Civil War Washington

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, Mary H Murray widow & administratrix of the late Stanislaus Murray deceased represents & states that she is a person loyal to the United States & that at the time of the passage of the said act of Congress the estate of said Stanislaus Murray deceased of whom she is the administratrix as aforesaid held a claim to service or labor against Three persons of African descent of the names respectively of John Butler Charlotte Butler and Margaret Marlow for & during the lives of said John, Charlotte & Margaret respectively & that by said act of Congress said John Charlotte & Margaret were discharged & freed of & from all claim of your petitioner or of said estate to such service or labor; that at the time of said discharge said John, Charlotte & Margaret were of the ages of & personal descriptions following to wit: John Butler is a negro man aged about 25 or 26 years about five feet ten or eleven inches high & of light yellow complexion straight & well built—Charlotte Butler is a negro woman aged about 22 or 23 years about five feet high very light complexion stoutly built. Margaret Marlow is a negro girl aged 16 years about four feet seven or eight inches high & of brown complexion—small figure—

 

That your petitioner acquired her claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said John Charlotte and Margaret by virtue of her appointment as administratrix as aforesaid of the said Stanislaus Murray who acquired his title & claim to the same in manner following: to wit John Butler was bought from Charles S. Williams of Charles County Maryland sometime in the Spring of 1855 for the sum of Eight Hundred Dollars—Charlotte Butler was bought of said Williams sometime in the fall of 1853 for the sum of Seven Hundred & Fifty Dollars Margaret was born of a slave woman Kitty belonging to the late Mary C. Hamilton & became the property of Stanislaus Murray through your petitioner his wife to whom she was devised by the said Mary C. Hamilton.

The claim of your petitioner as administratrix or of said estate to the service or labor of said John Charlotte & Margaret was at the time of said discharge therefrom of the value of Three Thousand Dollars in money—John Butler is healthy well built active remarkably intelligent & has few superiors as a dining room & house servant. Charlotte Butler is healthy stoutly built is good cook washer & ironer & general house servant—Margaret Marlow a good house servant active & smart—all of the above servants are strictly honest truthful & reliable—Your Petitioner knows of no defects bodily or mental which would impair the value of said servants & believe none such exists

Your petitioner hereby declares that she bears true & faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, that said Stanislaus Murray in his lifetime & his personal representatives are loyal citizens & that neither your Petitioner nor the personal representatives of said Stanislaus Murry have borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion nor in any way given aid or comfort thereto.

 

And your Petitioner further states that she has not brought said John, Margaret, & Charlotte or either of them into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; & that at the time of the passage thereof said John Margaret & Charlotte were held to service or labor therein under & by virtue of the claims of said estate to such service or labor of which your petitioner is administratrix as aforesaid

Your petitioner further states & alleges that her claim or that of said Stanislaus Murray in his lifetime to the service or labor of said John Charlotte and Margaret or of 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 & determine the validity of said claim to the service or labor of said John Charlotte and Margaret herein above set forth; & if the same be found to be valid that they appraise & apportion the value of said claim in money & report the same to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States in conformity to the provisions of said act of Congress.