Title: Petition of Mary J. Rice, 16 May 1862
Date: May 16, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 3. 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.00261
TEI/XML: cww.00261.xml
To the Commissioners appointed under the act of Congress of April 16, 1862, entitled, "An act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia."
Your Petitioner, Mary J. Rice, of Georgetown, D.C., respectfully shows, that she is a person loyal to the United States, who, at the time of the passage of said act of Congress, held a claim to service or labor against a person of African descent named Jane E. Mahorney, for her life, and that she, the said Jane E. Mahorney was, by said act, discharged from said claim; that at that time she was of the age of about fifty years, tall, black, healthy, active and capable, of about the value of six hundred dollars, which is therefore the value of petitioner's claim and she knows of no mental, moral or physical infirmities or defects that impair the value of petitioner's claim.
Your Petitioner acquired her said claim, in the first instance, by gift from her grandfather when she was very young, that subsequently after the decease of your petitioner's husband, said Jane E. Mahorney was sold, as a part of his estate and was purchased by your Petitioner.
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.
Your Petitioner further avers that she has not brought said Jane E. Mahorney in to the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress and that at the time of its passage she was held to service or labor in said District under & by virtue of your petitioner's said claim, and that said claim 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.
Your Petitioner prays you to investigate and determine the validity of her said claim, to appraise & report the same in pursuance of the Act of Congress aforesaid.
M J Rice
I, Mary J. Rice, being duly sworn, do depose and say, that all the several matters & things set forth in the foregoing petition, as of my own knowledge, are true, and those stated upon information, I believe to be true.
M J Rice
Sworn to and subscribed before me this thirteenth day of May A.D. 1862
R. R. Crawford J.P. seal
Mary J. Rice Petition under Emancipation Act
Wilford Young
Jacob Stall
(near Georgetown College)
