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 Petitioners Joshua A. Ritchie, acting administrator of Lewis Carbury, and Joshua A. and Mary S. Ritchie his wife (late Carbury) Joseph F. Carbury, and Pierce Shoemaker and Martha L. Shoemaker his wife (late Carbury) all of Washington County District of Columbia by this their petition in writing, represents and states, that they are is a personss 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 two negroes or persons of African descent of the name of John Simms and Mary Simms for and during the life lives of said persons 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 John Simms was of the age of eighteen years or thereabouts and of the personal description following:(1) he is in color black, five feet two inches high or thereabouts, stout and able bodied; and said Mary Simms was of the age of twenty years or thereabouts and of the personal description following to wit; she is also black in color, five feet six inches in height, and a stout large woman.

That your petitioners acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) to wit: they belonged to the late Lewis Carbury, to whom the mother of the two had been given by his Brother the present Thomas Carbury; they were family servants and raised in the family of said Lewis Carbury; on the death of said Lewis Carbury they came to your petitioners Joshua A. Ritchie and to James L. Carbury as his administrator, under letters of administration granted by the Orphan's Court of this County; the said James L. Carbury is now absent, and your petitioner Ritchie is the acting administrator; your Petitioner Mary S. Ritchie, wife of said Joshua A. Ritchie, is one of the four children and distributees of said Lewis Carbury. your Petitioner Joseph F. Carbury is another. your petitioner Martha L. Shoemaker wife of said Pierce Shoemaker is another, and said James L. Carbury is the fourth child and distributee of said Lewis Carbury.

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 two thousand dollars in in money. and two hundred dollars in money;(3) namely; for the woman twelve hundred dollars and for the boy one thousand dollars; the woman is a good cook, and general house servant, and the boy is a good hostler and house servant; they are both strong, healthy servants, and free from moral, mental and bodily infirmities or defects; your petitioners know of no such infirmities or defects, and believe none to exist.

Your petitioners hereby declares that they bears true and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that they have has not borne arms against the United States in the present rebellion, nor in any way given aid or comfort thereto.

And your petitioners further states and alleges, that they have has not brought said persons 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 petitioners further states and alleges, that their 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 petitioners prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of their 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.