Title: Petition of Lucy B. Walker, 12 June 1862
Date: June 12, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 6. 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.00669
TEI/XML: cww.00669.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, Lucy B. Walker of the County of
Washington, Dist. of Cola by this her
petition in writing, represents and states, that she 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 Sillah
West, Zilphia Hall, Thomas
Hall, John Hall, Hillary
Speaks, Sophia Ross, Philip
Brown, Anna Brown, Benjamin
Brown, Cassey Mullican, George
Ross, Hanibald Hall and Aisey
Brown persons of African
descent of the names
of
aforesaid respectively for and during the
lives of said Persons, respectively and that by said act of
Congress said Person—respectively 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—respectively were of the ages
of and of the personal description following:(1)
Sillah West, about 56 years of age, Black, low in
Stature, about 5 feet 6 inches high, Zilphia Hall,
Mulatto, low in Stature, about 42 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches
high,—Thomas Hall, Black, about 37 years of
age, about 5 feet 10 inches high—John Hall, Black
about 33 years of age, about 5 feet 10 inches high,—Hillary
Speaks, Dark, about 29 years of age, about 5 feet 8 inches
high—Sophia Ross, Dark, about 29 years of
age, about 5 feet 6 inches high,—Philip Bruce,
Black about 22 years of age, about 5 feet 7 inches
high,—Anna Brown, Mulatto, about 21 years of
age, about 5 feet 6 inches high—Benjamin Brown,
Mulatto, about 18 years of age, about 5 feet 7 inches
high—Cassey Mullican, Copper Color, about 12
years of age, about 4 feet, 4 inches high—George
Ross, Mulatto about 10 years of age, about 4 feet
high,—Hanibald Hall, Copper Color, about 4
years of age, about 3 feet high,—Aisey Brown,
Mulatto, about 2 years of age, about 2 feet, 6 inches high,
That your petitioner acquired her claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said Persons in manner following:(2) By the Will of her late Husband, Zachariah Walker—Said Will having been duly provided and recorded in the Register of Wills' office in the District of Columbia, reference thereto had will fully show.—(Certified Copy of said Will is hereto annexed.)
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Persons respectively was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of $10,900 dollars in money.(3)To Wit:
- Sillah West, Good Farm hand, worth $300.00
- Zilphia Hall, Good House Servant, washer, Ironer , and first rate Cook, and Strictly Honest $1000.00
- Thomas Hall, Good Farm Hand, Carriage driver House Servant and very trusty, &c. &c $1200.00
- John Hall, Good Farm Hand, Carriage Driver, House Servant, very trusty & polite &c. $1200.00
- Hillary Speaks, Good Farm Hand, Carriage Driver, House Servant, polite, trustworthy, Honest and obliging $1200.00
- Sophia Ross, First Class House Servant $1000.00
- Philip Bruce, Good Farm Hand, Carriage driver, House Servant, trusty well behaved & honest $1200.00
- Anna Brown, Good House Servant, Washer Ironer &c. and well behaved $1000.00
- Benjamin Brown, Good Farm Hand first-rate Carriage driver, House Servant and very polite—$1200.00
- Cassey Mullican, Good House Girl, very neat and tidy in her appearance $700.00
- George Ross, Good House Boy, very active and sprightly, (in fact a Good Boy) $600.00
- Hanibald Hall, Good looking child—$200.00
- Aisey Brown, Very Good looking Child—$100.00
- $10,900.00
Your petitioner has no knowledge of any infirmities or defects bodily, mental, or moral of said persons, which impair the Value of petitioners claim to Such Service or Labor—and that she believes none such to exist—
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.
And your petitioner further states and alleges, that She has not brought said Persons or either of them 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 petitioner further states and alleges, that her said claim to the service or labor of said Persons or either of them 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 her said claim to the service or labor of said Persons respectively 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.
Lucy B Walker
In the name of God, amen, I, Zachariah Walker, of the County of Washington, District of Columbia, do make and ordain this my last will and Testament.
I give and bequeath all my property of every description Real, Personal and mixed, and all my
good, chattles, moneys, rights and credits, that I may die seized and possessed
of, or in any way or manner entitled to my beloved wife, Lucy B.
Walker, to do, as to her, may seem neat, and proper, with the exception,
of Milly Harriet and Mary, my three servants,
whom I wish set free, and order that they each have, one acre, of land, laid off
on that portion of my farm, known as the "sheep pasture" for their use and
benefit so long as they may choose to reside on the same, and for their natural
life, and as an especial mark of faithfulness to my interest. It is my request
that Milly may receive annually the sum of Thirty dollars
(30$) for her better support to be paid by my Executrix and from my estate during her natural
life. Also it is my desire that my wife, will use her discretion, and if from their
good conduct, and general deportment towards her, as faithful servants, that she
will liberate all the servants that may so comport themselves, after her, my
said wife's natural life or before if she 
may think proper to do so, and on the contrary
should any of my servants be undutiful, disobedient and not faithful, It is my
request and desire that she make an example of any so offending, by inflicting
such punishment as she may deem necessary even to selling the same so as to
preserve perfict harmony and obedience.
It is my wish that my beloved wife may have an eye to the comfort of my relations, and should any of them come to want, that she will administer to their wants by money or otherwise, as may be most convenient to her. Having great confidence that it will be her pleasure to do so. Also it is my wish where it may be perfictly convenient to do so as a mark of affection and respect, long cherished, for her, to pay over to Eliza Walker Young, the sum of one hundred dollars (100$).
And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife, Lucy B. Walker to be sole Executrix, (with any assistant that she might select) 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 
eighteenth day of July in the year 1857.
Zach. Walker seal
Signed, sealed, published and declared by Zachariah Walker 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 thereof
James L. Addison
A. Addison
J. F. Addison.
Washington County to wit,
Orphans Court
September 26, 1857.
This day appeared James L. Addison and A.
Addison, two of the subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing
last will & testament of Zachariah Walker, late of
Washington County aforesaid, deceased, &
severally made oath on the Holy Evangels of Almighty God, that he published
pronounced and declared the same to be his last will and testament, that at
the time of so doing he was to the best their apprehensions of sound &
disposing mind, memory and understanding, and that they together with
J. F. Addison the other subscribing witness,
respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will, in the
presence & at the 
request of the Testator, & in the presence of each other.
Washington County, to wit:
I certify that the aforegoing is a true copy from the original will and testament of Zachariah Walker, deceased, filed and recorded in the office of Register of Wills for Washington County aforesaid
Witness my hand and seal of office this 11th day of June A. D. 1862.
Moses Kelly
Register of Wills.
Cost $1.37½
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
I, Lucy B. Walker 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.
Lucy B Walker
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th day of June A. D. 1862.
H. Naylor
J. Peace
Mrs. Lucy B. Walker
James Bevans and
Henry Naylor
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.
