Description
Jerry Dressin enlisted at Fort Scott, Kansas, on August 8, 1862, and was mustered as a Private into the 79th USCT Infantry, Company A. On October 31, 1866, Smith Calvert of Platte County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #11 for enlisted slave Jerry Dressin and swore an oath of allegiance before Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt.
Calvert claimed he had acquired title by “…the mother of said Jerry Dressin belonged to the said claimant, and the said slave Jerry Dressin was born and remained up to the date of his enlistment the slave of said claimant.”
Thompson Owens and C. A. Skillman of Platte County swore under oath that Calvert had owned Jerry for “20 years" and Arnold Chance and John Miller of Platte County swore oath that Calvert was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt certified that Calvert, Owens, Skillman, Chance and Miller had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Calvert gave power of attorney to the law firm of Chipman, Hosmer & Co. of Washington, DC, to prosecute his claim for compensation. (Numerous Platte County Calverts were enslavers.)Date(s) of Creation
10/31/1866
