Your petitioner
John by his friend MargarettMargarett represents
to your honour that his mother was born at
in the state of MissouriMissouri where she remained some time
and was then taken to the State of IllinoisIllinois about fifteen
years since and during her residence there your peti
tioner was born between twelve and thirteen years ago
that he with his mother or a short
time after his birth were taken to the State of Miss
ouri where they remained about one year and were
taken again to IllinoisIllinois and to in said State
where your petitioner was sold and has ever since
remained until brought to the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis a few
days since by William CampbellWilliam Campbell who has for several
years past and does now hold and restrain your
petitioner as a slave your petitioner further
to that said CampbellCampbell as he says is on his way to
with your petitioner to WashingtonWashingtonCity but he
has reason to fear he may be him to
New OrleansOrleans for sale- Therefore your petitioner says
he may be permitted to sue as a poor person that
he may establish his right to his freedom and tho
such other and further orders may be made in the
premises as the Law and as to your Honor
sum meet

This day personally appeared before
me Partrick Marsh of the peace withinand
for the County of St. LouisCounty of St Louis and State of MissouriMissouri
a woman of lawful age who being duly sworn upon
his oath days that the facts stated in the above petition
are true

It is hereby ordered that the within named
petitioner John be permitted to sue as a poor person
by his next friend to establish he his
right to freedom and Stephen WStephen W . Foreman is assigned
as his counsel. It is moreover ordered, that the
said John have reasonable liberty to attend
his counsel when occasion may require, and
that he be not subjected to any severity on
account of his application for freedom, nor
removed out of the jurisdiction of this court
pending the suit

John a minor of Color by his friend
Marganett Complains of WilliamWilliam Compbell of
a plea of tresspass Vi etamis for that the said WilliamWilliam
Compbell on the seventeenth day of November in the
year Eighteen hundred thirty one with force and
arms made an assault upon the said John at the CountyCounty of St Louis
of St LouisCounty of St Louis in the State of MissouriMissouri and then and there
beat bruised and ill treated him the said John and then
and there kept an him the said John in prison with
out any reasonable or probable cause for a long
time to wit for the space of twenty four hour there
next following; and nevertheless the said John avers
that before and at the time of committing the

aforesaid greveances he was and now is a free
person and that the said CampbellCampbell then held and detained
him and still holds and detains him in slavery con
trary to the laws of the land and against the will
of the plaintiff and other wrongs the said Cam
pbell then and there did to the said John against the & of the State & to his
damage wherefore the said John saith that he is injured
andhath sustained damage to the amount of five hun
dred dollars and therefore he sues &C

We command you to summon William CampbellWilliam Campbell that he be and
appear before the Judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court at the next March term
thereof to be held at the City of St LouisCity of St Louis within and for the County ofCounty of Saint Louis
Saint LouisCounty of Saint Louis on the fourth Monday of March next then and there to
answer unto John a minor of color by his next friend Margaret Sarpee
of a plea of trespass wherefore the said John saith he is injured and
hath sustained damage to the amount of Five hundred dollars and
have you then there this writ

Served this writ on WmWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell
the defendant by reading it & the
declaration to him on 19th day of November 1831 in the city of St LouisSt Louis
I also read to him the petition &
the of the Judge reason
at the time

It is hereby ordered that the within
named petitioner John be permitted to sue as a poor person by Margaritte Sarpee
his next friend to establish his right to freedom and Stephen WStephen W Foreman is assigned
as his counsel- It is moreover ordered that the said John have reasonable liberty to
attend his counsel when occasion may require and that he be not subjected to any
severity on account of his application for freedom nor removed out of the Jurisdiction
of this court pending the - Given under my hand this 19 of Nov 1831WillWill C CarrCarr

