The Petition of VincentVincent other wise called Vincents DuncanDuncan
represents to your honor that he is entitled to his freedom
& that he is held in Slavery in the City & County of the StSt Louis.
LouisSt Louis by one jury a free man of colour who held
your Petitioner for a year from one Caleman DuncanDuncan
who is nowin the State ofKentucky KentuckyKentucky your Petitioner
further states that said Caleman held your petitioner
to said Jury for one year from the 19th day of September last as the agents of John DuncanJohn Duncan of
KentuckyKentucky who claims your Petitioner as a slave.
Your Petitioner further saith that he was the slave
of one DuncanDuncan the father of said John & that
while he was the slave of said some time in the
year 1816 or 1817 according to the last recollection of your
petitioner your petitioner was by the said hired
out to labor in the State of IllinoisIllinois where your petitioner resided &
Laboured by the orders of said until the deathof said
Your Petitioner further saith that from 1816 or 1817
until about the commencement of 1826 your
petitioner by the consent & orders of said
& of his hiers after his death
served & labored in the State of IllinoisIllinois as the a
hired servant & that said issue & his office death
the changes for the hire of your Petitioner.
Your Petitioner further says that about the year 1819
the said issue DuncanDuncan did since which time the
said John DuncanJohn Duncan has your Petitioner as his

Slave claiming your Petitioner as one of the heirs of the
said Your Petitioner therefore prays that he
May by the order of your honor be permitted to
his suit for freedom & prosecute as a
poor person that counsel may be a assigned to him
April 22d 1829

IWilliamWilliam G. CarrCarr Judge of the Circuit CourtsCircuit Court for the
third Judicial Circuit & State of MissouriMissouri being
of Opinion that the above Petition contained
sufficient matter to authorize the commencment
of a suit do order that VincentVincent the above named
petitioner be permitted to sue as a poor person to
establish his freedom & I do assignGustaveAA Bird
BirdA Bird as counsel for the said VincentVincent to command
& prosecute his suit for freedom and do also
order that said VincentVincent shall have reasonable
liberty to attend his counsel & the courts
when occasion may require & Ido order that
that the said VincentVincent shall not be taken or removed
out of the Jurisdiction of said Courts & that he
shall not be to any securitybecause of
his application for freedom

The Petition of VincentVincent
claimed as a slave
by John DuncanJohn Duncan
praying that he may
be permitted to sue
for his freedom

No. 14.
July Term 1829

Executed this writ on JerryJerry Duncan DuncanJerry Duncan May 8, 1829
in city of St LouisSt Louis by reading to him the Declaration, Summons
and order of Judge

Sum $1.00

VincentVincent a free person
vs
JerryJerry other wise
JerryJerry Duncan DuncanJerry Duncan

Action of Apanth
& Battery & false
Impresson
Damages $200

Filed 6th May 1829
ArchibaldArchibald Gamble GambleArchibald Gamble Clerk

The clerk of St LouisCircuit Court
CircuitCircuit Court CourtCircuit Court will
please pay a summons
& endorse
a copy of Judgesorder
on the Summons

by default & writ of page 388
Book 5 page 410
Archd GambleArchibald Gamble Clerk

VincentVincent a free person of Colour by
his attorney complains of JerryJerry a free man of
colour otherwise called Jerry DuncanJerry Duncan of a plea of
trespass to for that hertofore to each on the Seventeenth day of September in the year eighteen hundred & twenty eight at the city of St. LouisSt Louis in said County
the said defendants with force & arms made an assault upon the
said plaintiff & then & there beat buised wounded
& ill treated him the said plaintiff & then & there
imprisoned him the said plaintiff & kept &
detained him in prison there for a long space
without any reasonable or probable cause
whereaboutto court from the said Seventeenth day of September year eighteen hundred & twenty eight untill the commencement of this suit
said plaintiff that before & at the time
of the committing said grievances he was &
still is a free person & that said defendant
held & detained & he still holds & detains
him in slavery wherefore said plaintiff
saith that he is greatly injured & hath
sustained Damages to Five hundred Dollars
therefore he suits &c.

We command you to summon JerryJerry a free man of color otherwis called
Jerry DuncanJerry Duncan that he be and appear before the Judge of our circuit court

at the next term thereof to be held at the city of St. LouisSt Louis within and for the
County of St. LouisCounty of St Louis on the fourth monday of July next then and there to answer
unto VincentVincent a free person of color of a plea of Trespass to wherefore said
plaintiff saith that that he is greatly injured and hath sustained Damages
to Two Hundred dollars and have you then there this writ

I WilliamWilliam C CarrCarr Judge of the Circuit CourtCircuit Court for the third Judicial circuit & State ofMissouri
MissouriMissouri being of opinion that the above petition contains sufficient matter to authorize
the commencement of a suit do order that VincentVincent the above named Petitioner be permitted
to sue as a poor person to establish his freedom & do assign GustavusGustavus A Bird A BirdGustavus A Bird as counsel for
the said VincentVincent to commence and prosecute his suit for freedom and do also order that
said VincentVincent shall have reasonable liberty to attend his counsel and the Court when
occasion may require and I do moreover order that that the said VincentVincent shall not be
taken or removed out of the Jurisdiction of said court & that he shall not be subject to
any severity because of his application for freedom.