Civil War Washington

To the Commissioners under the act of Congress approved April 16th A.D. 1862, Entitled "An act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia."

Your Petitioner, Henry Kengla of Georgetown 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 nine persons of African descent of the names of Peter Warring, Nathan Brooks, Rebecca Brisco, and the following children of Rebecca viz, Mary, Henry, Joseph, Washington, Martha and Fanny, for and during the respective lives of said named persons: and that by said Act of Congress said persons as before named were discharged and freed of and from all claims of your petitioner to such service or labor that at the time of said discharge said persons of African descent before named were of the ages and of the personal description following, that is to say respectively:

Name	Age	Height Ft​: inchs​.	Particular description &c.
Peter Warring	47 years	5 : 10	Butcher by trade, quite Black.
Nathan Brooks	38 "	5 : 8	" " " " " .
Rebecca Brisco	35 "	5 : 6	Excellent cook, washer & ironer, and mid-wife. In this last is constantly and frequently Employed.
Rebecca's children
Mary Brisco	16 "	5 : 4.	Excellent cook or house servant
Henry Brisco	14 "	4 : 10.	Assists in butchering, black
Joseph Brisco	12 "	4 : 6.	" " " black
Washington Brisco	10 "	4 : 2.	Young, strong & handy.
Martha Brisco	7 "	3 : 10
Fanny Brisco	5 "	3 : 4

That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of persons as before named and described in manner following: by purchase as follows: Peter Warring from Mr. West about year 1855: Nathan Brooks from Peter G. Posey about 1849 and Rebecca Brisco together with Mary, then about one year old, about the year 1847, of Mrs. Clement Smith of Georgetown D.C.: the said Henry, Joseph, Washington Martha, and Fanny Brisco, have been born from the said Rebecca since my purchase of her as aforesaid and while in my service: the bills of sale in the instances mentioned are now in petitioner's possession and will be produced:   that your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said persons as before named and described was at the time of said discharge therefrom of the value of five thousand, nine hundred dollars in money, all and every of said persons being as your petitioner avers, free from all mental, moral or physical defect—so far as his knowledge extends, and two of them were competent butchers: the value in money is estimated as follows: viz: for Peter Warring $800.—for Nathan Brooks $800. for Rebecca Brisco $600: for Mary $1000. for Henry $800: for Joseph $700. for Washington $500: for Martha $400: for Fanny $300: total $5900: this valuation however your petitioner begs leave to state is what he estimates as the cash valuation at the time said act of Congress was approved and is nothing like the real valuation: inasmuch as he was offered more than that for some of them, but that he never sold a slave, and never would sell one—and never intended selling any of them.

Your petitioner hereby declares that he bears true & faithful allegiance to the United States Government 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 further that he has not brought said persons before named and described, or either of them into the District of Columbia since the passage of said Act of Congress, but that at the time of the passage thereof said persons and all of them were held to service or labor therein under 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 described 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 he prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of his said claim to the service or labor of said before named and described persons of African descent herein above set forth: and if the same be found 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.