Title: Petition of Eleanor B. M. Hilleary and William H. Tuck, 11 July 1862
Date: July 11, 1862
Source Text: A microfilm reproduction of the original document held at the National Archives and Records Administration, Microcopy 520, Reel 6. 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.00880
TEI/XML: cww.00880.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,
Eleanor B. M. Hilleary, and William H.
Tuck, Your Petitioner, administrator of Clement T.
Hilleary, of Maryland by this their 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 four persons of
African descent of the names of Charles West, Robert
Allen, Juliet Coates, &
William Coates, her son for and during the
life of said
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 persons were of the ages of and of the personal description following:(1)
Charles West, about forty years of
age—of black complexion—about five feet nine inches high.
Robert Allen, about twenty one years of
age of dark complexion; about five feet four inches
high—Juliet Coates, about thirty one years
of age of brown or Copper Complexion, about five feet
high—William Coates, about six years of age,
well grown for his age, of brown complexion—He has lost the tips of
three fingers of his left hand—These persons were all at the time of
the approval of said act, and are now as far as these petitioners are
advised, sound in body and mind, (except as to the said William
Coates as aforesaid) and these petitioners know of no moral,
mental or bodily infirmities or defects which impair the value of their
claim to such service or labor, and they believe none whatever to exist,
except as to the said William Coates, as
aforesaid
That your petitioners acquired their claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) These persons, Charles, Robert, and Juliet belonged to Ann T. Hilleary, who died in April 1852, and who had owned them for twenty years, more or less; at her death the title devolved upon her father, Clement T. Hilleary as sole [distributor?], under the laws of Md. He died in 1859, leaving the said Eleanor his only child & [distributor?] who thus became entitled to the negroes aforesaid, and also to the child of Juliet born while the mother was owned by said Clement Hilleary unto the said William H Tuck, is administrator on his Estate, by letters committed to him by the Orphans Court of Prince Georges County, Maryland
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 three thousand dollars in money.
(3) six hundred
dollars in money ($3600.00) that is to say, Charles
1200$—Robert 1200$ Juliet
and her child William $1200, three years ago they would
have brought considerably more. The two men are first rate farm hands for
general work, and are also excellent Teamsters, and for eight years past
Charles has hired for twelve dollars per month, and
Robert at the same rate, for the last four years,
when he began to hire for men's wages. Juliet is a very
valuable servant, being a good X
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.
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
We I, Eleanor B. M. Hilleary
& William H. Tuck
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 our 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 we believe to be true in substance and in fact.
Eleanor B M Hilleary
Will H. Tuck
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 23d. day of May A. D. 1862. before me a justice of the peace of the State of Maryland, in & for Prince Georges County—
A. S. Taft J. P.
I hereby certify that A S. Taft Esquire before whom the aforegoing oath appears to have been made, and who has subscribed the same, was at the date thereof, one of the Justices of the Peace of the said State in and for said County, duly elected, commissioned and sworn, and that his signature thereto is genuine
In Testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court for Prince Georges County this 17th day of June 1862
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.
