Petition of Thomas Fitzhugh Estate, December 29, 1831

 

To the General Assembly of Virginia,

 

                  The Executor, widow, and legatees of Thomas Fitzhugh decd. respectfully represent to your honorable body that during the late unhappy insurrectionary movement in the county of Southampton a valuable young slave belonging to the undivided estate of the said testator, was killed casually while actually bearing arms in defense of the [illegible] family of Doctr. Saml. Blunt one of whose slaves he had for a wife, + to whom he was then on a visit. The circumstances under which this loss occurred—and by which your petitioners will be most decisively injured, unless compensated by law, as well as the value of the slave, are set forth in a certificate filed herewith + to which the attention of the general assembly is invited, with the prayer that they may be indemnified for the loss of property destroyed in war – which [illegible] general principle, your petitioners are advised, has uniformly been recognized by our government in a spirit of equity, as just as it is humane; --a war in this instance this limited in the extent of its ravages + devastating – carrying with it all the honors invariably incident to those of servile character.

                  And yr. petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray [?].

                                    The Executor, widow, + legatees

                                    of Thos. Fitzhugh decd.

 

Decr. 1831

 

 

[other side of petition]

Petition of representatives

of Thoms. Fitzhugh decd.

 

Decr. 29th 1831

refd to select

     Comee

 

     Wm. H. Broadnax

 

Jany 3.  Rejected