Description
Henry Clay enlisted at Carrollton, Missouri, on December 20, 1863, and was mustered as a Private into the 65th USCT, Company D. 1st Lieutenant Hussey Lewis submitted a statement confirming Henry Clay's enlistment and that Clay was 22 years old born in Platte County, 5 foot 5 inches tall, "high yellow" complexion having joined as a farmer. Lewis said that Clay had served the duration of his enlistment but was discharged due to his death in Morganza, Louisiana on October 5, 1864, of disease.
On December 1, 1866, Alfred W. Hughes of Weston, Platte County, Missouri signed claim for compensation #2205 for an enlisted slave Henry Clay and swore an oath of allegiance before Weston, Missouri, Court of Common Pleas Clerk William F. Yocum.
Alfred Hughes claimed he had acquired title to Henry Clay "...that he bought him from John P. Miller on the 30th day of March 1857 and owned him up to the time of his enlistment aforesaid."
William H. Ballard and E. R. D. Ballard testified under oath that Hughes had owned Henry Clay. William Miller and Daniel S. Leach of Platte County swore that Hughes 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 Hughes, Ballard, Miller and Leach had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Hughes gave power of attorney to the law firm of James Craig of St. Joseph, Missouri. (Alfred W. Hughes, William Ballard, Daniel Leach, William Miller, and William Yocum were all Platte County, Missouri, enslavers)Date(s) of Creation
12/1/1866
