Caroline Bascom, a mulatto girl v. John Ferguson This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

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 December 24, 1845 December Term 1845

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Caroline Bascom, a mulatto girl v. John Ferguson December 24, 1845 December Term 1845 Bascom, Caroline Ferguson, John Trespass 20 Missouri Superior Court Northern Circuit St. Louis County Court Krum, John M. Rudlond, John Unknown BJ deciphered unclear tags through line 34. BJ deciphered all unclear tags KT removed comment tags, added caseTitle, and moved legalFunction tags CM performed final review of legal encoding Complaint

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Complaint Danue, J.G. Caroline, a mulatto girl Tibeau, Alexis St. Louis County Court To M. Krum of S Louis Circuit Court . The petition of Caroline a mulatto woman of the age of twenty one years, of S Louis County

she believes herself entitled to freedom on the following grounds-

1.That she is the child of a negro woman who was a slave for life in the State of Delaware and subsequently sold to a person, who took her or caused her to be removed to the state of Maryland sometime in the year 1820 - 21 or 22 Contrary to the statues of that state , which as your petitioner is formed liberate all slaves emported therein for for sale . or to reside said Chanty was taken to Maryland about that time to reside & ever since and is now a free woman of that State of :

2. That Chanty was a slave for life is Delawarian, and was sold for a limited period of service then to be free. . and that during that serivce she was removed to Maryland from Delaware- after which your petitioner was born. .

3. That she is the child of Chanty , now a free woman of State of Maryland under said contract of , and your petitioner was born during the residence of the mother in while the said Chanty was serving her term of service after which to be free.

Your petitioner further states that she is now a confinement in the County jail by John H Ferguson of the Estate of Deceased and for no other reasonable cause petitioner believes , an unreasonable Seventy viewof sale and removal.

Your petitioner therefore that the State Court will grant her liberty to live as a free person under the Statutes of this state and such orders be to enable her to sustain her freedom by legal and that the court will protect

x State of Missouri S Louis County

On this 24 day of December 1845 personally appear before Ms. Caroline the party named she is informed and believes of her knowledge -

her x On this 24 of December 1845

appeared Caleb Lockwood of the city of S Louis who states,that he was , a resident of the State of Delaware and after was removed to the State of Maryland and that he knew Chanty woman petitioner and that she was the mother of the petitioner , and that the facts state him to the best of his knowledge thereof and that the statements in reference to the the laws of Maryland and Delaware and the operations thereof is not in this attendant

to reference this 24 december 1845 Order

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Order Krum, John M. St. Louis County

On readings considering the above foregoing petition it is ordered (if the said petitioner shall securing for satisfactory ) 1st that the said petitioner be allowed to her for freedom. -

2. That said petitioner shall be allowed reasonable liberty and allowed her counsel of the Court as and that she be not removed the of the St. Louis Circuit Court and be not subjected to any severity on account of her application for freedom.

Given 26th day of December A.D. 1845

John M Krum Judge St. Louis Circuit Court </titleStmt> <publicationStmt> <p>This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.</p> </publicationStmt> <sourceDesc> <p>The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.</p> </sourceDesc> </fileDesc> <profileDesc/> </teiHeader> <text> <body rend="handwritten"> <div1 rend="vertical"> <pb facs="6822_005.tif" n="005"/> <head> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>Carolinne</supplied> </unclear> a <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied>mulatto woman</supplied> </unclear> <lb/> <abbr>vs</abbr> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>John</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> <persName> <choice> <orig>H</orig> </choice> </persName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <persName> <choice> <orig>Ferguson</orig> </choice> </persName> </supplied> </unclear> </head> <p>The Clerk of <placeName> <choice> <orig>St. Louis</orig> </choice> </placeName> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"> <supplied> <placeName> <choice> <orig>Circuit Court</orig> </choice> </placeName> will </supplied> </unclear> and as<lb/> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"/> </p> <closer> <signed> <unclear rend="written" unit="chars"/> </signed> </closer> </div1> <div1> <pb facs="6822_006.tif" n="006"/> </div1> </body> </text> </TEI> <TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" > <teiHeader> <fileDesc> <titleStmt> <title>Amended Complaint

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Amended Complaint Danue, J.G. St. Louis County Court State of Missouri County of S Louis

Caroline Borcum; a free mulatto woman of the County of S Louis , State of Missouri complains of John H Ferguson of a plea of that the said Ferguson ; defendant, with force of at the County aforementioned on the twenty second day of of December Eighteen hundreed and forty five and maltreated her, said plaintiff and that the said defendant of that said flaintiff and her kept and detained in confinement and prison in the County Jail of S Louis County in said County without any reasonable cause whatever a long four hours, following, and the plaintiff further that before him the that the of the of the grievor as was and State is a free person and that the defendant holds her in slavery contrary to law and the statutes of Missouri in that case to of in that Care the of the in sum of five hundred dollars and therefore she

Atty for Plaintiff Subpoena

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Subpoena Rudland, John St. Louis County Court County Of St. Louis , Ss. The State Of Missouri , To the Sheriff of St. Louis County, Greeting:

We command you to summon John M . Furguson , if he be found in your County, that he be and appear before the Judge of our Circuit Court , on the first day of next term thereof, to be held at the City of St. Louis , within and for the County of St. Louis , on the third Mon-day of April next, then and there to answer unto Caroline Bascom, a mulatto woman of a plea of trespass to the damage of said plaintiff five hundred dollars: And have you then there this writ

Witness, John Ruland , Clerk of our said Court, with the seal thereof hereto affixed, at office, in the city of St. Louis , this twenty sixth day of December in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty five. Jn Ruland Clerk.

I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause.

Witness my hand and seal, at St. Louis , this twenty sixth day of December 18455 security approved Jn Ruland Clerk, On reading & considering the above aforegoing petition, It is ordered (if the said petitioner shall give security for costs, satisfactory to the clerk,

1. That the said Petitioner be allowed to institute her suit for freedom.

2. That said Petitioner shall be allowed reasonable liberty to attend her Counsel & the as occasion may require, & that she be not removed beyond the jurisdiction of the St. Louis Circuit Court not subjected to any severity on account of her application for freedom. Given under any hand this 26th day of December AD 1845. John M Krum , Judge St. Louis Circuit Court . a line copy of the order,

attest John Ruland Clerk.

Executed this wit in the County of St. Louis on the 31st day of December 1845 by offering to read it and the declaration to the defendant, which he refused to hear-Also by reading the said Ferguson the orders of the Judge written

William Milburn Staff By $2.00 No 20. St. Louis Circuit Court April 1846 Caroline Bascom a mulatto woman no Summons John H Furguson

Summons 31st Suit for freedom in $ 500.00

Filed December 26th 1845 John Ruland Clerk 1.00 Mr Lockwood

Dec. 17. 1846. 17p 437.

him to Caleb Lockwood 26 dec 1845

Lockwood Plea

This electronic document is published as part of the St Louis Circuit Court historical records project.

The original document is part of the Missouri State Archives St Louis Circuit Court collection.

 Plea St. Louis County Court St Louis Circuit Court April 1846 Caroline Bascom vs John H Furguson

and the said defendant by his attorney comes and defends the force when and says that he is not guilty of the above to his ways carry or or any part thereof in manner and and has of as said plaintiff has above of complained against him. of this the said defendant himself upon the

In the St Louis Circuit Court 25 April 1846 Caroline Bascom vs John H Furguson

McPherson Atty Filed 25 April 1846 Jn Ruland Clerk