Title: Petition of George McCeney, 9 May 1862
Date: May 9, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 2. 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.00137
TEI/XML: cww.00137.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,
George
McCeney
of
Washington County 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 fourteen
person of African descent of the names of
Jeremiah Hall, Minta
Hall, Priscillia Pinkney,
Martha Pinkney, Ellen
Pinkney, Priscilla Pinkney, (2nd),
Maria Pinkney, Caroline
Hall, Louisa Allen, Rachel
Jackson, Jerilina Hall,
John Wesley Hall, Margaret
Allen, and Laura Pinkney
for and during the life of said persons of
African descent and that by said act of Congress said persons of African descent were
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 persons of African descent were
was
of the ages
of[no handwritten text supplied here] and of the personal description
following: (1)
viz
| Names | Ages | Sex | Color | |
| Jeremiah Hall | about 62 years | Male | Black | healthy, valuable Gardner and Salesman, worth 250 dollar a year which is the wages I have to pay for one inferior to supply his place. |
| Minta Hall | about 58 " | female | (dark mulatto) | good cook, laundress and monthly nurse uniformly healthy.— |
| Priscilla Pinkney | " 48 " | female | Black | good Cook, Laundress, very honest and reliable housekeeper, has an occasional attack of Rheumatism. |
| Martha Pinkney | " 22 " | female | Black | Dairy maid and garden hand very healthy and robust |
| Ellen Pinkney | " 20 " | female | Black | Cook and garden hand, generally useful healthy and well conditioned |
| Priscilla Pinkney (2nd) | 18 " | female | Brown | Dairy maid and garden hand. perfectly healthy |
| Maria Pinkney | " 14 " | female | Black | House servant generally do. do. |
| Caroline Hall | " 23 " | female | Brown | very valuable as cook, laundress, chambermaid and house servant generally. was never sick |
| Louisa Allen | " 21 " | female | (dark Mulatto) | " Garden & form hand, reliable and valuable, perfectly healthy, & of fine appearance |
| Rachel Jackson | " 9 " | female | Black | " Sews neatly and generally usefull healthy |
| Jerilina Hall | " 5 " | female | Brown | " qualities not yet developed; healthy |
| John Wesley Hall | " 11 mos | male | Black | " ditto ditto " |
| Margaret Allen | " 9 " | female | (dark mulatto) | ditto ditto " |
| Laura Pinkney | " 6 " | female | black | ditto ditto " |
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons of African descent in manner following:(2) Jeremiah Hall and Priscilla Pinkney he inherited from the Estate of his father Joseph McCeney of A. A. County Mo as may be shown by records of the Orphans Court of that County. Minta Hall obtained of J Randall of Annapolis in exchange for other servants. Martha Pinkney, Ellen Pinkney, Priscilla Pinkney, (2nd) Maria Pinkney, Caroline Hall, Louisa Allen, and Laura Pinkney were born of parents of whom your petitioner claimed service or labor for life
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said persons of African descent was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of seven thousand eight hundred dollars ($7.800) in money. (3) viz
| No 1 | Jeremiah Hall | $600.— |
| 2 | Priscilla Pinkney | 400.— |
| 3 | Minta Hall | 400.— |
| 4 | Martha Pinkney | 1.000.— |
| 5 | Ellen Pinkney | 1,000 |
| 6 | Priscilla Pinkney (2nd) | 1,000 |
| 7 | Maria Pinkney | 600 |
| No. 8 | Caroline Hall | $1.000.— |
| 9 | Louisa Allen | 1.000.— |
| 10 | Rachel Jackson | 300.— |
| 11 | Jerilina Hall | 250.— |
| 12 | John Wesley Hall | 100.— |
| 13 | Margaret Allen | 100.— |
| 14 | Laura Pinkney | 100.— |
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 persons of
African descent into the District of Columbia since the passage of
said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said
persons
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 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 petitioner prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of his said claim to the service or labor of said persons of African descent 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.
Geo. McCeney
No 2. Priscilla Pinkney suffers occasionally with rheumatism but her general health has been uniformly very stout and good. all the other persons above named are, so far as your Petitioner knows, perfectly sound and healthy bodily and mentally and that all of said persons my three first named excepting were reared and trained by himself for his own uses and their future welfare, having carefully instructed them in their several duties, they were incalculably valuable to your petitioner
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
I, George McCeney of Washington County D. C. 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.
Geo. McCeney
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 9th day of May A. D. 1862.
Wm R. Woodward
clk &c
George McCeney
Samuel Anderson
Robert Owens
Edgar Patterson
Frederick Cox—H.G. McCeney
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.
