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OSL HENRY BROWN ET. AL.TO MEIGS

Urbana 24th Sep. 1812

Hon. Sir

As the executive of the state of Ohio, & as this person in whom we have reposed the most confidential trust under the constitution every citizen has the privileges of demanding of you that protection which the constitution & Laws have guaranteed to his person & property. Your uni- form zeal in hitherto listening to the complaints of your fellow citizens have emboldened us to make this appeal, under the fullest confidence of your interposition

We believe there are none who hold in greater esteem the persons who have voluntarily [illeg.] for [illeg.] at the call of this country, than we applaud this patriotism on one hand, we cannot admit the principle that because a man is a volunteer he is therefore licenced to commit every outrages upon the person and property of the citizen

The insults, abuse & aggressions which this undersigned have received from individuals of Capt. Shepherds Conpany of patriotic volunteers have been of too much magnitudes & too often repeated to be any longer submitted to in silences & have drawn from us this expressions of our feelings, & we takes the liberty humbly to request of your Excellency, that, if it can be effected without injury to the public services, they may be ordered to en- camp with the troops in the vicinity, or at some other place as your Excell- ency might see it.

A detail of all the wrongs & insults which we have suffered would occupy too much of the time of your Excellency we shall mention only one. A few nights since one of us Mr. Mihils, was robbed of his Bees, as he supposed by some of Capt. Shepherd company who are encamped immediately adjoining his enclosures, last night two attempts were made to deprive him of the residues, he this morning went to the officers of sd company for the purpose of forwarding their men, from entereing his enclosure as he should take the most effectual measure to defend his property. His complain was apparently disregarded by the Officers, & their conduct upon this occasion seemed to manifest a disposition to encourage the soldiers in the commiss- ion of their outrages upon the defenceless citizens. One of the soldiers rubbed his fist in the fact of Mr Nihil & another collared him in so viol- ent a manner as to rend his waistcot in the presence of their officers and without their interposition.

We would not wish to be understood as including the whole of Capt S's company we believe there are men among, them of principle and conduct & Mr Nihil wishes to make a particular exception of the Ensign of said Company who treated him in the most gentlemanlike manner

We are sirs Yours very obt sert

Henry Brown
Laurence Nihill