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, Clark Mills
of Washington County 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 six male and five
female persons of African descent of the
names of Lettie Howard and her children
Tilly, Tom,
Elick, Jackson,
George, and Emily;
Levi Thomas, Rachel Thomas,
Ann Ross, and Philip
Reid, for and during the lifes of said eleven persons, and that by
said act of Congress said eleven 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 eleven
persons were of the ages
of and of the personal description following:Here describe the person, so as to identify him or
her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each one
separately.
viz: Lettie Howard, 33 years old,
color black; short and thick set—healthy: her six children,
Tilly, 10 years, Tom, 8 years,
Ellick, 6 1/2 years, Jackson,
5 years, George, 3 years, and
Emily, 3 months old, all black color, sound and
healthy; Levi Thomas, 59 years old, black color, over
six feet high, a large leg, rather stiff, but sound and in good health;
Rachel Thomas, his wife, 49 years old,
mullatto
mulatto
color, healthy, very large, weighs about 200 pounds; Ann
Ross, 48 years,
mullatto
mulatto
color, about five feet seven inches high, rather slim make, and in
good health; and Philip Reid, aged 42 years,
mullatto
mulatto
color, short in stature, in good health, not prepossessing in
appearance, but smart in mind, a good workman in a foundry, and has been
employed in that capacity by the Government, at one dollar and twenty five
cents per day.
Your Petitioner is not aware that any of above possess
any moral, mental, or bodily infirmities that impair their value; and does
not believe that any such exist; except that mentioned in regard to the
stiff leg of Levi Thomas.
That your petitioner acquired his claim to the
aforesaid service or labor of said eleven persons
in manner following: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.
Lettie Howard and her child
Tilly were purchased from Peter
Havermen some 8 or 9 years ago for eight hundred dollars, and
her five other children were born since. Levi Thomas
and his wife Rachel, he purchased in
Baltimore about the same time, and paid nine
hundred and fifty dollars for them; Ann Ross he
acquired by his Wife; and Philip Reid he purchased in
Charleston, S. C. many years ago when he was
quite a youth. He bought him because of his evident talent for the business
in which your Petitioner was engaged, and paid twelve hundred dollars for
him. His papers having been burnt some years ago, he has no record evidence
of his title.
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said eleven persons was, at the time of said discharge
therefrom, of the value of (see below) dollars in
money.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.
(See preceding page)
Lettie Howard, |
seven hundred dollars. . . . . |
$700.00 |
Tilly Howard, |
five hundred dollars. . . . . |
500.00 |
Tom Howard, |
five hundred dollars. . . . . |
500.00 |
Ellick Howard, |
four hundred dollars. . . . . |
400.00 |
Jackson Howard, |
two hundred & fifty dollars. . . . |
250.00 |
George Howard, |
One hundred & fifty dollars. . . . |
150.00 |
Emily Howard, |
fifty dollars. . . . . . . . . |
50.00 |
Levi Thomas, |
three hundred dollars. . . . . |
300.00 |
Rachel Thomas, |
four hundred dollars. . . . . |
400.00 |
Ann Ross, |
five hundred dollars ($500. . .) . . |
500.00 |
Philip Reid, |
fifteen hundred dollars. . . . . |
1,500.00 |
|
|
$5,250.00 |
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 eleven persons
into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and
that, at the time of the passage thereof, said eleven
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 eleven 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 eleven 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.
(Signed by)
Clark Mills