Henry, a man of color v. William Morrison
Item
Henry, a Man of Color V. William Morrison. 1834, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 8, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60805
- Case Title
- Henry, a man of color v. William Morrison
- Series
- Freedom Suits
- Plaintiff
- Henry
- Defendant
- Morrison, William
- Date Filed
- 1834-04-30
- Filing Date
- 1834-04-30
- Court Name
- St. Louis County Court
- Court Term
- 1834-11
- Clerk
- Gamble, Archibald
- Justice of the Peace
- Walsh, Patrick K.
- Sheriff
- Walker, John K.
- Brotherton, James
- Cause of Action
- Trespass
- Assault
- Battery
- False Imprisonment
- Case Notes
- Plaintiff, aged 21 years, claimed he was born in St. Clair, IL & taken to Michigan territory in the possession of William Morrisson; claimed after return to Illinois by John Swan of New Orleans, sold to Willis, then returned to Swan; sought $500 damages.
- Case Number
- 19
- Identifier
- ccr1834.06774.006
- Source
- Missouri State Archives - St. Louis
- Rights
- Public Domain
- PDF Download
- Download PDF of all images
- Transcription
-
**Henry, a man of color v. William Morrison**
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**Page 1** (6774_001.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Order*
order permitting suit on Book 7- page 202
In petition is permitted
to sue as [illegible]
*[illegible] [illegible]*
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Filing*
Henry
vs
[illegible] Morison
Petition to sue in
form a [illegible]
*filed April 30th 1834 A Gamble Clk*
---
**Page 2** (6774_002.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Petition*
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] E [illegible] [illegible] of
the in [illegible] [illegible] of St Louis County
Henry [illegible] a [illegible] nor [illegible]
aged twenty one years upon [illegible]to your [illegible]
that he was [illegible] is St [illegible] Illinois North
[illegible] that he has been his [illegible] her
clamed as a slave by an within [illegible]
and [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] is [illegible] that [illegible]
seven or eight years since [illegible] the send [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] your petition [illegible] the [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] by the [illegible] and [illegible]
a [illegible] under the [illegible] of the said William [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] now then
[illegible] [illegible] that the said [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] further be of [illegible] the State of
Illinois [illegible] him and [illegible] [illegible] the send [illegible]
an [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] the [illegible] [illegible] but [illegible]
he the send william [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] - the [illegible] of [illegible] Johnson [illegible]
[illegible] the [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] the but
of the [illegible] of St Louis , that the said I [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] is a slave and [illegible] [illegible] as [illegible]
[illegible] the said [illegible] [illegible] it [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
---
**Page 3** (6774_003.jpg)
[illegible] of [illegible] [illegible] to an [illegible] and
that the said [illegible] lavel and [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] is a [illegible] and that [illegible] two [illegible]
[illegible] the said [illegible] [illegible] again [illegible] [illegible]
of [illegible] [illegible] and [illegible] [illegible] and [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] as a [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] being [illegible] [illegible] he is [illegible]
the [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] is [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] pays [illegible] of the [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] to [illegible] his [illegible] [illegible] freedom
and [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] of
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] the [illegible] the of [illegible]
[illegible] [illegible] not the [illegible] in [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
and authorised by the [illegible]
*Sworn to and subscribed
before me this 1st day of
april AD 1834 Patrick Walsh [illegible] Justice of the peace Henrry his Morrison
mark*
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**Page 4** (6774_004.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Filing*
No 19 Saint Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1834
Henry a man of
color
vs
Morrison & sworn
This is a action of
[illegible] and battery [illegible]
for feud the
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[illegible].
*arthur p q Filed 1st May 1834 Archibald Gamble Clerk*
> *Legal Function: Certificate of Execution*
Executed this writ by reading it & the declaration
to John C [illegible] in the city of St. Louis on the
3rd day of May 1834 William Morrison not found
in my county
| | |
|---|---|
| Service | $ 1.00 |
| [illegible] | 50 |
| | $ 1.50 |
*John K Walker plff by
J Brotherton DS[?]*
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**Page 5** (6774_005.jpg)
> *Legal Function: Complaint*
July term 1834 St Louis of county to [illegible]
[illegible] therefore
and She 6 [illegible] of a [illegible] of the [illegible]
for that this said William [illegible] are
She 6 Swan on the first day of april in
the year 1834 with [illegible] and ensures made
an [illegible] for the sand Henry therefor
to wit at the county of St Louis and the
and this stand the sand Henry a great
many violent [illegible] and standig and [illegible]
and there in furnished the sand Henry
and debt and attained him in [illegible] an
there in attend my [illegible] a [illegible] each
whatsoever be a [illegible] speech of them to wit
for the speech of the days, than next
following [illegible] to can [illegible] against the
with of the sand Henry [illegible] [illegible] And
the sand Henry therefore owns that before and
at the him of the committing the given means
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**Page 6** (6774_006.jpg)
fun and then was and still is a fee person
and the defendents held and obtained him and
stall helds and obtains him in slavery. Whats
[illegible] the said Henry [illegible] her him greatly
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] equal to be et at the
county of St Louis [illegible] and After Henry
them and there did against therefore of teh state and to the danger of the [illegible]
Henry [illegible] Five hundred dollars and
therefore be [illegible] his [illegible]
*[illegible]*
> *Legal Function: Summons*
The State of Missouri
County of Saint Louis ss To the Sherriff of the County of Saint Louis Greeting
We Command you to summon Willliam Morrisson and John @ Swan
that they be and appear before the judge of our Circuit Court at the next Jury
term thereof to the held at the City of St. Louis withinand for the County of Saint
Louis on the fourth monday of July next then and there to answer unto
Henry Morrison a man of color of a plea of [illegible] to the damage of the
sand Henry morrison five hundred dollars and have you then there this writ
*Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Circuit Court at office this first day of May
One thousand and Eight Hundred and Thirty four Archibald Gamble Clerk*
Henry, a Man of Color V. William Morrison. 1834, St. Louis Circuit Court Historical Records Project, accessed October 8, 2026, https://digitalexhibits.library.washu.edu/s/ccr/item/60805