Tenor Washington v. John Scott, Henry Scott, Jeremiah Johnson

Item

Tenor Washington V. John Scott, Henry Scott, Jeremiah Johnson. 1831, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 8, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60755

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Case Title: Tenor Washington v. John Scott, Henry Scott, Jeremiah Johnson
Series: Freedom Suits
Plaintiff: Washington, Tenor
Defendant: Scott, John; Scott, Henry; Johnson, Jeremiah
Date Filed: 1831-11-16
Filing Date: 1831-11-16
Plaintiff’s Attorney: Strother, George French
Defendant’s Attorney: Bent, John
Court Name: St. Louis Circuit Court
Court Term: 1832-03
Judge: Carr, William C.
Clerk: Gamble, Archibald
Justice of the Peace: Walsh, Patrick K.
Sheriff: Walker, John K.; Brotherton, J.
Cause of Action: Trespass; Assault and Battery; False Imprisonment
Case Notes: Plaintiff born in Virginia; brought to St. Louis by Case M. Gill & sold to Henry Scott; taken to Lebanon, Illinois, by defendant Johnson; sought $500 in damages.
Case Number: 1
Identifier: ccr1831.06746.010
Source: Missouri State Archives - St. Louis
Rights: Public Domain
PDF Download: Download PDF of all images
Transcription: **Tenor Washington vs. John Scott, Henry Scott, Jeremiah Johnson**

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**Page 1** (6746_001.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Petition for Permission to Sue as a Poor Person*

To the honorable William C. Campbell [illegible]
of the circuit court of St Louis County
Your petitioner to [illegible] wash [illegible]
a woman of color [illegible] to your [illegible] that she was here
in the state of Virginia that she was
bought to the city of St Louis and state
of Missouri about two years since by over [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] Gill and sold to [illegible] Henry
Scott , that by and with [illegible] was not of
the said Henry your petitioner was
[illegible] is his [illegible] [illegible] city of St Louis
and [illegible] to [illegible] a [illegible]
state of [illegible] where she [illegible]
with the said [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
twelve months or [illegible] [illegible] that a
[illegible] [illegible] the said [illegible] and
to St Louis county to aside and bought
[illegible] [illegible] with him when she has
[illegible] [illegible] this [illegible] that the saw
[illegible] being [illegible] to [illegible] [illegible]
St Louis [illegible] [illegible] is now [illegible]
by over John [illegible] is now [illegible]
by [illegible] John [illegible] the [illegible] of Henry scott.

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**Page 2** (6746_002.jpg)
[illegible] slave the said about to store to Illinois your [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] facts [illegible] her
to freedom prays [illegible] [illegible] to [illegible] [illegible] her
to institute [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] to [illegible]
for eight to [illegible] and that [illegible]
never well not [illegible] order as the [illegible]
[illegible] to [illegible] her [illegible] the
said [illegible] is [illegible] [illegible]

*Tenor her mark Washington*
> *Legal Function: Affidavit*

St Louis County to wit
This day [illegible] [illegible] a woman
of color personally appeared before [illegible]
a [illegible] of the prace in and for the [illegible]
aforesaid and nofe oath being first duly
[illegible] that the facts [illegible] in the above
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] to the part of her [illegible]
[illegible] and [illegible]

*Sworn to and Subscribed
before me this 15th day of
November AD. 1831 [illegible] [illegible]
Justices of the peace
St Louis County [illegible] her mark Washington*

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**Page 3** (6746_003.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Order Granting Permission to Sue*

State of Missouri
[illegible] [illegible] Circuit to wit
It is hereby ordered that [illegible] Washington on
the foregoing petition be permitted to sue as a poor
person to establish her right to freedom and George
F. Shetter is assigned as her counsel. It is furthermore
ordered that said petitioner, have
reasonable liberty of attending her counsel whenever
it may be necessary that she be not subjected to any severity on account of her application
to institute this suit and that she be not
removed out of the jurisdiction of this court

*Given under my hand this 16th
of November 1831 Will . C. Carr
Judge 3 circuit To the Clerk of the
Circuit Court . St. Louis*

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**Page 4** (6746_004.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Caption*

No 1 March Term 1832
[illegible] [illegible]
petition for [illegible]
permission to sue for
freedom [illegible]

*Filed 16 November 1831 A gamble Clerk [illegible]*

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**Page 5** (6746_005.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Complaint*

