Emanuel Gilbert v. Horatio M. Ward. Petition for Freedom Jennifer Guiliano Trevor Muñoz William G. Thomas III transcription and encoding Steph N. Camerone Kaci L. Nash Laura K. Weakly University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Maryland National Endowment for the Humanities 2015 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.0125.001 oscys.caseid.0125 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.

 Petition for Freedom November 23, 1830 Our transcription is based on a digital image of the original. National Archives and Records Administration Record Group 21, Entry 6 Box 465, Folder 329 Case Papers Petition Civil Petition for Freedom December 1831 Dejean, Peter Dejean, Henrietta Prince George's County (Md.) Washington County (D.C.) Washington (D.C.) Gilbert, Emanuel Ward, Horatio M. Wallach, Richard United States. Circuit Court (District of Columbia) Washington (D.C.) added xml:ids; transcription reviewed; edited encoded

To the Honorable the Judges of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia for the County of Washington

The Petition of negro Emanuel Gilbert humbly represents, that your petitioner was formerly held in bondage by one Peter Dejean late of Prince Georges County in the State of Maryland but now deceased. That the said Dejean Departed this life some time in the year 1822, having first made & published his last will and testament whereby he gave & bequethed your petitioner of his to his wife Henrietta during her life and thereby manumitted and set your petitioner free from and after her decease. That the said Henrietta wife of said Dejean departed this life some time in the year 1823 whereby your petitioner became entitled to his freedom. Your petitioner has nevertheless been ever since held in servitude and is now is held and claimed by one Horatio M Ward; your petitioner therefore prays your Honors to grant and issue the US writ of subpoena &c &c other & further relief as your Honors may deem & proper

Richard Wallach for petitioner

445

Negro Emanuel Gilbert vs Horatio M. Ward

Petition

Filed 23 Nov 1830