Description
Henry Browning enlisted at Leavenworth, Kansas, on March 15, 1863, and was mustered as a Private into the 79th USCT Infantry, Company I. On January 19, 1867, Reuben Browning of Platte County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #263 for enlisted slave Henry Browning and swore an oath of allegiance before Weston, Missouri, Court of Common Pleas Clerk William F. Yocum.
Browning claimed he had acquired title to Henry by “…that he owned him from infancy and raised him; that he was born the slave of affiant.”
Christopher Steele and James A. Miller of Platte County swore under oath that Browning had owned Jack for “all his life." William G. Noble and William Kruser of Platte County also swore oath that Browning was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. Weston, Missouri, Court of Common Pleas Clerk William F. Yocum certified the claim without identifying that Browning, Steele, Miller, Noble, and Kruser had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Browning gave power of attorney to the law firm of James Craig of St. Joseph, Missouri, to prosecute his claim for compensation.Date(s) of Creation
1/19/1867
