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, Mary Johnston, of Fairfax County,
Virginia, by this her petition in writing, represents and
states that she 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 a person of African descent of the name of
Addison Jones for and during the life of the said
Addison Jones, and that by said Act of Congress said
Addison Jones is discharged and freed of and from all
claim of your petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of said
discharge said Addison Jones was of the age of thirty two
years, about five feet seven inches in height, dark mulatto and stout built:
That your petitioner acquired her claim to the aforesaid service or labourlabor of said Addison Jones by the death of her father
Dennis Johnston:
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Addison
Jones, was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value
of Fourteen hundred dollars in money:
Your petitioner hereby declares that she bears true and faithful allegiance to
the government of the United States, and that she 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 & alleges that she has not brought the
said Addison Jones into the District of
Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at
the time of the passage thereof, said Addison Jones was
held to service or labor therein under and by virtue of your petitioner's claim
to such service or labor.
Your petitioner further alleges and states that her said claim to the service or
labor of the said Addison Jones, 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 her said claim to the service or labor of said Addison
Jones, 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 the said act of
Congress.
Mary Johnston