Description
James Keller enlisted at Liberty, Missouri, on January 1, 1864, and was mustered in as a Private in the 67th USCT Infantry, Company C. On November 16, 1866, James M. Keller of Clay County, Missouri, signed claim for compensation #2234 for enlisted slave James Keller and swore an oath of allegiance before Clay County notary public James E. Lincoln in Liberty, Missouri.
Keller claimed he had acquired title to James by "...was born the slave and property of claimant."
Castillian Trabue and Thomas L. Kidd of Clay County testified under oath that Keller had owned James for "a long time" and that Keller was loyal to the U.S. Government and had defended it against the Confederate States of America. Clay County notary public James E. Lincoln in Liberty, Missouri, certified that Keller, Trabue, and Kidd had personally appeared before him and swore an oath to the truth of the claim. Keller gave power of attorney to the law firm of James Craig of St. Joseph, Missouri, to prosecute his claim for compensation. (Numerous Platte County Kellers were enslavers.)Date(s) of Creation
12/16/1866
