Title: Petition of James Selden, 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.00909
TEI/XML: cww.00909.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, James Selden
of Washington City DC 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 [no handwritten text supplied here] persons of African descent of
the name of Jim,
George, Charlotte,
Anne, Anne's
children—namely Louisa, Jim,
and John Lincoln, Eliza, the wife
of Robert Carter
(cold) and Susan, for and during the life of
said persons of Africa descent, 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 Jim was of the
age of about fifty seven years and of the personal
description following:(1)
of ordinary color of negroes, very stout, strong and
active, but of low stature, and a superior farming hand, worth $500.
George, about the same color of
Jim, about twenty seven years old, tall stout and
active, a fine house servant and carriage driver, worth $1500.
Charlotte, about the same color, about sixty years
old, a good cook, washerwoman and nurse, but of low statue, worth $250. Anne, worth $500, the wife of
Jim, of a dark color, strong, compact and well
formed, a good cook, chamber maid and nurse, about forty two years old,
& the mother of Louisa, (who when the deed of trust from Col
Wm Selden for the benefit of Lt
Geo L Selden was made was a sucking baby) a very
superior child, like her father Jim, about eight years
old now, and worth $400. Jim, the son of
Jim and Anne, about four years
old, and John Lincoln son of said
Jim and Anne, born a few days
only before 
the Act of
16 April 1862 was passed: the two boys
worth about $350. Eliza, a mulatto woman about fifty
seven years old, a [superior cook?], nurse &c worth $400. And
Susan, a mulatto woman about forty years old,
strong & well formed, worth $600.
That your petitioner acquired [no handwritten text supplied here] claim to the aforesaid service or labor of said persons in manner following:(2) About ten years ago, colo [illegible] Willm Seldon, of Washington City, borrowed seven thousand dollars of Lt Geo L. Selden now in the UState Navy, and, in 1855, gave to the said Geo L. Selden's trustees, of whom your Petitioner is the only acting one, a deed of trust upon the persons described in this Petition, to [secure?] to the said Geo. L Selden payment of the debt: as will appear by that deed, an extract from which, headed Wm Selden & wife to [Nutt?], McLean & Selden, and no I is herewith filed, duly certified.
That your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said slaves or servants was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the value of four thousand dollars in money.(3)That your Petitioner is not aware of any defects of infirmities in any of the said slaves or servants, and does not believe that any exists.
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 slaves, or persons, or any 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 slaves or persons 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 his said claim to the service or labor of said slaves or 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 petitioner prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of his said claim to the service or labor of said slaves or 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.
Wm Selden
James Selden,
as Trustee for Geo. L. Selden
Wm Selden's
Certificate
May 5 1862
This is to certify that through inadvertince merely the name of Susan, (a mulatto woman about forty or forty two years old, whom I purchased of Mrs Anne Safford, of Wood County, Virginia, and who got her from the estate of her brother Genl Alexander Hunter, once Marshal of this District) was not included within the deed of trust to which, in 1855, I executed to Messrs Nutt, McLean & Selden, to secure to Lt Geo Loyall Selden, the payment of seven thousand dollars, with interest, which money I owed him, and for which I have given him my Bond
And, inasmuch as I then owned Susan, had here in my possession here, and had promised to convey my slaves generally, so I always considered myself bound in honor to give to Lt Selden and his trustees the same right and title to Susan that they had to the other slaves. And my desire is now that in any action of the commissioners upon the Petition which Lt Selden, or any one for him, may present to the Commissioners under the act of the 16 of April last, they may dispose of Susan as a part of the slaves that Lieutenant held valid right to
Wm Selden
Witness
James Selden,
It is proper to state that George, too, one of the servants, conveyed in trust to Lt Selden's trustees has lately gone away to parts unknown, and can not be produced
Wm Selden,
To
Wm. D. Nutt
Anthony McLean
& James Selden
To
William D. Nutt
Anthony McLean
& James Selden
Conveying to the said parties of the Second part, and the Survivors or Survivor of them his heirs and assigns all those [pieces?] or parcels of land lying and being in the County of Washington and District of Columbia, being part of the property Known as the Old [Racefield?], and owned by William Holmead, which pieces of land containing in all about Seventy acres more or less were purchased from the said William Holmead and his wife, and from Charles Payne and his wife, as will more fully appear by reference to their deeds to the said William Selden recorded among the Land Records of said Washington and being the same place where the said William Selden has for several summers lately resided.—
And the said parties of the first part have in Consideration of the Sum of
of five dollars to them
in hand paid by the said parties of the second part, the receipt of which
they do hereby acknowledge, have granted bargained and sold and delivered,
and by these presents do grant bargain sell and deliver unto the said
parties of the second part and the Survivors or Survivor of them, his
Executors administrators and assigns, all and Singular all the Stock,
poultry, Slaves and farming utensils now on the place, Consisting of one Bay
horse, one bay mare, one Sorrel Mare and one Sorrel filley, and all and Singular the goods and Chattels, household Stuff,
furniture and Kitchen utensils, One negro man named
Jim, about fifty years old, George
a negro man about twenty years old; Charlotte a negro
woman about Sixty years old; Charlotte a mulatto woman
about Sixty five years old; Ann a black woman about
thirty five years old with her sucking baby, and Eliza,
a mulatto woman about fifty years old, the wife of Robert
Carter, and all Slaves for life. To Have and To Hold the said
pieces and parcels of land and promises [within?] the [appurtenances?], and all and Singular
all the said goods and chattels, stock, poultry, furniture and slaves unto
and to the use &c &c—
In Trust, to secure the payment of seven Thousand dollars to George
L. Selden of 
the United States Navy, borrowed money.
[Form of the Oath for the Verification of the Petition.]
Washington County, ss. July 11th 1862
I, James Selden, Trustee for Geo L Selden, 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.
Jas. Selden,
Wm Selden
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 12th day of July A. D. 1862.
[L. S. S. Stead?]
J. P.
Subscribed and sworn to by William Selden before me this 26th day of December AD 1862
Wm R. Woodward
clerk &c
Trustee for
George L. Selden
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.
