Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 4
I1 understand Rouff and Ray2 are to have there trial this week the evedences that are to appear against them (viz) Nehemiah Peirce Jacob Tayler and Robert Parker are counted honest men though in this affair misled by villins, they have this in there favor they repented and informed me of the affair on my promis to use my influence in there favor all three have Served as good Soldiers in our Army the fore part of the war Peirce Distinguished himself at Bunker Hill if they can be sent home free it may have a tendence to Bring find out greater villins.
Col. William Prescott (1726–1795) served in the provincial forces during King George’s War and later became colonel of the local militia. In 1775 he led his men to Charlestown, where he was one of the commanders at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He served the town of Pepperell as selectman, town clerk, and representative to the General Court (American National Biography).
Roger Ray and Stephen Rolf were individually charged with fraud at the Feb. 1783 session of the Supreme Judicial Court in Suffolk County; their cases were continued to the next court session in Aug. 1783 when Ray was additionally charged with “fraud in enlisting” on which charge the “jury could not agree”; that charge along with the other ones against Ray and Rolf were again continued. By the time the SJC again sat in Suffolk County in Feb. 1784, only Rolf’s case was brought before the court, but it was once again continued. However, none of the cases appear later, and apparently all charges were dropped (Supreme Judicial Court Minute Books, Suffolk County, Feb. 1783. Massachusetts Judicial Archives, Boston, Mass.).