Title: Petition of Rachel A. M. Tolson and John E. Turtow, 28 June 1862
Date: June 28, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 5. The original document is held in the Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, 1775–1978, National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 217.6.5. Within the National Archives' Archival Description Catalog, see ARC Identifier 4644616 / MLR Number A1 347 (http://arcweb.archives.gov).
Civil War Washington ID: cww.00796
TEI/XML: cww.00796.xml
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, Rachel A. M. Tolson (formerly
Turtow) and John E. Turtow
Executors of the last will of William H. Turtow Jr late of Prince Georges County
Maryland [the said Rachel now
residing in the District of Columbia by this
there petition in writing, represents and
states, that they are
is a persons 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 the persons hereinafter named persons of African descent of the name of Ellen Green, William
Green, Nancy Green, Gassaway
Green, Leona Green, John
Ludlow
Eliza Gray, Henny Gray,
Grace Gray;—Orlando
Gray, Walter Gray, Reverdy
Gray, John Asberry Gray,
Caroline Gray, Charles Gray,
and Isaac Taylor for and during the
lifves of said persons respectively, and
that by said act of Congress said persons were each and
every of them discharged and freed of and from all claim of your
petitioner to such service or labor; that at the time of said discharge said
persons were of the ages of [no handwritten text supplied here] and of the personal description
following:(1)
To wit. the said Ellen Green about
5 feet 2 inches high, 38 or 39 years old: black healthy, a good, cook,
washer and ironer: William Green 5 feet 1 inch high: 16
years old; black; healthy; a good farm hand: Nancy
Green, 4 ft 11 inches high; 14 years old; black, healthy a
good house servant: Gassaway Green, 4 feet 6 in high,
12 years old: black, healthy, a good house servant: Leona
Green 2 feet 10 inch high: healthy: 3 years old; black:
John Ludlow, about 5 ft 6 in high; about 51 years
old; black; general health good, but subject to occasional attacks of
Rheumatism good farm hand: Eliza Gray, about 5 ½
feet high: about 37 years old. Mulatto: healthy, good house or field hand:
Henny Gray about 4 ft 10 inch high: mulatto; aged
13 years. good house servant healthy: Grace Gray. 4 ft
6 inch: Black: 11 years old, healthy good house servant: Orlando
Gray 4 ft 2 in high black. healthy, 9 years old, good house
servant: Walter Gray. seven years old, dark mulatto, abt 3 ft 10 in high, health good. Reverdy Gray; 3
years old, dark mulatto at 3 feet high. health good. John Asbury
Gray, 2 years old, dark mulatto, healthy; Caroline
Gray. Bright mulatto, 5 ft 2 in high. abt 17 years old, healthy good house servant: Charles
Gray, very bright mulatto, abt 8 months old. Isaac Taylor, Black, 19 years
old. 5 ft 3 in high, healthy, good farm hand
That your petitioners acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) by the will of the late William H. Turtow Jr: of Prince Georges County a copy of which they file herewith
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 nine thousand dollars in money.(3)Your petitioners speaking from their own personal knowledge say these are a very valuable lot of servants, and they know nothing to detract from their full market value as honest, trusty capable, and healthy servants
Your petitioners hereby declares that
they bears true and faithful
allegiance to the Government of the United States, and
that they have 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 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.
THE STATE OF MARYLAND,
KNOW YE that the last will and testament of William H. Turtow Jr of Prince George's County, deceased, hath in due form of law been exhibited, proved and recorded, in the office of the Register of Wills for said County, a copy of which is to these presents annexed, and administration of all the goods, chattels and credits of the deceased, is hereby granted and committed unto Rachel A. M. Turtow and John E. Turtow the Executors by the said will appointed.
WITNESS George W. Wilson Chief Justice of the Orphan's Court for Prince George's County, this fifth day of September in the year 1855
Test: William A. Jarboe
Register of Wills for P. G. County, Md.
In the name of God, Amen: I William H. Turtow of Prince George's County in the State of Maryland being sick and weak in Body but of sound disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shal please God to call me hence. Do therefore make and publish this my last will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say: First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God, and my Body to the Earth, to be decently buried at the discretion of my Executors hereinafter named. And after my debts and funeral charges are paid my will and desire is that my Real Estate on which I reside, it being part of the Vineyard and called by me the Vineyard containing three hundred three and one fourth acres of Land more or less, shal be sold by my wife and John E. Turtow, who I appoint my lawful trustee, within sixty days after my death, for which they shall have a fair compensation from my estate. The land I wish sold at publick action to the highest bidder, on a credit of ten years. The purchaser giving bond with good and sufficient security approved by my Trustees, for the payment of the purchase money, and the Interest shall commence on the day the purchaser takes possession which Interest shall be paid annually thereafter to my Trustees, together with all of the purchase money when due.
