Description
James Banyan enlisted at Leavenworth, Kansas, on July 20, 1864, and mustered into the Independent Battery, USCT Light Artillery as a Private. On December 1, 1866, John D. Pepper of Marshall Township, Platte County, Missouri signed claim for compensation #162 for an enlisted slave James Banyan and swore an oath of allegiance before Platte County notary public James J. Hitt in Weston, Missouri.
Pepper claimed he had acquired title to James Banyan by "...purchase from the Administrator of the Estate of Notley Duvall at Platte City, Missouri, in the year 1843, at public sale." (Note: Notley Duvall died in April 1852 and John D. Pepper was the Administrator)
James H. Griffith and James A. Miller testified under oath that Pepper had owned James for "10 years." Benjamin Bonifant and J. W. Steele of Platte County swore that Pepper was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. Platte County notary public James J. Hitt in Weston, Missouri, certified that Pepper, Griffith, Miller, Bonifant, and Steele had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Platte County Circuit Court Clerk George W. Belt certified that James J. Hitt was a notary public on December 1, 1866. Pepper gave power of attorney to the law firm of Chipman, Hosmer & Co., Washington, DC, to prosecute his claim.Date(s) of Creation
12/1/1866
