13 Fort Allen, Hempfield Township, between Wendel Oury's and Christopher Trubee.

To the Honorable John Penn, Esq.,

Govenor and Commander in Chief in and over the Privince of Pennsylvania, and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex upon Delaware.

The petition of the inhabitants of Westmoreland County humbly shewth,

That there is great reason to fear that this part of the Country will soon be involved in an Indian war.

That the consequence will most probably be stricking, as the Country is in a very defenseless state, without any Place of strength, stock of Ammunition, or necessary stores.

That the abandoning the Country must be attended with total ruin to great numbers, who are now in an easy situation, but almost distracted with the apprehensions of seeing their Hepless Infants fall a sacrifice to savage Cruelty, and this will most certainly be the event unless they meet with some protection.

In these circumstances, next to the Almighty, they look to your Honor, and Hope you will take their Case into Consideration, and afford them such relief as to your Honor shall seem meet.

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.

To this petition were attacted eighty signatures, of which at least seventy-three are German, showing that the entire Herold settlement was practically German.

The names of these petitioners, prepared by an expert German script, are as follows:

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This petition reveals the fact that Pennsylvania German family names, under processes of Americanization, are peculiarly subject to change.

Some of them have been changed so many times that it is difficult to trace them to their originals.

The father of the Harrolds family, after which Zion Church was named, spelled his name Herolt in this petition.

The large Klingensmith family of westren Pennsylvania descend from pioneers, who wrote the name Klingelschmit.

The founder of the Rupp family, which ha given a number of ministers to both the Reformed and Lutheran Church, wrote his name Raupp.

The Kahns family of western Pennsylvania gives even more stricking example of Americanization.

The patriarch spelled his name Kunze. None of his descendants seemed satisfied with this, one making changes according to taste, and spelling it Kunz, Kountze, Kountz, Kuhns, Koon, and finally plain American Coon.

This petition may be seen at the State Library, Harrisburgh Pa.