Civil War Washington

PETITION.

To the Commissioners under the act of Congress approved the 16th of April, 1862, entitled "An act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia."

Your Petitioner, Benjamin K. Morsell of Maryland by this his petition in writing, represents and states, that he is a person loyal to the United States, who, at the time of the passage of the said act of Congress, held a claim to service or labor against a person discharged therefrom by said act a person of African descent of the name of William Dodson for and during the life of said William Dodson and that by said act of Congress said William Dodson was discharged and freed of and from all claim of your petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of said discharge said William Dodson was of the age of thirty two years and of the personal description following:(1) a tall Black man strong and healthy, free from disease so far as [his?] knowledge extends. His height is, probably, from five feet, ten inches, to six feet. He is of spare build and his impression is that he will weigh 150 or 160 lbs or thereabouts.

 

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said William Dodson in manner following:(2) He was born his slave his mother being his property at the time of his birth. He was born in the city of Washington in the District of Columbia, and has resided in said city continually from that time to the present.

That your petitioner's belies as his claim to the service or labor of said William Dodson was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of one thousand dollars in money.(3) He has always been strictly honest and perfectly trustworthy. He is also a sober and industrious man and, you petitioner believes, a professor of religion. He has been in the employ of different brick layers for some fifteen or sixteen years, and though his usual occupation has been carrying the [lead?] or cart-driving, yet he has informed petitioner that he has sometimes been engaged in paving.—He has done small jobs of [cart driving?] for petitioner. He is a generally useful man. In early life he [illegible] at Hotels as a dining room servant. He knows of no infirmities or defects of said Dodson, moral, mental or bodily which impair the value of his claim to his service or labor

Your petitioner hereby declares that he bears true and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that he has not borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid or comfort thereto.

And your petitioner further states and alleges, that he has not brought said "slave" into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said "slave" was held to service or labor therein under and by virtue of your petitioner's claim to such service or labor.

Your petitioner further states and alleges, that his said claim to the service or labor of said "slave" does not originate in or by virtue of any transfer heretofore made by any person who has in any manner aided or sustained the present rebellion against the Government of the United States.

And your petitioner prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of his said claim to the service or labor of said William Dodson herein above set forth; and if the same be found to be valid, that they appraise and apportion the value of said claim in money, and report the same to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, in conformity to the provisions of said act of Congress.