surviving Commissioners

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Cataloguing:  448