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 Petitioners,
Eleanor B. M. Hilleary, and William H.
Tuck, Your Petitioner, administrator of Clement T.
Hilleary, of Maryland 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 four persons of
African descent of the names of Charles West, Robert
Allen, Juliet Coates, &
William Coates, her son for and during the
life of said
lives of said persons and that by said act of
Congress said persons 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 were of the ages of 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.
Charles West, about forty years of
age—of black complexion—about five feet nine inches high.
Robert Allen, about twenty one years of
age of dark complexion; about five feet four inches
high—Juliet Coates, about thirty one years
of age of brown or Copper Complexion, about five feet
high—William Coates, about six years of age,
well grown for his age, of brown complexion—He has lost the tips of
three fingers of his left hand—These persons were all at the time of
the approval of said act, and are now as far as these petitioners are
advised, sound in body and mind, (except as to the said William
Coates as aforesaid) and these petitioners know of no moral,
mental or bodily infirmities or defects which impair the value of their
claim to such service or labor, and they believe none whatever to exist,
except as to the said William Coates, as
aforesaid
That your petitioners acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of
said persons 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.
These persons, Charles,
Robert, and Juliet belonged to
Ann T. Hilleary, who died in April 1852, and who had owned them for twenty years, more or
less; at her death the title devolved upon her father, Clement T.
Hilleary as sole distributor, under the laws of Md. He died in 1859, leaving
the said Eleanor his only child & distributor who thus became
entitled to the negroes aforesaid, and also to the child of Juliet born while the mother was
owned by said Clement Hilleary unto the said
William H Tuck, is administrator on his Estate, by
letters committed to him by the Orphans Court of Prince Georges County, Maryland
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 three thousand 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. six hundred
dollars in money ($3600.00) that is to say, Charles
1200$—Robert 1200$ Juliet
and her child William $1200, three years ago they would
have brought considerably more. The two men are first rate farm hands for
general work, and are also excellent Teamsters, and for eight years past
Charles has hired for twelve dollars per month, and
Robert at the same rate, for the last four years,
when he began to hire for men's wages. Juliet is a very
valuable servant, being a good [X](#a1)
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
has not brought said persons 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 petitioners further states and
alleges, that their said claim to
the service or labor of said persons 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 validity of their said claim to the service or labor of said
persons 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) Eleanor B M Hilleary
Will H Tuck admradministrator
of C. T. Hilleary
X house servant in all respects. She is a good
seamstress, & well acquainted with cutting, & mending, & also Chamber maid &
Laundress, and excelled by few persons in these various capacities. She
hired for five dollars per month before she has a child and with her child
hired for three dollars & a half & her clothes—