To William C. Carr , Judge of the Cir
cuit Court, within & for the County of St. Louis

The petition of Aspasie , a free woman of colour, represents to your honor, that She was,
(as she has always been informed and believes to be
true, and is ready to prove,) born of a negro woman
held in slavery by one Baptiste Jeandrau
in the Town of Kaskaskia in the now state
of Illinois , about the year 1806; that your petitioner
was held and claimed as a slave by said

from her birth until about four or
five years ago, where your petitioner was pur
chased by Colonel Menard now a resident
of the said Town of Kaskaskia ; that your petitioner was soon, after given to Francois Chouteau
and his wife, the latter of whom is the
daughter of said Menard , both of whom now reside
in the County & city of St.Louis in the
state of Missouri , and have for several years &
do now hold your petitioner in a state of absolute slavery, deprived of all her natural rights and privileges & in contempt and
defiance of the ordinance of the Congress of
the United States , made for the government of
Territory Northwest of the river Ohio ,passed on the 13th day of July in
the year of our Lord 1787 of which said
Territory Illinois is a part, as your petitioner
your petitioner claims her freedom, being born
in said Territory Since the passage of said ordinance
Your petitioner therefore prays that she
may be permitted to sue as a poor person for
her freedom, in the circuit court of St. Louis
County, according to the form of the statute in
that behalf made and provided, and that she
may be permitted to make the said Francois
Chouteau , by whatever name he may be
called, and all other person claiming your
petitioner as a slave parties in said suit —. And your petitioner will ever pray

Aspasie her X mark

State of Missouri
County of St. Louis ss.

Personally appeared before
me Peter Ferguson a
Justice of the peace within and for the
county of St.Louis , Aspasie , a woman of
color, the person in the foregoing petition
mentioned, who being sworn, upon her corporal
oath saith, that the statutes & facts
contained in the foregoing petition, Stated on
her own knowledge are true, and, and
those are the information of others she believes
to be true

sworn to and subscribed before
me this 28th may 1827 Peter Ferguson
Justice of the peace Aspasie her X mark

In the Circuit to Court July Term 1827. St. Louis County Court,

Aspasie who is permitted to sue as a
poor person by McGirk & Bent her attorneys complains of
Francois Chouteau of a plea of trespass with force and
arms for that whereas heretofore towith on thefirst day
of June in the year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred
and Twenty six. The said Francois Chouteau to wit
at the county of St. Louis aforesaid, an assault did make
in and upon the body of the said Aspasie
then there beat bruised ill-treated, & imprisoned her
the said Aspasie there the said Aspasie then & there kept
and detained in prison against her will & consent &
without any reasonable or probable cause, for a long
period of time towit for the Term of eleven months

No 24
St Louis Circuit Court
July Term 1827.

This is an action of assault & battery imprisonment
Issue a Summons

McGirk & Bent
P. Q Filed 30th May 1827
Arch Gamble Clerk

Executed this writ on Francois Chouteau May 30th 1827 in the
City of St. Louis by reading the writ Declaration & order of the Judge to him

R. Simpson Sheriff
By L.P. Timonds Jr . Dp. SheriffService $1.00

State of Missouri

On reading within petition and affadavit, it is
ordered that the within named Aspasie be permitted to sue as a poor
person according to the form of the Statute in such case made
and provided John Bent Esquire are assigned as counsel. It is
further ordered that the said Aspasia have reasonable liberty to attend
her counsel & the court when occasion may require it and the said
Aspasia shall not he taken or removed out of the jurisdiction of
the circuit court for the county of St. Louis , nor be subject to any severity,
because of her application for freedom —

Given under my hand at chambers this 30 May 1827 Will C. Carr Judge 3. Circuit

County of St. Louis The state of Missouri
to the Sheriff of St. Louis County Greeting

We command you to summon Francois Chouteau that he be
and appear before the judge of our circuit court at the next time
thereof to be held at the City of St. Louis within and for the county
of St. Louis on the Fourth monday of July next then and there to
answer unto Aspasie of a plea of Trespass with force and arms
to the damage of the said Aspasie of one thousand dollars
and have you then there this writ

Witness Archibald Gamble Clerk of our said
Court at Office this Thirtieth day of May
in the year 1827 Archibald Gamble Clerk

And her the said Aspasie he the said Francois still continues in prison & confinement contrary to the laws
of this state, and other wrongs to her the said Aspasie then & there did against the place & dignity
of the state of Missouri ; whereby the said Aspasie
says she is injured and has sustained damage from
the said Francois to the sum of One Thousand
dollars, wherefore she sues

McGirk & Bent
for Pltff

State of Missouri
County of St. Louis

Personally appeared before
me Peter Ferguson a justice of the peace within
and for the county of St.Louis , Aspasie a woman of color; the person who signed & swore to the
truth of the foregoing Petition, and upon her corporal oath, by me administrated, saith, that She has been
informed by Mrs. Chouteau the wife of the foregoing named
Francois Chouteau in said petition mentioned, that she
& the said Francis had determined to send this affiant
out of the state of Missouri , & had made preparations
to do so, but that not finding his affiant at
the time, She had refuted; & further this affiant saith that
she has understood and verily believes, that it is now the
find design & intention of the said Francois Chouteau
and wife to carry this affiant an board the steam
boat America , now in port, and about to sail in a
few hours and convey this affiant down the river out
of the boundaries & this state for the express purpose
of preventing this affiant from constituting suit for &
obtaining her freedom; And further this affiant saith
that to require her to procure the affidavit of any
white person to attest the truth of her petition, would
be the certain means of defeating the ends of justice
& the institution of any suit for the freedom of this
affiant, and that she is certain, that of she is debarred
from her right to sue for her freedom immediately,
that her right will be completely defeated by delay

Aspasie her X mark
Sworn to and subscribed before
me this thirteith day of May 1827 Peter Ferguson Justice of the peace
County St.Louis State of Missouri

State of Missouri , 3. Judicial Circuit ss.

