Title: Petition of Joseph N. Fearson, 13 May 1862

Date: May 13, 1862

Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 2. The original document is held in the Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, 1775–1978, National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 217.6.5. Within the National Archives' Archival Description Catalog, see ARC Identifier 4644616 / MLR Number A1 347 (http://arcweb.archives.gov).

Civil War Washington ID: cww.00185

TEI/XML: cww.00185.xml

 

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, Joseph N. Fearson of Georgetown Dist. of Columbia 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 [no handwritten text supplied here] persons of African descent of the names of Sarah Duglas, Caroline, Jinnie or "Janna", Lucy, Frank, Benjamin, Phebe, or "Pheba", Nebraska Bill, and Abraham Dixie, the last mentioned Eight having assumed the surname of " Gray ", for and during the life of said Sarah, Caroline, Jinnie or "Janna", Lucy, Frank, Benjamin, Phebe or Pheba, Nebraska Bill, and Abraham Dixie, and that by said act of Congress said persons named as aforesaid 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 persons named as aforesaid were of the ages of and of the personal description following:(1)

Name Age
about
Height
about
Color &c.
Sarah Sixty Eight
(68) years
Five feet Bright yellow color—very hale and hearty.
Caroline Forty six
(46) years
Five feet Very dark black—very hale and hearty.
Jinnie or "Janna", Twenty nine
(29) years
Five feet and
two (5:2) inches
" " " " " " "
Lucy = = Twenty six
years
Five feet two inches " " " " " " "
Frank = Fifteen
years
Five feet Bright yellow— " " " "
Benjamin = Twelve
years
Four feet-
six inches
" " " " "" "
Phebe or Pheba Seven
years
Three feet
six inches
Very dark— " " " "
Nebraska Bill Nine
years
Four feet Bright yellow " " " "
Abraham Dixie Eighteen
months
" " " " " " "
 

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said in manner following:(2) Sarah Duglas by descent and purchase: She was first bought by my father Joseph Fearson in 1812 of Edmund Shaw of Charles County Maryland, and remained in his service until his death (Sept. 7, 1832) and afterwards in the service of my mother until her death: (August 26th 1854.) when she was inherited by my brother Samuel S. Fearson and myself the only heirs. The conveyance of Samuel S. Fearson to myself of all his interest is duly recorded in the law records of this county:

Caroline, I purchased from Nacy Griffith Esq. of Montgomery County Maryland on the 22d of December 1834, with her child Jinnie or "Janna" for the sum of six hundred dollars: and Lucy was also born of Caroline about [three?] or four months before I bought Caroline, Frank, Benjamin, Phebe or Pheba, Nebraska Bill, and Abraham Dixie were all born of said Jinnie or "Janna" in my service, (Caroline with her two children Jinnie or "Janna" and Lucy, were bought by me of Nacy Griffith, as above stated.)

That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said persons was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of Sixty five hundred and fifty dollars in money. , (3) as your petitioner avers he has no knowledge of any moral, mental or bodily defect in any or either of said persons, except the natural infirmity of old age, attaching to Sarah Duglas the first mentioned: all of them being now hale and hearty, and have always been so: and that he values them as follows: Sarah $350.00; Caroline $800.00 Jinnie or Janna $1000.00; Lucy $1000.00; Frank $1000.00; Benjamin $800.00; Phebe or Pheba, $500.00; Nebraska Bill $700.00; Abraham Dixie $400.00.

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 persons or either of them into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said persons 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 persons or either of them 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 persons above mentioned 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)
Joseph. N. Fearson
 

[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]

I, Joseph N. Fearson being duly sworn, do depose and say, that all the several matters and things which are set forth and stated in the foregoing petition, as of my own knowledge, are true in substance and in fact; and that all the several other matters and things therein set forth and stated, as from the information of others, I believe to be true in substance and in fact.

(Signed by)
Joseph N. Fearson

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of May 1862 A. D. 1862.

(Signed by)
Robert White
Justice Peace Seal
185
Petition of I
Joseph N. Fearson,
owner of Nine Slaves.
Filed May 13, 1862
Jones & Ashford
Attys​ for Claimant.
F. W. Jones


 Note (1.)-- Here describe the person, so as to identify him or her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each one separately.

 Note (2.)-- 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.

 Note (3.)-- 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.

Transcription and encoding: Kathryn Kruger, Nima Najafi Kianfar, Janel Cayer, and Kenneth M. Price.