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,
Francis S. Walsh
of
Washington D.C.
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 Seven Slaves
persons of African descent of the name of
Emily,
Charlotte,Henry,
George, Elvira,
Charles, and a Male child not yet christened.
for and during the life of said Seven Slaves and
that by said act of Congress said Slaves were
discharged and freed of and from all claim of your petitioner to such service or
labor; that at the time of said discharge said Slaves
were respectively of or about the ages placed after their names viz.
Emily
of the age of 40 years,
Charlotte 13 Years,Henry 11
Years, George 6 Years, Elvira 5
Years, Charles 2 1/2 Years & the child unchristened
6 weeks and of the personal description following: Here describe the person, so as
to identify him or her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each
one separately.
Emily is about 40 Years old 5 Feet 2 Inches high,
Black, Color, Corpulent,
Wooly
woolly
hair, Black Eyes, and cheerful & animated when spoken to.
Charlotte is about 13 Years old 4 Feet 9 1/2 inches
high, Mulatto, Hair black and straight, Eyes dark.
Henry is about 11 Years old 4 Feet 5 Inches high,
Mulatto,
Wooly
woolly
hair, Dark Eyes & more than ordinarily active for a boy of his
age. George is about 6 Years old, 3 Feet 7 Inches high,
Black color, Stout,
Wooly
woolly
hair and Black Eyes. Elvira is about 5 Years
old, 3 Feet 3 Inches high, Stout,
Wooly
woolly
hair and Black Eyes. Charles is about 2 1/2
Years old, 3 Feet high, Stout,
Wooly
woolly
hair & Black Eyes. The child unchristened is over six weeks
old. Color dark. The above Negroes viz Emily & her
six children do now and you above Enjoyed good health.
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the
aforesaid service or labor of said Seven Slaves in
manner following: Here state
how the claim was acquired, when, from whom, and for what price or
consideration; and, if held under any written evidence of title, make
exhibit thereof, or refer to the public record where the same may be
found.
viz. By purchase of Emily (the
mother of the children named) and two children aged six Years & Eighteen
months not now
belonginging
belonging
to the petitioner & named in the bill of sale,
Ellen & Arthur, these
slaves Emily
Ellen & Arthur were purchased
from Ruthey Edmonds on the 23
Feby
February
1847 for $550.00. Bill of Sale Recorded Liber W. B. No.
132 folios 217 & 218 one of the Land Records for Washington
County in the District of Columbia.
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Seven Slaves was, at the time of said discharge
therefrom, of the value of Twenty Eight hundred
dollars in money. Here state
such facts, if any there be, touching the value of the petitioner's claim to
the service or labor of the person, as may enhance the same, and also such
facts, if any, touching the moral, mental, and bodily infirmities or defects
of said person, as impair the value of the petitioner's claim to such
service or labor, and conclude such statement with an averment that the
petitioner knows of no other infirmities or defects of said person which
impair the value of petitioner's claim to such service or labor, and that he
believes none other to exist. If the petitioner specify no such infirmity or
defect, then his statement touching the value of his claim should conclude
with an averment that he has no knowledge of any such infirmity or
defect.
Viz., Emily $800
Charlotte $800 Henry $800
& George, Elmira,
Charles & the baby $100 each. This amount I
claim for the following reasons 1st that I would not sell them for this
amount unless obliged to part with them, 2nd Emily the
mother is a good cook and house servant and Charlotte
& Henry as good & efficient servants as many
more advanced in years, & I know of no moral, mental or bodily infirmity
to lessen or impair the value of this claim.
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 Slaves into the
District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the
time of the passage thereof, said Seven Slaves
were
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 Seven Slaves 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 Seven Slaves 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.
(Signed by)
F. S. Walsh