Description
Nelson Doniphan enlisted at Liberty, Missouri, on January 1, 1864, and was mustered in as a Private in the 67th USCT Infantry, Company C. On January 12, 1867, Col. Alexander W. Doniphan of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #2226 for enlisted slave Nelson Doniphan and swore an oath of allegiance before St. Louis County notary public E. S. Sherzer in St. Louis, Missouri.
Alexander Doniphan claimed he had acquired title to Nelson by “…that he was the owner of the mother of said Nelson Doniphan long before the said Nelson was born and at the time of his birth, that he was born his slave and that he never had hired or disposed of him in any manner and that no other person ever owned him.”
On December 6, 1866, Trigg Allen wrote to Alexander W. Doniphan, "I saw Meritson yesterday. He tells me your boy Nelson belonged to Company C, 67th Reg., commanded by Col. Millington and commanded by Captain Hart. Further deponent sayeth not owing to deleterious on RR I did not get home until Friday evening, found all very well. Kindest regards to Cousin Jane."
James H. Moss and Edward M. Samuel of St. Louis County testified under oath that Alexander Doniphan had owned Nelson and was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. St. Louis County notary public E. S. Sherzer certified that Doniphan, Moss, and Samuel had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. (Alexander W. Doniphan was a famous early Platte County pioneer and attorney. Numerous Platte County Doniphans were enslavers.)Date(s) of Creation
1/12/1867
