Description
William Phillips a/k/a Spratt Hunt enlisted at Leavenworth, Kansas on August 17, 1862, and was mustered as a Private into the 79th USCT Infantry, Company F. Joseph Carreas, Sergeant in Company A, 79th USCT Infantry, appeared before Leavenworth County notary public W. A. Burnheen on November 12, 1866, and made affidavit that "Spratt Hunt went by the name of William Phillips" and Carreas "knew him to be the same person."
On November 13, 1866, Benjamin R. Morton, Administrator of the Estate of David Hunt, deceased, of Platte County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #163 for enlisted slave William Phillips and swore an oath of allegiance before Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt.
Benjamin R. Morton claimed David Hunt had acquired title to William by “…the mother of said William Phillips was the property of said David Hunt, deceased, and the said William Phillips, for whom compensation is claimed for the benefit of the heirs of said David Hunt, deceased, was born the property of said David Hunt, all of which appears by a certified copy of Letters of Administration hereto attached.”
Letters of Administration filed by Benjamin R. Morton identify Mr. S. P. Morton, Mrs. Ann Likins, John G. Sutton, Elizabeth Merryman, David Hunt, Jr., Mrs. H. E. Queen, William H. Hunt, Mrs. Mary F. McClure, and Robert F. Hunt as being heirs to David Hunt's estate. Richard F. Gaines and Franklin Y. Flanary (Flannery) swore under oath on January 4, 1867, before Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt that the Hunt heirs were loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America.
William H. Spratt and Marion Todd of Platte County swore under oath that Hunt had owned William for “10 years." Hugh Swaney and Richard J. Darnall of Platte County also swore oath that Hunt 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 Morton, Spratt, Todd, Swaney, and Darnall had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Benjamin Morton gave power of attorney to the law firm of Chipman, Hosmer & Co. of Washington, DC, to prosecute the claim for compensation.Date(s) of Creation
11/13/1866
