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, George W. Hatton of Washington City 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 Lethee Bowie & her child John Bowie persons of African descent of the names of Lethee Bowie & John Bowie for and during the life of said Lethee Bowie & John Bowie and that by said act of Congress said Lethee Bowie & John Bowie 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 Lethee Bowie was of the age of forty five years & of the age of the said John Bowie of the age of three years and of the personal description following:(1) to wit. Lethee Bowie of black complexion, five feet & seven inches in height,—has a scar on the right foot, below the instep, caused by the cut of an axe, & also a scar on the left wrist caused by a cut:—John Bowie is a male mulatto, & the child of the above named woman, Lethee, & is two feet & seven inches in height.

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said Lethee & John Bowie in manner following:(2) to wit, by purchase from B. O. Sheckells, for & in consideration of the sum of six hundred & fifty dollars paid by your petitioner to said Sheckels, on the 25th day of September, A. D. 1856, as will more fully appear by reference to the receipt from said Sheckells, bearing date the 25th Sept. 1856, & herewith exhibited, & marked "Exhibit A," & which your petitioner prays may be taken & considered as part of this petition & as evidence of your petitioner's title to said Lethee & John, etc. &c.

That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said Lethee & John Bowie was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of five hundred dollars in money.(3)The said Lethee & John Bowie are both perfectly healthy & sound in body and mind. The said Lethee has not to my present recollection lost as much as one day from sickness, since I have owned her except the usual time of lying in at the birth of said John, who, is not the child referred to in said receipt from Sheckels, that child being in Maryland & this one, (John) having been born since I purchased the mother, Lethee. The said Lethee is a good, faithful servant, & can do all sorts of work in a house or family

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 Lethee & John Bowie into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said Lethee & John Bowie wasere 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 Lethee & John 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 Lethee & John Bowie 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.