Title: Petition of Harriet Stanley, 23 May 1862

Date: May 23, 1862

Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 4. 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.00415

TEI/XML: cww.00415.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, Mrs. Harriet Stanley, for herself and three children, of Washington City, by this their petition in writing, represents and states, that they are is a 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 one female person of African descent of the name of Jennie Chase, for and during the life of said Jennie Chase, and that by said act of Congress said Jennie Chase was discharged and freed of and from all claim of your petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of said discharge said Jennie Chase, was of the age of fourteen years, and of the personal description following:(1) Dark copper color, four feet ten inches high, large mouth and yes, ordinary size for her age, good looking and healthy, pleasant and kind disposition, and a faithful, honest, and valuable house servant.

 

That your petitioner and her children acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said Jennie Chase, in manner following:(2) She was purchased by Thomas Stanley, from the Estate of Samuel Hamilton of Prince Georges County, Maryland, on the 18th of June 1859, for the sum of five hundred dollars, and on or about the 14th of October 1861, she was conveyed by Deed from said Thomas Stanley to Harriet Stanley and her three children Charles A. Stanley, Henry C. Stanley,and Amelia Stanley. The receipts for the purchase money, and also the receipt for the Deed to your Petitioners (for record in our Clerks Office) are hereunto appended.

That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Jennie Chase was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of eight hundred dollars in money.(3) During the three years the said Jennie has belonged to your Petitioners she has improved in knowledge and usefulness, and her value has been thereby much enhanced. Your Petitioners do not know of any moral, mental, or bodily infirmities to impair her value, and they believe that none such exist.

Your petitioners hereby declares that they bears true and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that they have has 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 Jennie Chase into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said Jennie Chase was 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 Jennie Chase 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 value of their said claim to the service or labor of said Jennie Chase, 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)
Harriet Stanley for herself and her children Charles A. Stanley, Henry C. Stanley, and Amelia Stanley. No. 455—9th St West
 
Thos. Stanley
note for $250
[unclear] 5—317
$255—317
 
$250.00

Four months after date we jointly and severally promise to pay William H Tuck and Benjammin K. Morsall Executors of Samuel Hamilton late of Prince Georges County MD, deceased, the Sum of Two Hundred and fifty Dollars with interest from date for Value received.

Witness our hands, and seals this 18th day of June 1859.


Thos Stanley seal
C. N. Boletey seal
Lemuel Botkin seal
Witness
Amelia K. Stanley
 

Received June 18th 1859 of Mr. Thomas Stanley Two Hundred and fifty dollars in part pay for servant girl Jennie, the property of the Estate of Samuel Hamilton late of said county decd​.


B. K. Morsell Extr​. of Saml. Hamilton
 

Received of Mrs. Harriet Stanley wife of Thomas Stanley Two Hundred dollars being in part for a negro girl named Jennie a slave for life, sold her by the executors of Samuel Hamilton late of Prince Georges County Md decd​. it being a note of Thos. Stanley


B. K. Morsell Extr​. of Saml. Hamilton

Recd​. of Mrs Harriet Stanley, fifty five dollars in full of the said note for said Girl, 28th Oct. 1859, prin. & int.


B. K. Morsell, Extr​ of S. Hamilton—
 

Received 14th October 1861 of Mrs. Harriet Stanley one dollar for filing and recording Deed Thomas Stanley to Harriet Stanley & others.


Jno A. Smith Clk​.
for J. A. Beall
Charles A. Stanley
Henry C. Stanley
Amelia Stanely
 

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

I, Harriet Stanley 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)
Harriet Stanley

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st day of May A. D. 1862.

(Signed by)
Edm. F. Brown
Notary Public

We, Thomas Stanley, Charles A. Stanley, Henry C. Stanley, and Amelia Stanley, being duly sworn, do depose and say, that all the several matters and things which are set forth and stated in the forgoing Petition, as of our own knowledge, are true in substance and in fact; and that all the other several matters and things therein set forth and stated, as from the information of others, we believe to be true in substance and in fact.


Thos Stanley
Charles A. Stanley
Henry C. Stanley
Amelia K. Stanley

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 23rd day of May 1862.


Edw. F. Brown
Notary Public.
415
Harriet Stanley
Filed May 23, 1862


 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: Kenneth J. Winkle, Janel Cayer, Brittany Jones, and Elizabeth Lorang.