Anderson StewardAnderson Steward , a free colored man
respectfully represents to your honor, that he is
confined and restrained of his reasonable liberty by
one John MJohn M . JamisonJamison jailor of the County of St LouisCounty of St Louis,
aforesaid, in the said jail - that said confinement is
not by virtue of any warrant, order or process.
Petitioner does not know with certainty the true cause
of his imprisonment, but believes that it is owing
wholly to his color - he states that prior to the
22 June 1844, he had been in the service of Lt Col
Loomis 6th infantry U.S. Army at Fort Smith & also at FortGibson
as a
hireling, that on that day he left the service of said
Loomis, intending to go up the upon MississippiMississippi, and
there hire himself as a servant to some officer of
the U.S. at a government fort, and with that
view recieved from said Loomis a certificate of
character &c, which will be shown your honor,
that he got on board of the steamer Jm. WhiteWhite
on her passage up from New OrleansOrleans to St LouisSt Louis
with the purpose of proceeding up the said river
to PrairePrairieDu ChienChien or St PetersSt Peters, but that on the
landing of said boat at St LouisSt Louis on yesterday, he
was taken by the officers of said boat and
committed to the custody of the said JamisonJamison .
Petitioner states that said imprisonment is illegal
in as much as it is made, without warrant order or
process of law, and he prays for the benefit of the writ
of Habeas Corpus, and that he may be discharged.

Anderson StewardAnderson Steward being sworn says
that the facts set forth in the forgoing petition are true.

The State of MissouriMissouri to JohnJohn M
MJohn M . JamisonJamison , jailor of St Louis County Greeting
You are hereby commanded to have the body of
Anderson StewardAnderson Steward , imprisoned as it is alledged by
you, before the Circuit CourtCircuit Court of St. Louis, County at the
hour of ten o'clock A.M. of this day, together
with the time and cause of said imprisonment
and have you then there this writ - Herein fail
not.

Petitioner brought into Court & discharged Bk 15 p 174. (July 1st 1844.). fee bill vs Petitioner

Anderson StewardAnderson Steward
vs
John MJohn M . JamisonJamison

``By the Habeas Corpus act''

I herewith return this writ, and state that I
have the body of Anderson StewardAnderson Steward before said Court
as herein I am commanded, and further state that
said Anderson StewardAnderson Steward was not committed to my custody
by virtue of any warrant order or proofs of law but
was delivered into my said Anderson StewardAnderson Steward was not committed to my custody by of any warrant, order, or process of law, but was delivered into my hands, by the officers of the Steam
boat J. M. WhiteWhite , for safe keeping, until satisfactory
proof should be had of his freedom, he said AndersonAnderson
being a passenger up the saidriver MississippiMississippi on
said boat; said commitment was made to the
jail of said county on the 30th day of June 1844.