The Deposition of AdamAdam Smith SmithAdam Smith taken before WilliamWilliam
Carpenter A Justice of the peace within and for the
County of Sangamon and State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois. on the 22nd day July in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and thirty one. at the office of Wm Carpenter in the town
of SpringfieldSpringfield. and County aforesaid. Between the hours
of eight o clock in the forenoon and six oclock in the
afternoon of said day to be read in evidence in a
certain action pending in the Circuit CourtCircuit Court of St Louis
County and State of MissouriMissouri in which VincentVincent (a man of
color) is Plaintiff and James DuncanJames Duncan is Defendant, on the part
of the plaintiff Adam SmithAdam Smith of lawful age being produced
Sworn and examined on the part of the Plaintiff Deposeth
and saith as follows, vis:

Qus 1st Do you know the Plaintiff VincentVincent

Ans Yes I do

Qust 2nd What is his color age and description

Ans he is of a yellow cast, but not a [ mulato, ]
he is from forty to forty five years old. I think
he would weigh about one hundred eighty pounds. about
five feet ten inches high. he has a down cast look.

Ques 3rd Where was he when you first [ know ] him was
he said to be a slave or a free man

Ans I first knew him in HopkinsHopkins County CountyHopkins County KentuckyKentucky
he was said to be a slave, belonging to JesseJesse Duncan DuncanJesse Duncan ,

Quest 4th who claimed him the Plaintiff after the [ deth ]
of JesseJesse Duncan DuncanJesse Duncan of Hopkins CountyHopkins County KentuckyKentucky.

Answr John Duncan John of Jesse Duncan . claimed him
Quest 5th Can you state of whether the plaintiff was ever hired to laber at the salt works claimed him
5th Can you state whether the plaintiff was
even hired to laber at the salt works

in the State of IllinoisIllinois so by whom was he hired there.
where was he first hired there and by whom and
how long was he hired there in all

Answer. From the information of theJesseJesse Duncan DuncanJesse Duncan
he DuncanDuncan had him, VincentVincent , hired at the salt
works [ nere ][ Shawnetwon ] in IllinoisIllinois. In the year Eighteen hundred and eighteen, and in the year
of 1819 and 1820 and 1821 he was hired as said
salt works by John DuncanJohn Duncan son of JesseJesse Duncan DuncanJesse Duncan
In the year 1824 to the best of my knowledge of I saw
VincentVincent at the salt works in this state with a
number of other negros from KentuckyKentucky

Quest. 6th Where did you last see the Plaintiff and
when

Answ I saw him about the first February in the year 1831 and three or four times a year
for four or five years [ preaves ] there to in the
City of St LouisSt Louis, MissouriMissouri.