Title: Petition of John Manning, 19 May 1862
Date: May 19, 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.00317
TEI/XML: cww.00317.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, John
Manning of Prince
Georges County, Maryland 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 fifteen person of African descent of the name of Ann Bell, Joseph
Bell, Jane, Mary,
John, Sandy,
Hannah, Louisa, Nelly Ann,
Harriet Ann, Elizabeth,
Charlotte, Agnes,
Kitty & Milly for
and during the life of said servants and
that by said act of Congress said servants 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 servants were of the ages
of
hereinafter mentioned and of the personal
description following:(1)
| 1. Ann Bell | 50 years of age | bright mulatto |
| 2. Joseph Bell | 22. years of age | dark brown |
| 3. Jane | 20 years of age | brown |
| 4. Mary | 5 years of age | bright mulatto |
| 5. John | 18 months old | bright mulatto |
| 6. Sandy | 17 years old | brown color |
| 7. Hannah | 43 years old | mulatto |
| 8. Louisa | 45 years old | mulatto |
| 9. Nelly Ann | 18 years old | bright mulatto |
| 10. Harriet Ann | 12 years old | bright mulatto |
| 11. Elizabeth | 7 years old | bright mulatto |
| 12. Charlotte | 21 years old | dark brown |
| 13. Agnes | 12 months old | dark brown |
| 14. [Leathy?] | 25 years old | mulatto |
| 15. Milley | 9 years old | mulatto |
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said servants in manner following:(2) they were bequeathed to him by the last Will and testament of his father Ignatius Manning hereto annexed.
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said servants. was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of $10.200 dollars in money.(3)to wit:
| Ann Bell | $500— |
| Joseph Bell | 1200— |
| Jane | 1000— |
| Mary | 250 |
| John | 75 |
| Sandy | 1200 |
| Hannah | 600 |
| Louisa | 600 |
| Nelly Ann | $1200 |
| Harriet Ann | 600 |
| Elizabeth | 400 |
| Charlotte | 1000 |
| Agnes | 75 |
| Leathy | 1000 |
| Milly | 500 |
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 servants— into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said servants 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 servants 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 servants 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: Your
petitioner in filing this claim, and receiving what may be awarded in the
premises, respectfully reserves his (Signed by) Constitutional rights to have just
compensation for his property aforesaid, not withstanding that the whole
indemnity provided by the act aforesaid may not suffice thereto; looking to
Congress to supply the deficiency—
John Manning
In the name of God Amen: I Ignatius Manning of Prince Georges County in the State of Maryland being feeble of body but of sound mind, memory and understanding and considering the certainty of death and the certainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following that is to say: First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth, to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executor hereinafter named and after my debts and funeral expenses are paid I devise and bequeath as follows Item, I give and bequeath unto my only son John Manning all of my real or landed property lying and being in the State of Maryland to him, his heirs and assigns, together with all my personal property of every kind in the State of Maryland. I also give and bequeath unto my only son John Manning the following negroes now in the District of Columbia, in the care of Doctor W. A. Manning namely Harriet, Eliza, Alethe, Charlotte, Oscar, Sandy, William, Jacob, Jenny, Jane, John, Joe, William Jr. Hanson & Alfred also all the increase of the above negroes since they have been in Doctor Manning's care.
And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my beloved son John Manning to be sole executor of this my last will and testament, revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and testament
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this third day of June in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty one
Ignatius Manning seal
Signed, sealed published and declared by Ignatius Manning the above named testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who at his request in his presence and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
John H. Hardesty,
Jno. F. Chesley,
John H Clagett
May 17th 1852
Then came John H Hardesty, John F.
Chesley and John H. Clagett, subscribing
witnesses to the within will and made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty
God that they did see Ignatius Manning the testator
herein named sign and seal this will and 
hear him publish, pronounce and declare the
same to be his last will and testament: that at the time of his so doing he
was to the best of their apprehensions of sound and disposing mind memory
and understanding; and that they respectively subscribed their names as
witnesses to this will in the presence of the testator at his request and in
the presence of each other
I William A. Jarboe Register of Wills for Prince George's County, do hereby certify that the above will and probate are truly taken and copied from the Records now remaining in my office
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Orphans Court of Prince George's County this 16th day of November anno Domini 1852
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
I, John Manning 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.
John Manning
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20h day of May A. D. 1862.
Thomas C. Donn
Justice of the Peace for Washington County District of Columbia
John Manning
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.
