Title: Petition of John Manning, 19 May 1862

Date: May 19, 1862

Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 3. 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.00317

TEI/XML: cww.00317.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, John Manning of Prince Georges County, 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 fifteen person of African descent of the name of Ann Bell, Joseph Bell, Jane, Mary, John, Sandy, Hannah, Louisa, Nelly Ann, Harriet Ann, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Agnes, Kitty & Milly for and during the life of said servants and that by said act of Congress said servants 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 servants were of the ages of hereinafter mentioned and of the personal description following:(1)

1. Ann Bell 50 years of age bright mulatto
2. Joseph Bell 22. years of age dark brown
3. Jane 20 years of age brown
4. Mary 5 years of age bright mulatto
5. John 18 months old bright mulatto
6. Sandy 17 years old brown color
7. Hannah 43 years old mulatto
8. Louisa 45 years old mulatto
9. Nelly Ann 18 years old bright mulatto
10. Harriet Ann 12 years old bright mulatto
11. Elizabeth 7 years old bright mulatto
12. Charlotte 21 years old dark brown
13. Agnes 12 months old dark brown
14. [Leathy?] 25 years old mulatto
15. Milley 9 years old mulatto

 

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said servants in manner following:(2) they were bequeathed to him by the last Will and testament of his father Ignatius Manning hereto annexed.

That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said servants. was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of $10.200 dollars in money.(3)to wit:

Ann Bell $500—
Joseph Bell 1200—
Jane 1000—
Mary 250
John 75
Sandy 1200
Hannah 600
Louisa 600
Nelly Ann $1200
Harriet Ann 600
Elizabeth 400
Charlotte 1000
Agnes 75
Leathy 1000
Milly 500
Joseph is a first rate and valuable field hand. the other above twelve years of age are excellent house-servants and all together are sound and healthy and free from all mental & bodily infirmity

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 servants— into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said servants 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 servants 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 servants 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: Your petitioner in filing this claim, and receiving what may be awarded in the premises, respectfully reserves his (Signed by) Constitutional rights to have just compensation for his property aforesaid, not withstanding that the whole indemnity provided by the act aforesaid may not suffice thereto; looking to Congress to supply the deficiency—


John Manning
 

In the name of God Amen: I Ignatius Manning of Prince Georges County in the State of Maryland being feeble of body but of sound mind, memory and understanding and considering the certainty of death and the certainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and and​ thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say: First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth, to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and after my debts and funeral expenses are paid I devise and bequeath as follows Item, I give and bequeath unto my only son John Manning all of my real or landed property lying and being in the State of Maryland to him, his heirs and assigns, together with all my personal property of every kind in the State of Maryland. I also give and bequeath unto my only son John Manning the following negroes now in the District of Columbia, in the care of Doctor W. A. Manning namely Harriet, Eliza, Alethe, Charlotte, Oscar, Sandy, William, Jacob, Jenny, Jane, John, Joe, William Jr. Hanson & Alfred also all the increase of the above negroes since they have been in Doctor Manning's care.

And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved son John Manning to be sole executor of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this third day of June in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty one


Ignatius Manning seal

Signed, sealed published and declared by Ignatius Manning the above named testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto


John H. Hardesty,
Jno. F. Chesley,
John H Clagett

Then came John H Hardesty, John F. Chesley and John H. Clagett, subscribing witnesses to the within will and made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God that they did see Ignatius Manning the testator herein named sign and seal this will and  hear him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament: that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding; and that they respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence of the testator at his request and in the presence of each other


Sworn before William A Jarboe Regr​. of Wills for P. G. Co

I William A. Jarboe Register of Wills for Prince George's County, do hereby certify that the above will and probate are truly taken and copied from the Records now remaining in my office

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Orphans Court of Prince George's County this 16th day of November anno Domini 1852


William A. Jarboe Regr​. of Wills
 

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

I, John Manning 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)
John Manning

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20h day of May A. D. 1862.

(Signed by)
Thomas C. Donn
Justice of the Peace for Washington County District of Columbia
317
Petition of
John Manning
Filed May 19, 1862
Joseph Manning
John McDermott


 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, Janel Cayer, and Kenneth J. Winkle.