Title: Petition of Mary A. Edmonston, 12 July 1862
Date: July 12, 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.00901
TEI/XML: cww.00901.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 Petitioner, Mary A
Edmonston of the City
of Washington
District of Columbia by this her petition in writing, represents and states,
that she 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 two persons of
African descent of the name of Caroline
Parker and Marandy Parker for and
during the lives
life of said Caroline
Parker and Marandy Parker
respectively and that by said act of Congress said two slaves 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
Caroline Parker was of the age of twenty years and of the personal description
following:(1)
of a dark brown color—and about five feet in hight—a house servant, a female and said Marandy
Parker of a color nearly black, about five feet two inches in
height and sixteen years of age—a house servant, a female both of said
servants are sound and healthy Your Petitioner does not know of any
infirmity a defect moral mental or bodily tending to impair the value of
said slaves,
That your petitioner acquired her claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said two slaves, in manner following:(2) The said two slaves were born the property of your Petitioner being the children of a slave woman—given her by her fathers will about thirty years ago.—born after she was so given to your Petitioner and while she was her slave—
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said two slaves, was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of fourteen hundred dollars in money.(3)viz Caroline Parker was worth eight hundred dollars and Marandy Parker was worth six hundred dollars.
Your petitioner hereby declares that she bears true and faithful allegiance to the Government of the United States, and that she 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 she has not brought said slaves or either of them into the District of Columbia since the passage of said act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said two slaves was 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 her said claim to the service or labor of said two slaves 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 her said claim to the service or labor of said two slaves 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.
Mary A Edmonston
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss.
I, Mary A Edmonston 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.
Mary A Edmonston
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 10th day of July A. D. 1862.
John S Hollingshead
Notary Public
Mary A. Edmonston
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.