John
vs
William CampbellWilliam Campbell

The Clerk well
a in

We PatrickPatrick Walsh WalshPatrick Walsh and PeterPeter FergusonFerguson two Justices of
the peace within and for the County of St LouisCounty of St Louis aforesaid in the StateMissouri
of MissouriMissouri, Command you that the body of John a Coloured
boy, in the gaol of the said County, under your
detained, under and Secure Conduct, together with the
day and the Cause of his being taken and detained by whatsoever
name
the said John may be charged in the
Same, you have before us at the office of PeterPeter FergusonFerguson
in the City of St LouisCity of St Louis in said County, on the twenty first day of November instant, then and there to do, Submit
and receive, whatsover we shall consider, in that behalf
Witness over hands and Seals this 20th day of November A.D. 1831

26

31

25

82

4

248

31-

13

31

25

19

3

207

25.87

writ HabeasCorpus

The within named John a Colored
boy is not forced in my county
20th nov 1831

And the said defendant by
his attorney comes & defends the force &
injury when &.C. & says he is not guilty of the griev
ances above in said declaration laid to his charge &
in manner & from as the said plaintiff hath above
alleged & of this he puts himself upon the county
&.C.

And the plaintiff the like

John
vs
WmWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell

plea
not guilty

Submission & Judgment for plaintiff Book 6 page 477

25

578

25

12

118

576

You Are Hereby Commanded To Summon Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin & ElizaEliza TiffinTiffin
that setting aide all manner of excuse and delay, they be and appear in proper person
before the Judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , on the Sixth day of August next
at the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis, then and there to testify and the truth to a in a certain matter of
controversy now pending in our said Court, wherein John is
plaintiff, and William CampbellWilliam Campbell
is defendant, on the part of the plaintiff
and have you then there this writ.

John
vs
William CampbellWilliam Campbell

Executed this writ on ClaytonClayton Tiffin
TiffinClayton Tiffin the 16th, on ElizaEliza
TiffinTiffin the 21st day of July 1832 in the city
of St. LouisSt Louis

William CampbellWilliam Campbell or his
attorney SpaldingSpalding will take notice that
I will on Saturday the fourteenth Instant between
the hours of Eight O. clock in the morning and
six o clock in the evening of said day at the
office of John CEsq in the Town and state
of IllinoisIllinois and County of St to
take the deposition of witness to be read in
evidance we the above case on the part of the
plaintiff

John
vs
WmWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell
Notice
to take
Deposition

a true copy of this
notice was delivered
to Josiah SpaldingJosiah Spalding
in the city of St LouisSt Louis
on the 9th day of July 1832William CampbellWilliam Campbell
not found

We, reposing special trust and confidence in your intergrity and circumpection, do require and command you that you cause
to come before you such person or persons as shall be named to you by John (a boy of color) or by WilliamWilliam Campbell
CampbellWilliam Campbell their attorney or agent, and him or them examine upon
his, her or their corporal oath (to be by you administered) touching their knowledge of any thing that may relate to a certain matter
of controversy, now pending in our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , for the county of St. LouisSt Louis, wherein John is
plaintiff and William CampbellWilliam Campbell is
defendant on the part of the Plaintiff and having so reduced the said depositions so taken by
you as aforesaid into writing, you are required to send the same, together with this commission, enclosed under your seal, to our
said Circuit CourtCircuit Court , with all convenient speed.

Depositions of witness produced sworn and examined at my
office in the town of IllinoisIllinois in the County of St. Clair
and State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois before me John C. SmithSmith an
acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County
in a certain case now depending in the Circuit CourtCircuit Court
of St. Louis County & State of MissouriMissouriwherein John
(a boy of Color) is plaintiff & William CampbellWilliam Campbell
is defendant on the part of the plaintiff
FrancisFrancis of lawful age being produced sworn
and examined on the part of the plaintiff deposeth and
sayeth as follow to writ

question By plaintiff
Doe you no whareSuset the mother of John
a boy of was born

Anwer yes she was born in St. Gineveave in the teritory of
MissouriMissouri now state of MissouriMissouri

Question doe you no how she came to this state

Answer yes she was brought to this state by my farther
Nicholas Garett he receved her as a part of his legesee from
my Grandmother Beauvois and John was born in this state
and never was thaut to be a slave any longer than until
he was twenty one year oldSuset was sold at my
farthers sale in 1820 as well as I recolect and Robert
McCracker bought them and sold them Suset & John
to Louis PensinoSenior

