O Say Can You See

David Atkins, late of Washington County, free negro, was summoned to answer unto Clarissa Gardiner and Francis Bowling, administrators of Richard B. Gardiner, decd. in a plea wherefore he took the following negroes, viz. David, aged about nine years, Mary, about seven years, George about four years, Francis, about three years, John William, about eight months, and their mother Matilda; of them the said Plaintiffs, and unjustly detained them against sureties and pledges, &c. And whereupon the said Plaintiffs, by Brent & Brent, their attornies, complains that the said Defendant heretofore, to wit, on the first day of day of December in the year 1837 at Washington County aforesaid, in a certain place there called Washington City, took the following negroes, viz. David, aged about nine years, Mary, about seven years, George, about four years, Francis, about four three years, John William, about eight months, and their mother Matilda, aforesaid, of them the said Plaintiffs, and unjustly detained it against sureties and pledges, until, &c, whereby the said Plaintiffs say that they are worse, and have damage to the value of two thousand dollars and therefore they bring suit, &c

Brent & Brent for Plaintiff

John Doe
Richd Roe
Pledges