Description
Johnson Cooper enlisted at Fort Scott, Kansas on August 8, 1862, and was mustered as a Private into the 79th USCT Infantry, Company D. On November 30, 1866, Samuel Pepper of Platte County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #298 for enlisted slave Johnson Cooper and swore an oath of allegiance before Weston, Missouri, Court of Common Pleas Clerk William F. Yocum.
Pepper claimed he had acquired title to Johnson when “…that he bought him at the Administrator's sale of affiant's grandfathers in Mason County, State of Kentucky, in the year 1842. That he got no Bill of Sale, the Negro being only a child about 4 years old. That affiant owned him ever since and brought him to Platte County, Missouri in the year 1844. Witness James A. Miller was present at the sale and saw the purchase. And both witnesses know of the ownership, both in Kentucky and in Missouri, having removed to Platte County, Missouri, about the same time as affiant and lived here ever since.”
James A. Miller and James H. Griffith of Weston, Platte County, swore under oath that Pepper had owned Johnson for “20 years." Wilson G. Noble and John Pace of Weston, Platte County, also swore oath that Pepper 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 that Pepper, Miller, Griffith, Noble, and Pace had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Pepper 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
11/30/1866
