1839-1869 Platte County, Missouri, Circuit Court Docket
Archive Items Details
Description
Regarding possession of slaves: Philis; Priscella; Ann; Ginney. File also refers to free black man named Elijah Dale. Defendant accused of unlawfully taking slaves from Ray County. Layton Ewell was “seized and possessed of four slaves named Philis and her three children Priscilla Ann, and Ginny” worth $1700.
That after Ewell’s death the slaves were permitted to remain in Ray County without any particular agent to control them.
That some time around December 25, 1853, Defendant Pitt went down to Ray County. That some time around December 25, 1853, Defendant Pitt went down to Ray County and “without the shadow of right or claim to said property” gathered up Ann and Priscilla, leaving behind Philis and Ginny. He brought Ann and Priscilla back to Platte County "where he has held and used them as his own.” From that time, Plaintiff has possessed Philis and Priscilla but Defendant Pitt still has Ann and Ginny. Plaintiff also alleges that Pitt received from a Free slave Elijah Dale, the husband of said Philis, $120 in cash by representing himself as the guardian of the minor heirs of Layton Ewell and hiring out Philis to Dale.
Missouri Archives Judicial Records Historical Database has an on-line record but no scanned case file images. Contact the Missouri State Archives at [email protected] to request files.
Date(s) of Creation
7/29/1853
Other Names and Numbers
Other Names
Name Type
Enslaved
Other Name
Elijah Dale, Free Slave
Name Type
Enslaver
Other Name
Ewell, Layton
Other Numbers
Number Type
Source Citation
Other Number
Missouri State Archives, Judicial Records: (see weblink)
