Ben v. Sabret Scott. Thomas Ray to Richard Ratcliffe Jennifer Guiliano Trevor Muñoz William G. Thomas III transcription and encoding Elizabeth Askren Kaci L. Nash Laura K. Weakly University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Maryland National Endowment for the Humanities 2014 O Say Can You See University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Digital Research in the Humanities
319 Love Library University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, NE 68588-4100 cdrh@unl.edu
oscys.case.0001.007 oscys.caseid.0001 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Derivatives must be credited to O Say Can You See, made available non-commercially, and distributed under the same terms. Requests for permission for commercial publication or other use should be emailed to the project team.

 Thomas Ray to Richard Ratcliffe July 3, 1786 Our transcription is based on a digital image of the original. National Archives and Records Administration Record Group 21, Entry 6 Box 34, Folder 190 Case Papers Exhibit Civil Petition for Freedom June 1811 Allison, William Carroll, Daniel English, John Hepburn, Samuel Ratcliffe, Richard Ray, Thomas Terry Alexandria (Va.) Washington (D.C.) Ben Scott, Sabret United States. Circuit Court (District of Columbia) Washington (D.C.) added xml:ids; trancription reviewed; edited Encoded and transcribed.

Mr. Richard Ratcliffe - Alexandria July 3rd, 1786

Sir

The negro woman named Terry. which you this day have distrained on for Taxes & Levies due you. the favour of you to sell Immediately. together with her son Benjamin as I would not part them on any acct. I give you full power & Liberty to sell them on Friday or Saturday next at the Courthouse in Alexandria. for what they will fetch in ready money. & will Indemnify you for so doing. you returning me the overplush to the discharge of a Debt due from me to a certain Samuel Hepburn. for which I now am in Custody. it will answer the same purpose. & if any overplush shoud. there remain in your hands. it is to be paid to me on my Order. Which will be fully satisfactory to me. & for so doing this shall be your Indemnification.

Signd. Thomas Ray

Rd. Ratcliffe Fairfax

The within signed & acknowledged in the presence of us Signd. Wm Allison John English

(Endorsed) - 1786. July 8th. Recd. of Richd. Ratcliffe the full ballance of sale of the written slaves Terry & Benjamin & Clear him from any further Demands agst. him. Witness my hand Signd. Ths. Ray

Test. Daniel Carroll his x mark

Further Backd. on sd writing Thos. Rays Rect. &c about negro child sold July 8th 1786.