O Say Can You See

The Deposition of Gabriel Greenfield, aged forty eight years and upwards, being first duly sworn on the holy Evangels of Almighty God, deposeth and saith, That being the lawful owner and possessor of the above mentioned negroes, he did, some time in the summer of the year 1805, in the presence of sundry persons verbally give and then deliver unto his nephew, the above named Gerard T. Greenfield, the above mentioned negroes, as also Negro Bett, who is the daughter of negroe Patt or Patty first-above mentioned, and negroe Jone and her children; which said Jone is also Daughter of the said first above mentioned Patt or Patty. That negress Hannah above mentioned is the Daughter of the first above mentioned negress Patt or Patty; and negress Patty last above mentioned is the Daughter of negroe Bett, who is the Daughter of negress Patt or Patty first above mentioned. That the said Gerard T. Greenfield, at the time of the gift aforesaid of the negroes aforesaid, was a minor under the age of twenty one years, and pursuing the stoudy of physic in the state of Maryland, where he then boarded, and lived. That the father of the said Gerard T. Greenfield then resided in the State of Maryland; but the said Gerard T. Greenfield did not live with him, but was boarded out as aforesaid, and from time to time, was backward and forward from and to Philadelphia, attending the medical lectures, as occasion required. That the reason of his, this Deponent, giving as aforesaid the said negroes to his said nephew, Gerard T. Greenfield, was, because old Patt or   or Patty, first above mentioned, (the Mother and grandmother as aforesaid,) was the nurse of the said Gerard T. Greenfield, from his infancy, who lost his mother within five or six days after he was born. That the mother of the said Gerard T. Greenfield having requested this Deponent on her death bed, to take care of the said Gerard T. Greenfield, and this Deponent having promised her so to do, this Deponent always after, acted as, or in manner of a Parent or Guardian of the said Gerard T. Greenfield; and as such managed, as to his education, boarding and such like. That the gift aforesaid as aforesaid, of the aforesaid negroes, was made in the State of Virginia, & at the house of this Deponent, where the said negroes then were, in the possession of this Deponent; and that the said negroes have been ever since called, taken for and considered as the property of the said Gerard T. Greenfield. That the said negroes, (except old Patt or Patty first above mentioned and her youngest child Hannah before mentioned who were hired out afterward,) continued in the possession of this Deponent; from the time of the gift aforesaid, until some time in November 1808, when the said Gerard T. Greenfield was of full age, and went to housekeeping in the City of Washington and District of Columbia, and had wrote to this Deponent to send him Patt or Patty, first before mentioned, and her youngest child Hannah aforesaid, and young Patt or Patty aforesaid, the grand daughter of old Patt or Patty first before mentioned, who are the negroes or persons mentioned in the said Petition, as Petitioners, and are part of the negroes given as aforesaid by this Deponent, to the said Gerard T. Greenfield; and this Deponent did, in consequence of the said Gerard T. Greenfield having wrote to him as aforesaid then, (in November 1808;) send him, the said Gerard T. Greenfield, in the City of Washington aforesaid, the negroes aforesaid mentioned in the said Petition, as the property of him the said Gerard T. Greenfield, in virtue of the gift and delivery   delivery aforesaid as aforesaid made. That this Deponent, after he gave and delivered as aforesaid the negroes aforesaid to the said Gerard T. Greenfield, never considered either them or any of them or their increase the property of him this Deponent; but the absolute property of the said Gerard T. Greenfield, and in consequence thereof always afterwards punctually accounted with, and paid to the said Gerard T. Greenfield the money arriving from the hire of such of the said negroes, as were hired out. That old Patt, or Patty first above mentioned, one of the Petitioners, was hired out and the money therefrom arising punctually paid over to the said Gerard T. Greenfield. That the said Gerard T. Greenfield never resided in the State of Virginia, to the knowledge of this Deponent, after the gift aforesaid of the negroes aforesaid.

Gabl P T Greenfield

Taken, sworn to and signed by the above named Gabriel Greenfield this 29th day of June 1810 before Me, the Subscriber, and one of the Justices of the peace for Washington County and District of Columbia.

Henry M. Queen