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, Zachariah Duvall of Washington City 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 Six persons of African descent of the names of Mary Harwood and her Boy Tom, Martha Johnson and her Boy Frank, Hester Wright and her infant Hester 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 Mary was about Thirty Years of age Tom her child Three or four Years of age. Martha about twenty one or twenty two Years of age, Frank her child Three or four Years of age— of the age of Hester was about nineteen or twenty Years of age and Mary her infant about nineteen months old— and of the personal description following:(1) Mary is a dark copper color, below the medium height—Tom her child is a dark brown—Martha is copper colored—about five feet four inches high, Frank her child is rather lighter in color than his mother—Hester is a light copper color about five feet eight inches high and Mary her infant is also of a light copper color—Neither of these persons have any particular marks which are now recollected

 

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) Mary was purchased from Mr. Thos. Pumphrey of Anne Arundel County and State of Maryland about twelve years ago—Martha and Hester were given to Petitioner's wife by her Father on the 18th June 1852, as is shown by the certificate hereto annexed—And The Three children were born while Their mothers were owned by petitioner—

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 Thirty six hundred dollars in money.(3)Mary is a good cook and house servant, capable and willing—is a little lame in one foot but it does not affect her qualifications as a first class servant—Martha and Hester are perfectly sound and healthy good nurses, laundresses and seamstresses, in all respects first-rate servants; The Three children are perfectly sound & healthy, and very promising—Your Petitioner avers That he knows of no moral mental or bodily defect or infirmity, (other than the one above stated) which should impair the value of his claim

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 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 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.