Deposition of Mrs. Catherine A. Anderson

Item

“Deposition of Mrs. Catherine A. Anderson”. First Circuit Court Trial, 1846-1847, 1847, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 6, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/108478

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Filing Name: Deposition of Mrs. Catherine A. Anderson
Description: Deposition of Mrs. Catherine Anderson by Charles Drake, filed May 11, 1847, , her former husband had been stationed at Fort Snelling with Dr. Emerson
Date: 1847-05-10
Is Part Of: First Circuit Court Trial, 1846-1847
Identifier: dre1847.0015.015
Case ID: ccr1847.0000.034
Source: Missouri State Archives - St. Louis
Rights: Public Domain
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Transcription: > Legal Function: deposition

DEPOSITION ~~S~~ of witness ~~es~~ , produced, sworn, and examined, at the dwelling house of William Anderson, No. 90 Myrtle Street in the City and County of St. Louis; State of Missouri, before me, JOHN H. WATSON, Law Commissioner for the said County, in a certain cause now pending in the Saint Louis Circuit Court in the State of Missouri, between Dred Scott, plaintiff, and Irene Emerson, defendant, on the part of the Plaintiff
^ C---- ^ Catherine A. Anderson of the City of St. Louis, of lawful age, being duly sworn and examined on the part of the Plaintiff deposeth and saith:---

I know Dred Scott, Plaintiff in the above case.
During the years1837 and 1838, I knew him as a Slave. at Fort Snelling, at the mouth of St. Peters’ river. on the west side of the Mississippi river. within the Territorial limits of the United States.
Said Scott at this time was held as a slave by a Doctor Emerson, a Surgeon in the United States Army, who was then posted at Fort Snelling. I knew the Plaintiff to be held for only one year by Said Emerson, as a Slave. During that time Said Emerson exercised control over, and used Plaintiff entirely as a Slave. Since that time I have only seen Plaintiff occasionally. I know Harriet, the wife of ~~Plaint~~ Said Dred Scott. ^ X ^ I first knew her at Fort Snelling. She too was a Slave of Doctor Emerson at the Same time that I knew Dred. there. This woman, in the year 1837 was hired to me as a servant by Doctor
Emerson, and was in my family some two or three months.
I knew Said woman for the same length of time that I did ^ Dred. ^ During that whole time She was held in Slavery by Doctor Emerson. When I went to Fort Snelling to live, I found Doctor Emerson posted there. How long he had been there I do not know.
Doctor Emerson. left Fort Snelling, in the fall of 1837, but left these slaves there. hire out. They remained there until April 1838, when they left for the South, -— for Fort Gibson. I think. During the whole time that I knew them at Fort Snelling they were held in Slavery by Doctor Emerson, or by persons to whom they were hired by him.
They were universally known there to be Doctor Emersons Slaves.
At the time that I was at Fort Snelling my name was Thompson. I was then the wife of James L. Thompson, ^ X ^ a Lieutenant in the army of the United States.
The Plaintiffs in these cases are now in St. Louis; and I have been informed and believe, are at W. Samuel Russell’s. I went to Fort Snelling in the latter part of May, or first of June, 1837. and left in May, 1838.

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> Document: Certification of Deposition of Mrs. Catherine A. Anderson

Catherine A. Anderson

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> Legal Function: notarization

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I, Jno. H. Watson, “The Law Commissioner of Saint Louis County”, in the State of Missouri, do hereby certify that Catherine A. Anderson, the deponent, whose place of residence is the City of Saint Louis, in the State of Missouri, was by me Sworn to testify the whole truth of her knowledge, touching the matter in illegible[?]in the Cause aforesaid; that deponent was examin ed[?], and her examination reduced to writing by me, and Inscribed by Said deponent in my presence, on the tenth day of May A.D. 1847, between the hours of 8 o’clock in the forenoon and 6 o’clock in the afternoon, at the residence of William Anderson, No. 90 Myrtle Street, in the City of Saint Louis, in the State of Missouri.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Inscribed my name and affixed my official seal, on this tenth day of May, A.D. 1847.

Jno. H. Watson.

> Legal Function: file record

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Opened & filed My 11th 1847

Jno. Ruland clerk

X

Deposition

Dred Scott.

vs.

Irene Emerson.

Commissioner ~~Leer[?]~~ ^ Fee ^ $1.50.

Paid by Dred Scott

~~Atty. for~~ Plaintiff.

Item sets: Dred Scott Collection; First Circuit Court Trial, 1846-1847