Civil War Washington

To the Commissioners under the Act of Congress Approved 16th April 1862, entitled "An Act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia.

Your Petitioner Dennis Johnston for himself & other heirs of Francis Johnston Sr decd​ by this his petition in writing represents & 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 two persons of African descent of the names of George Quander and Ned Quander, for and during the life of the said George Quander and Ned Quander; and that by the said Act of Congress the said George Quander & Ned Quander are discharged & freed of and from all claim of your petitioner to such service & labor; that at the time of the said discharge said George Quander of the age of 39 years, about 5 feet 8 inches high, brown & heavy made; and the said Ned Quander was of the age of 37 years, brown, short & delicate in appearance. That your petitioner acquired his claim to the aforesaid service or labor of the said George Quander & Ned Quander, by the decease of Francis Johnston Senr who owned them for more than thirty years; that your petitioner's claim to the service or labor of said George Quander & Ned Quander, was, at the time of said discharge therefrom, of the  value of Fourteen hundred dollars each in money.

Your petitioner hereby declares that he bears true & faithful allegiance to the government of the United States, & 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 George Quander & Ned Quander into the District of Columbia since the passage of the said Act of Congress; and that, at the time of the passage thereof, said George Quander & Ned Quander were held to service or labor therein under & by virtue of your petitioners claim for himself & his coheirs to such service or labor.

Your petitioner further states and alleges, that his said claim to the service or labor of the said George Quander Ned Quander 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, for himself and his coheirs, prays the said Commissioners to investigate and determine the validity of their said claim to the service & labor of the said George Quander & Ned Quander herein above set forth; & if the same be found to be valid  that they appraise and apportion the value of the said claim in money, & report the same to the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, in conformity to the provisions of the said Act of Congress.