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 Petitioners,
James W. & Eliza M.
West
of the City of
Washington D.C.
by this their petition in writing,
represents and states, that they
is a
are persons
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 Ten female and one male
persons of African descent of the name of
Julia
Burgess, Jane Walker, alias
Burgess (daughter of
Julia) Susan Burgess (daughter of Julia) Sarah
Burgess (daughter of Julia)
Margaret Burgess (daughter of
Julia)
George Burgess (son of Julia)
Josephina Walker (daughter of Jane
Walker alias Burgess)
Tempe Burgess (daughter of Susan
Burgess.) Mille Burgess (daughter of
Susan Burgess.) Alec
Burgess (daughter of Sarah
Burgess) and Cynthia Burgess (daughter of Sarah Burgess.) for and during
the life of said persons and that by said act
of Congress said persons were discharged and freed of and
from all claim of your petitioners to such
service or labor; that at the time of said discharge said Julia Burgess was of the age of 48 years or
thereabouts 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.
A Bright Mulatto Woman, well proportioned of
medium size, erect in her carriage, tolerable stout and strong. She has
a peculiar expression of countenance arising from the fact that one of
her legs is thicker than the other and one of her eyes is apparently
larger than the other: Said Jane Walker alias
Burgess was of the age of twenty four
(24.) years, or thereabout, has a dark brown Complexion—tall and
stout—quite erect in her Carriage—likely and intelligent:
Said Susan Burgess, was of the age of 22 years, or
thereabouts, a dark mulatto woman—medium size—Stoops a
little in walking tolerably tall but not very stout likely
and intelligent sdsaid Sarah Burgess, was of the age of 19 or thereabouts,
a Mulatto woman–Small in Stature, erect in her Carriage, she has a
peculiar expression of Countenance from the fact that one of her eyes is
apparently larger than the other, likely, and intelligent: Said
Margaret Burgess was of the age of 17 years or
thereabouts—has a black complexion tall and Stout, erect in
her Carriage; likely and intelligent: Said George
Burgess was of the age of 15 years, or
thereabouts.—a Mulatto boy–of medium
height—note very stout—erect in his
carriage—likely and intelligent: sdsaid
Josephine Walker was of the age of Two (2) years or
thereabouts—of a light brown Complexion—note very
stout—likely Said Tempe Burgess, was of the
age of Four (4) years, or thereabouts: of a Black
Complexion—rather small in stature: eyes weak—likely and
intelligent. Said Mille Burgess was of the age of 2
years—or thereabouts, a bright Mulatto child—well
proportioned, rather stout for her age, likely and intelligent for her
age. Said Alice Burgess, was of the age of 4 years,
or thereabouts, a bright mulatto—likely and intelligent for her
age. —well proportioned. Said Cynthia
Burgess, was of the age of 2 years or thereabouts, a bright
Mulatto child—likely and smart for her age, well
proportioned.
Your Petitioners further represent that they have
filed their statement or schedule, of Said persons in the Clerks Office
of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia
as required by said Act of Congress
That your petitioners acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons (described) 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.
that is to say, under and by virtue of the Last will
and Testament of Wm Mills
who died in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the year
1827, or about, leaving Mills (his widow) and Eliza M.
West (your Petitioner, who has since intermarried with
James W West, your Petitioner.) and
John Mills and Nancy
Mills—his children and Devisees and Legatees: that the
interest of the said
Mills, (the Mother of your Petitioner
(Eliza M West) now advanced in years &
being a life interest) was regularly and properly transferred and conveyed
to your Petitioner. Eliza, in consideration of love
and affection—and that the interest of the said
John and Nancy Mills was
given to your Petitioner Eliza—that your
Petitioners have endeavoured to procure a Copy of Said Will—as an
Exhibit to this their Petition from the Fairfax
County Court—but have failed in their effort to
this end.—and they are apprehensive that the original Will (owing
to the Rebellion) has been destroyed, the transfer from:—
Mills in favor of said Eliza M.
West, your Petitioner, is hereto appended.
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said persons above described was, at the time of
said discharge therefrom, of the value of $5900 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.
To wit Julia
Burgess $300. Jane Walker alias
Burgess. $1000 Susan
Burgess $1000. Sarah Burgess $1100
Margaret Burgess. $1000 George
Burgess $1000. Josephine Walker
$100.& Tempe Burgess $150. Mille
Burgess $100. Alice Burgess $150.
Cynthia Burgess $100: that they are all sound
and healthy according to the best of your Petitioners knowledge and
belief; that the said Julia,
Jane, Susan,
Sarah & Margaret are
very useful and capable of doing any thing in the way of house work;
that the said George is very active and smart and
useful as a farm hand and in other branches of business,—that they
are all honest and well disposed, and your Petitioners aver that they
have no knowledge of any moral, mental, or bodily infirmity in any of
said persons, in the least calculated to affect or impair your Petitioner's
Claim.
Your petitioners hereby declares
that they bears true and faithful
allegiance to the Government of the United States,
and that they have not borne arms against the United
States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid or
comfort thereto.
And your petitioners further states
and alleges, that they have not brought said persons into the District of
Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and
that, at the time of the passage thereof, said persons was
ere held to
service or labor therein under and by virtue of your petitioner's claim to
such service or labor.
Your petitioners further states and
alleges, that their said claim
to the service or labor of said persons
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 petitioners prays the said
Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of their said claim to the service or labor of
said persons, 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)
James W West
Eliza Martha West