It is my will and desire that all my servants shall be hired out by my Executors herein after named.
It is my will and desire that my dear wife shall have the first choice of
them for her service annually, and at a hire set on them by my Trustees which
shall be less than they would hire for. The ballance of my servants to be hired out by my Executors to whom they may
approve of by selecting 
for
them good homes. The hires of said servants to be secured by bond and good
security approved of by my Executors, and to be paid at the expiration of
each year as funds to the estate. And if any of my servants shall be unruly
or ungovernable then I will and desire that my Executors shall have full
power to sell them, the proceeds to go to my estate for the use of my
hires.
I will that my stock, farming utensils and kitchen furnature with the crop then on hand shall be sold at publick action to the highest bidder by my Executors at a suitable time after my death for cash or exceptances in Baltimore at six months approved by my Executors, no property to be delivered until the terms of sale have been complyed with My Will and desire is that my dear Wife and children shal have a genteel support from my Estate during her single or natural life. My Will and desire is that my children shall have a good education at the discretion of my Executors or their Guardiene.
My will and desire is that my dear Wife shall have the legal portion of my Estate during her natural or single life should she desire it. And if my Wife should Marry Then my will and desire is that she shall have one child's portion of my whole Estate. My reason for making such a division is that my Wife wil have property coming to her which I have no control over.
I have my Father's draft drawn in my favour on Mr Neal of Baltimore and excepted by Mr Neal, which Draft I desire shall not be collected during my Father's life provided he renews said Draft yearly. I have Mrs Susanna Mudd's Note which I wish to have renewed with good security. Then I desire she shall have five years to pay it in, if wanted.
I will and desire that all the surplus money arising from my Estate shall be
loaned out by my Executors, the payment and Interest thereon secured by good
and sufficient unincumbered landed security approved by my Executors. I give and bequeath to
my Dear Wife and children all, or 
any part of my household furnature she may select for the use of herself and my Dear children, one
carriage and a pair of horses to be theirs at the day of my Death.
I give and bequeath to my dear wife and Children sixteen hundred dollars at six and twelve months after my Death for the purpose of building a house for their use.
And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my Dear Wife Rachal and John E. Turtow my Executors of this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me heretofore made ratifying and confirming this and none other to be my last will and Thestament
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this sixth day of August in the year of our Lord one Thousand eight Hundred and fifty five
Wm: H. Turtow seal
Signed, sealed, published and declared by William H. Turtow the above named testator, as and for his last Will and Thestament in the presence of us, who at his request, in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as witnesses thereto
Zadock Robinson, Benjamin F. Turtow, Geo: Webster
Sept 3rd 1855
Then came Zadock Robinson, Benjamin F. Turtow and Geo: Webster the subscribers, witnesses to the within and foregoing last will and testament of William H. Turtow Jr late of said county, deceased, and made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God, that they did see the Testator herein named sign and seal this will and heard him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament; that at the time of his so doing, he was to the best of their apprehensions of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding and that they respectively subscribed their names as witnesses to this will in the presence of the Testator, at his request and in the presence of each other
I William A. Jarboe Register of Wills for said county in said state do hereby certify that the foregoing will is truly taken and copied from the original now on record in my office
In Testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand and affix the seal of the Orphans Court of Prince George's County this 24th day of November A. D. 1855
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
We Rachel A M Tolson (Formerly Turtow) she of the Executors of Wm H Turtow being duly sworn, do depose and say, that all the several matters and things which are set forth and stated in the foregoing petition, as of my own knowledge, are true in substance and in fact; and that all the several other matters and things therein set forth and stated, as from the information of others, I believe to be true in substance and in fact.
Rachel A M. Tolson
Jno. E. Turtow
Executors of Wm. H. Turtow Jr.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 28 day of June A. D. 1862.
Jas. Cull J. P.
Washington County, to wit:
I, John E. Turtow Executor of Wm. H. Turtow being duly sworn do depose and say, that all the several matter and things which are set forth and stated in the foregoing petition, as of my own knowledge are true in substance and in fact; and that all the several other matters and things therein set forth and stated, as from the information of others, I believe to be true in substance and in fact.
John E. Turtow
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 28th day of June 1862.
F. I. Murphey J. P.
Note (1.)-- Here describe the person, so as to identify him or her; and if there be more than one slave, describe each one separately.
Note (2.)-- 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.
Note (3.)-- 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.
