O Say Can You See

Personally appeared before me a justice of the peace for said county Richard W. Wheat and made oath that he the said Wheat married Ann L. Dunnington the daughter of Francis N. Dunnington late of Dumfries Va. decd. that his said wife and Charles W. C. Dunnington are the only heirs of the said Dunnington decd. that in the latter part of the year 1839 he the said Wheat & C. W. C. Dunnington agreed to a division by mutual consent of the following slaves belonging to the Estate of the said Dunnington Decd. viz Mariah, Caroline & Noah her child, That the said Wheat received Mariah as a portion of said Estate and the said C. W. C. Dunnington received Caroline and Noah her child as a portion of said Estate that in a four weeks after said division the Said C. W. C. Dunnington removed his said slaves Caroline & Noah her child to Washington D.C where he had established a residence on arriving at the age of Twenty one years and that before the said division took place he the said Wheat considered Caroline and Noah her child as much his property as they were the property of the said Charles W. C. Dunnington, but after the said division he considered and now considers the said Caroline & Noah her child the sole property of Charles W. C. Dunnington.

Given under my hand and seal this 10th day of October 1843

Th R Hampton
Jus. Peace