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To Col O. Brown, Commissioner for the State of Virginia

Your petitioner Samuel W. Phillips of the County of Elizabeth City, would most respectfully submit the following case.  That the father of your petitioner being a very aged & infirm man, seventy four years of age, and as it was obvious, his home would be in the midst of active military operations, and desirous simply to avoid the troubles and dangers incident to the same, in May 1861 left his farm in the County of Elizabeth City.  That his apprehensions were fully & speedily confirmed by immediate events.  That the father of your petitioner did not abandon his farm with any intention of aiding the rebellion, nor did he do so, in any mode of which your petitioner is cognizant.  That the father of your petitioner died in 1864, & consequently never returned to his home.  That the father of your petitioner did by deed of Gift bearing date, May 16th. 1862, duly recorded, give to your petitioner his farm lying and situated in the County of Elizabeth City and described in the proceedings against the same, as containing Five Hundred acres more or less.  Bounded on the North by the land of Gilbert Phillips, on the east by the land of Liddings & Harris Creek, on the South by the County road, and on the west by the land of H. Elliot, and W. Anderson &c.  Your petitioner would most respectfully represent that the above described boundaries include not only the lands of your petitioners father, conveyed to him by the deed of Gift aforesaid, but also the lands of your petitioner known as "Shepperds" and "Stores"; the former of which has been seized, and is described as containing One Hundred & Twenty acres more or less, and bounded north by the lands of Jno Elliot.  East by the lands of James Phillips, South by the County road, west by the County road - but no legal proceedings have been [[strikethrough]] intistated [[/strikethrough]] instituted against "Stores", which contains One Hundred & five acres.  Your petitioner would represent that the three tracts of land adjoin each other, & make the tract containing Four Hundred & Ninety Five acres - viz.  Two Hundred & Sixty acres conveyed by deed of Gift of your petitioners father.  One Hundred & Thirty in "Shepperds" and "One Hundred & five" in "Stores".  That the tract of Two Hundred & Sixty acres was never abandoned by the father of your petitioner, as the term is defined by your Bureau, & it has never yet come to the possession