In the circuit court of St Louis county
to March Term 1832
St Louis county to wit [illegible] Washington [illegible] a
woman of color who [illegible] by [illegible] of
court complains of Henry Scott . John Scott
and Jeremiah Johnson of a plea of trespass
for that the said Henry Scott , John Scott
and Jeremiah Johns on a the first day
of November in the year of our Lord 1831
with force and arms made an assault upon
the said [illegible] Washington to wit at the
county of St Louis aforsaid and then and
there beat and [illegible] [illegible] her the said
[illegible] [illegible] and than and there a
[illegible] her the said Washington [illegible]
and left and detained her in prison there
without any reasonable or probable [illegible] cause
whatsoever [illegible] for a long term to wit for the space
of fifteen days then next following contrary to
the laws of the county and against the will
of the said [illegible] Washington [illegible] and the said
[illegible] Washington [illegible] that [illegible] and at the
him of [illegible] the aforesaid gave [illegible] [illegible]

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**Page 6** (6746_006.jpg)
^C0^was and still is a free person and that the
defendants Henry Scott , John Scott and Jere
miah[?] then held and obtained [illegible] and still holds
and obtains her in slavery and other ways
to the plaintiff then and there did against [illegible]
of the state and to the damage of
the said plaintiff $ 500 and therefore [illegible]
[illegible] for [illegible]

*[illegible] [illegible] [illegible]*
> *Legal Function: Caption*

Tenor Washignton
vs John Scott & others
This is an action of
trespass for freedom
the [illegible] will [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible]

*[illegible] [illegible] Filed 16th November 1831 Archibald Gamble Clerk*

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**Page 7** (6746_007.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Summons for Henry Scott, John Scott, and Jeremiah Johnson Page 1*

The State of Missouri
County of Saint Louis ss. To the Sheriff of the County of Saint Louis Greeting
We command you to summon Henry Scott , John Scott and
Jeremiah Johnson that they be and appear before the Judge of our
Circuit Court at the next March Term thereof to be held at the City
of St Louis within and for the county of Saint Louis on the fourth Monday
of March next then and there to answer unto Tenor Washington a
woman of color who sues by permission of court of a plea of trespass
to the damage of the said plaintiff Five Hundred dollars and have
you then there this writ

*Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Circuit court at Office this Sixteenth day of
November One Thousand Eight Hundred and
Thirty one Archibald Gamble Clerk*
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Execution*

Executed this writ by reading it and the declaration
to Henry Scott & reading to him the
copy of the order of court 3rd Circuit in the
city of St Louis on the 12th day of January 1832
John Scott & Jeremiah Johnson not found in
my county

*John K Walker Shff
by J . Brotherton [illegible] [illegible] 100 Znq- 100 $ 2.00*

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**Page 8** (6746_008.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Copy of Order*

State of Missouri , Third Judicial Circuit - To wit, -
It is hereby ordered that Tenor Washington
on the foregoing petition be permitted to sue as a poor person to establish her right to freedom
and George F Strother[?] is a assigned as her counsel- it is furthermore ordered that said
petitioner have reasonable liberty of attending her counsel whenever it may be necessary, that
she be not subjected to any severity on account of her application to institute this suit
and that she be not removed out of the Juridiction of this Court

*Given under my Hand
this 16th of November 1831 Will C Carr Judge 3. Circuit A True copy of the order of the Judge A Gamble clerk*
> *Legal Function: Caption*

No 1 Saint Louis Circuit Court
March Term 1832
Tenor Wshington
vs Henry Scott - John Scott
and Jeremiah Johnson
This is an action of trespass for freedom
Read to H Scott 12th Jany

*Filed 16th November 1831 Archibald Gamble clerk*
> *Legal Function: Summons for Henry Scott, John Scott, and Jeremiah Johnson Page 2*

State of Missouri Third Judicial Circuit court to wit, It is hereby ordered that to

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**Page 9** (6746_009.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Plea*

Henry Scott [illegible]
ads Tenor Washington
And now at this day
comes the said Henry Scott by [illegible] his attorney
and defends the force & injury when & c &
Says that he is not guilty of the said
Supposed trespass assault & Battery & false
imprisonment in manner & form as the
said plaintiff hath above in declaring
alleged & of this he puts himself upon
the Country & c

*filed April 29 1832 Bent for deft
A g Clk*

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**Page 10** (6746_010.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Caption*

[illegible] [illegible] Book 6 page 373

*Arch Gamble clerk*
> *Legal Function: Caption Part 2*

No 1 March Term 1832
Henry Scott [illegible]
[illegible]
Tenor Washington
plea not quilty

*filed April 27th 1832 A Gamble Clk*

Item sets: All Circuit Court Records; Freedom Suits Case Files, 1814-1860; Circuit Court Cases