O Say Can You See

Mina Queen & Louisa her child
vs
John Hepburn

In the trial of this cause the counsel for the Defendant having without objection offered and read by consent to the Jury the whole Deposition of Benja Duvall (here insert it) particularly that part of said Deposition which contains the Declarations of the woman who is represented to be the mother of Nanny Cooper & living at James Carroll's and who is called therein by the Deponent the Papaw Queen.     insert at this mark ⊖ and from whom the Petitioners claims descent in the lineal female line, claiming her to be the great grand-mother of the Petitioner Mina & ⊗     The Petitioners Counsel thereupon offered to read that part of Freders Rylands Deposition which contained Declarations of the mulatto Woman mentioned in that Deposition of her own place of birth and residence of the said Woman ⊖, But the Court refused to allow the said part of the said Deposition to be read in Evidence to the Jury, to which opinion and refusal the Petitioners by their counsel excepts and pray the Courts to sign & seal this their Bill of exceptions, which is accordingly done this 26th day of June 1810.

N. Fitzhugh (Seal)
B. Thurston (Seal)

⊗ & to have been a free woman, and upon that ground claiming their freedom in this cause; and the Deft having read the following Depositions (here insert them to prove that the said woman was a slave.)