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Canton, Feby 20 1804

[Address]

Sir

Mrs. Deborah Gannett of Sharon
informes me, that she has inclosed to your Care a petition
to Congress in favour of Her. My works for manufactureing
of Copper, being a Canton, but a short distance from the Nei
ghbourhood where She lives; I have been induced to enqu-
-ire her situation, and Character, since she quitted the Male
habit, and Soldiers uniform; for the more decent apparrel
of her own Sex; & Since she has been married and become a
Mother. -- Humanity, & Justice obliges me to say, that every per-
son with whom I have conversed about Her, and it is not a few,
speak of Her as a woman of handsom talents, good Morals,
a dutifull Wife and an affectionate parent. -- She is now
much out of health; She has several Children; her Husband is
a good sort of a man, 'tho of small force in business; they have a
few acres of poor land which they cultivate, but they are really poor.

She told me, she had no doubt that her ill health is in conse
quence of her being exposed when She did a Soldiers duty; and
that while in the Army, She was wounded.

We commonly form our Idea of the person whom we hear spoken
off, whom we have never seen; according as their actions are described,
when I heard her spoken off as a Soldier, I formed the Idea of
a tall, Masculine female, who had a small share of understandg,
without education, & one of the meanest of her Sex. -When I
saw and discoursed with I was agreeably surprised to find a
small, effeminate, and converseable Woman, whose education en-
titled her to a better situation in life.

I have no doubt your humanity will prompt you to do all in Your pow
er to git her some releif; I think her case much more deserving


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than hundreds to whom Congress have been generous.

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[Address]

[Endorsement]