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0857

Caroline County Virginia October 26th 1867

To, 
Major General J. M. Schofield,
Commanding the 1st Military District

Your Petitioner George Murray, alias Richarson respectfully represents that he is a Native free Coloured Citizen of Caroline County Virg'a. that a year or more before the commencement of the late Civil War (he believes in 1860) his motherless daughter Ann Murray, alias Richarson then about 9 years of age was bound by the County court of said County as apprentice to one Miss Emily Andrews, to serve until 21 years old to be taught household works needle work &c & to be properly provided & cared for. 

That the said Miss Andrews was then living with her mother Mrs Hortense Andrews & her family, but has been married about five years and moved to the distant home of her husband leaving your petitioner's daughter she said Ann Murray, alias Richarson with the said Mrs Hortense Andrews.  That the said Ann Murray, alias is now about 16 years old and instead of being taught and treated as an apprentice, is made a drudge of, scantily clothed, and in every respect hardly dealt with & poorly provided for:  that she has no chance whatever of improving herself - that since the freeing of the slaves belonging to the family, the said Ann Murray alias has been reduced to slavery from her position as free born. and as the said Mrs. Hortense Andrews & her family refuse to liberate the said Ann Murray, alias Richarson, from this absolute bondage & the courts are slow to grant redress, your petitioner prays your Honor that you will take the case into consideration and grant the necessary relief in such way as may be deemed by you most proper and that you direct your communication of the subject to the care of H.B. Brooke, Central Point, Caroline Co: Va as early as may be convenient, and as in duty bound your Petitioner will ever pray &c. 

George Murray, alias Richarson, his x mark.

Virginia Caroline County to wit:
On this the 28th day of October 1867 before me a Justice of the Peace for the County aforesaid personally came in my said County, George Murray, alias Richarson, whose name is signed in the foregoing petition & who is well known to me & made oath that the statements made in said petition are hereto the best of his knowledge & belief - and I certify that the said alias Richarson George Murray is truthful and his oath worthy of credit.

Jos. W. Ray J.P.

General. When George applied to me to make oath to the above statement I thought it best with his consent to add the words you find interlined "alias Richarson"; for this name he generally goes; nor does he [[?]] whether his daughter was bound as apprentice under  the one name or the other. George himself was not legitimately born - his mother being Murray & his Father Richarson.

Yours Truly
Jos W. Ray

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-11-05 21:34:56