O Say Can You See

Andrew Ramsay makes oath that just before his uncle John Graham went to Buenos Ayres Rio Janiero as one of the commissioners minister of this Government, Will Thornton the Petitioner was residing at Mr John Stiths, in King George County, Virginia, where & he had resided in Virginia always previous so long as their Deponent had known him excepting about 2 years when he was hired in Alexa. He was then & has ever since been the property of his uncle George Graham; now & for about 12 years past ever since the war a resident of this city. That about the time of John Graham departure from this city for Rio Janiero, Will Thornton was sent for by Mr George Graham to be brought to this city & carried with a number of other negroes of his, for the purpose of sending them all to an estate of his in Kentucky. That Will Thornton did not come up with the others & Mr George Graham wrote to Mr Stith after the arrival of the others, to send him also & detained the others 3 or 4 days here for Will to join them; but finding that he did not arrive he Mr George Graham with this Deponent set out for Kentu with the other negroes at the request of his uncle George & went near fifty miles into Virginia with them, & on his ret in returning to this place, not his uncle George on his way to overtake them & go with them to Kentucky aft after this Deponents return & before his uncles return from Kentucky Will arrived arrived here. After his return here he sent Will back to the Stiths & after the death of Mr john Graham as well as Deft who had returned from Rio Janiero & he died in this city, his sent for to Mr Stiths & had Will brought   here where he resided a short time with Mr John Graham's widow & afterwards with Genl Walter Smith.& has ever since had his residence in this city or county.

Test. Wm. Brent Clk

The erasure was made by myself being convinced that it was incorrect.
Andrew Ramsay