Civil War Washington

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, William H. Kurtz, of Georgetown, 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 certain Simon Brooks, Elizabeth Gibson, Henrietta Gibson, Thomas Gibson and George Gibson, persons of African descent, of the name of for and during the life of said persons respectively 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 Simon Brooks was about sixty years of age, said Elizabeth Gibson about was of the age of forty two years of age, said Henrietta about seventeen years, said Thomas about fifteen years, said George about nine years & they were, respectively, and of the personal descriptions following:(1) said Simon is a mulatto, about five feet five inches in height, has been ruptured and is complaining; said Elizabeth Gibson is dark and about four feet ten inches high, said Henrietta is light in complexion & about four feet four inches high; said Thomas is of a brown complexion and about five feet high, and said George is of a light complexion and about four feet high; they are healthy, and with the exception mentioned, your Petitioner knows of no defects, mental, moral or physical, calculated to impair the value of his claim to their service and labor;

 

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) by marriage, they having been the property of his wife long before his marriage.

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 $2,950dollars in money.;(3) the said persons being of the values, respectively following, viz: Simon Brooks, $150; Elizabeth Gibson, $600; Henrietta Gibson, $600; Thomas Gibson, $1,000; and George Gibson, $600;

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 slaves into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said slaves were 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 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.