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, W. J. C.
Duhamel of Washt 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 one slave woman by name of Mary Ross person of African
descent of the name of Mary
Ross for and during the life of said Mary
Ross and that by said act of Congress said Slave woman discharged and freed of and from all
claim of your petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of said
discharge said Slave woman was of the age of Thirty four years 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.
Mary Ross is of very dark color
thick set muscular frame about five feet five inches high
Of 32 or 34 years of age of
Excelent
Excellent
health and from her condition of mind & body and qualifications as
a servant I value her at Eleven hundred dollars. ($1100.)
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the
aforesaid service or labor of said Mary
Ross 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.
by bill of sale from his father Jas
Duhamel at a mere nominal price as his father made a present
to each of his children of a servant
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said slave woman was, at the time of said discharge
therefrom, of the value of $1100 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.From the fact she was raised under the
same roof with me as a child She is an excellent housekeeper also cook washer ironer marketer Strictly honest she
was unmarried and virtuous a rigid Catholic and as
a general conduct and capacity of a servant she cannot be replaced to my
family and I know of no moral mental or
Phisical
Physical
defect.
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 Mary
Ross into the District of
Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at
the time of the passage thereof, said slave woman
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 woman 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 slave woman 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) W. J. C.
DuHamel