Question did you see this boy John the sun of Suset in the
posesion of William CampbellWilliam Campbell in County state
of IllinoisIllinois

Anwer - I saw John in the posesian of William CampbellWilliam Campbell
at galina County State ofIllinois
IllinoisIllinois and William CampbellWilliam Campbell told me that he had bought
him John and asked me if John was a slave for life
I told him that he was not

Question What time was it that you saw John the Son
of Suset in the posesion of CampbellCampbell

Answer I saw John in Campbells posesion in Jodavis
County in the State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois in the year 1830
and further this deponant sayeth
Town of IllinoisIllinoisJuly 14th day 1832

I John C. SmithSmith an acting Justice of the peace for
St. Clair County State ofIllinois IllinoisIllinois, doe hereby certify
that FrancisFrancis the deponent was by me sworn
to testify the whole truth of his knowledge
hing The in controversy in the cause afor
said that deponent was examined and his examination
reduced to writing and subscribed by
said deponant in my presence on the 14th day
of July in the year eighteen hundred and
thirty two between the hours of 10 o clock in the
forenoon and six of the afternoon at the town
of IllinoisIllinois in the county of St. Clair State ofIllinois
IllinoisIllinois given & certified the 16th day of July 1832.

I John Hay, Clerk of the County Commisioners' Court of the
said county of St. Clair, (and ex officio recorder of civil Commisions,)
do hereby certify, that John C SmithSmith Esquire, the person
whose name is subscribed to the foregoing certificate was at the time of executing the same, an
acting Justice of the Peace of said county, duly commisioned and qualified, and to all such his official
acts, full faith and credit are and ought to be given.

Jn.
vs
WmWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell
Depos for

John a boy of color
vs
William CampbellWilliam Campbell

Deposition
for plaintiff
Archibald GambleArchibald Gamble Clerks of the
StCircuit Court LouisCircuit Court Circuit CourtCircuit Court MissouriMissouri

Filed & opened 23rd July 1832

Archibald GambleArchibald Gamble Clerk

John
vs
Wm. Campbell

Francis Jarot
Deposition for plff

You Are Hereby Commanded To Summon Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin and ElizaEliza TiffinTiffin
that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, they be and appear in proper person
before the Judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , on the Twelfth day of Decembernext
at the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis, then and there to testify and the truth to say in a certain matter of
controversy now pending in our said Court, wherein John is
plaintiff, and WilliamWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell
is defendant, on the part of the plaintiff
and have you then there this writ.

John
vs
William CampbellWilliam Campbell

Executed this writ on ClaytonClayton Tiffin
TiffinClayton Tiffin on 12th of Nov 1832 (not served
on the TiffinTiffin )

You are hereby commanded to summon Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin - ElizaEliza TiffinTiffin
that setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, they be and appear in proper person before the
Judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , on the 5th day of Aprilnext
at the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis, then and there to testify and the truth to say, in a certain matter of controversy
now pending in our said Court, wherein John is
plaintiff, and William CampbellWilliam Campbell is
defendant, on the part of the plaintiff
and have you then there this writ.

John
vs
William CampbellWilliam Campbell

Executed this writ on Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin on
the 1st day of March 1833 in St. LouisSt Louis
ElizaEliza TiffinTiffin not summoned by order of
S.W. Foreman attorney for plaintiff

We command you to attach Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin
by his body, and him safely keep, so that you have his body before
the Judge of our Circuit CourtCircuit Court , now in session at the City of St. LouisCity of St Louis, within and for the County of St. LouisCounty of St Louis,
forthwith 183, then and there to testify and the truth to say in a
certain matter of controversy, now pending in our said Circuit CourtCircuit Court , between John
plaintiff and Wm Complete
defendant, wherein the said Clayton TiffinClayton Tiffin has
heretofore been summoned on the part of the said plaintiff

Executed this
writ & have the
by of ClaytonClayton Tiffin
TiffinClayton Tiffin in open
Court 23d of April 1833

Jno
vs
WmWilliam Campbell CampbellWilliam Campbell