On reading the within petition & affidavit it is
ordered that the within named Aspasie be
permitted to sue as a poor person according to
the form of the statute in such case made & provided,
and Isaac C. Mc Girk & John Bent Esquires are
assigned as her counsel. It is further ordered that the
said Aspasie have reasonable liberty to attened her
counsel & the court when occasion may require it,
and that the said Aspasie shall not be taken or
removed out of the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for
the County of St.Louis , nor be subject to any severity,
because of her application for freedom.

Given under any hand at chambers
this 30. May 1827.
Will C. Carr
Judge 3. Circuit

Filed May 30th 1827

Archibald Gamble clerk.

St. Louis Circuit Court July Term 1827.

And the said Chouteau by J Spalding his attorney
comes and defends the force and injury when
& c. and says that he is not guilty of the said supposed trespasses above
laid to his charge or any past thereof in manner and form in as the said
Aspasie hath above thereof complained against him and of this he said
Chouteau defendant puts himself upon Country &c.

And for a further plea in this behalf said defendant
says that said plaintiff ought not to have or maintain her aforesaid
action thereof against him because he says that the said
plaintiff was at the time when said several supposed trespasses
were committed and during all that time & from thence hitherto
was & now is, the slave of him the said defendant and this he
is ready to verify; wherefore he prays judgment if the said
plaintiff ought have or maintain her aforesaid action
against him &c.

J. Spalding for defnt

And the said Aspasie of the first plea of the said
Francois by him above pleaded doth the like

And for replication to the plea of the said Francois by him
secondly above pleaded She says that she was not at the time when
the said several trespasses committed & from that time hitherto nor is she now the slave of him the said Francois in manner & form as he
has in his plea alleged

Bent & McGirk P. Q. Filed July 25th 1827A gamble Clerk

pleas

filed July 23rd 1827A G clerk

In the St. Louis circuit
court, Novr Term 1827

The above named defendant will take
notice, that the plaintiff in the above named cause,
will attend by herself or attorney at the Dwelling house of Madam Rocheblave in the City of St. Louis an saturday the
twenty fourth day of November instant between
the hours of nine of the forenoon and four
of the afternoon of that day, and then and there take the depositions of witnesses to be read at
the trial of the above named cause, an the
post of the plaintiff

St. Louis , Novr 15th 1827 Aspasie , by
Bent & McGirk Attys

notice

Notice to take depositions on 24 Nov.

A copy of the within notice was
delivered to Francois Chouteau Nov
16. 1827.

Service -$ 50
R Simpson Shff

County Of St. Louis , Sct.The State of Missouri ,To the Sheriff of St. Louis County--Greeting.

You are hereby commanded to summon Marie Louise Rocheblave , Louise La Chapelle
that, setting aside all manner of excuse and delay, he be and appear in proper person before the Judge
of our Circuit Court , on the Seventh day of December at the City of St. Louis ,
then and there to testify and the truth to say in a certain matter of controversy now pending in our
said Court, wherein Aspasie is plaintiff,
and Francois Chouteau is defendant,
on the part of the plaintiff; and have you then there this writ.

Witness, Archibald Gamble , Clerk of our said Circuit
Court , at the City of St. Louis , this fourth day of
December in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and twenty sevenA gamble Clerk, C.C.

Executed on Marie Louise Rocheblave
and Louise LaChapelle by reading to
them the same this 7th of December 1827

John Musick Sheriff

november 1827

Marie Louis Rocheblave
Louise LaChapelle

for pltff

Deposition taken at the dwelling house of Madam Rocheblave within
City of St. Louis on Saturday the twenty fourth day of November within the
year 1827 between the hours of nine the forenoon and
four in the afternoon of said any by virtue of writ to be read in evidence at the trial or the case Now... Circuit court of the county
of St. Louis Between Aspasie woman of color
as plaintiff and Francois Chouteau defendant on the part of the plaintiff

Marie Louise Rocheblave being duly sworn on her oath
Saith that she is a acquainted with Aspasie a mulatto girl, knew her
at Kaskaskia in the state of Illinois , knew her from the period
of her birth, was the slave of a certain Baptiste Jeandrau
same place has understood that she had been sold by Jeandrau
to Pierre Menard with whose daughter she the said Aspasie
came to the city of St. Louis , has held her within city of some
time back, that the said Aspasie was born at Kaskaskia in the family of Jeandrau this deponent is acquainted with the mistress of said Aspasie , the wife of Francois -
Chouteau , has visited the home of said Chouteau where she has seen said Aspasie in capacity of a slave, believing the
said Aspasie may be and of twenty years of age

Sworn to & subscribed
on the day and year between the hours and at the place above written, the plaintiff attending...Justice of the Peace

Marie Louise LaChapelle being also duly sworn on her oath saith that she is acquainted with Aspasie the above named girl, knew her at KasKaskia in Illinois , understood that
the said Aspasie was born at Kaskaskia ...here at the taking of these depositions and who is

Francois Chouteau
the clerk of the circuit court

St. Louis County

Filed 3rd December, 1827

A gamble clerk