State of missouri, Circuit court Third for
dicide circuit March Term 1836. County of St Louis feb

Courtney, a woman
of color complains of Samuel S. Rayburn
of a plea of trespass, assault and Battery 
false imprisonment. For that here to how
to wit an the first day of October in the year
Eighteen hundred and thirty five, at
St Louis in the said county, the said
defendant with forced and arms as assault
did make upon the said courtrey and
her the said courtrey did them did there
he at, wound and ill he at, and her the
said courtrey did then and their said
imprisonment>without any lawful or probable
so that keptdetained
her so in prison there from the day last
aforesaid to this day. And said plaintiff
says that at and before the times of
committiny the said several grievances
she was and thiee is a free person  
that said defendant has sheld and
detained   still holds and detaing
said plaintiff in slavery wherefore
the plaintiff says she is greatly injured
and hath sustained damages to
five hundred dollars   etherfore
she sues

Chad. D. Drake Atty.

State of missouri
county of St Louis
Sd Before me Milson and
justice of the peace written   for the county aforesaid personally
courtney woman of color, who being sworn on his oath says

It is hereby ordered that the above putitioner
courtrey be permitted to sue for her freedom and that charles D Draty
be aggained as her attorney according to the statute in that eare made
and provided

L.E. LawlessJudge 3d St. Louis

St Louis Circut court
>march Term 1836
No 10

Courtney la woman
of color)
vs
Samuel S. Rayburn
Suit for freedom

Issue summons
C. D. Drake
Atty. Filed 2nd November 1835 Archibald Gamble Clerk

County of Saint Louis To
the State of Missouri

To the Sheriff of the county of saint Louis.

He command you to summon Samuel greeting S Ray-
burn. That he be and appear before the Judge of our
circuit court at the next march term thereof to be held at the
eity of St Louis within and for the county of Saint Louis on the
second monday of march next then and there to answer
unto courtrey a woman of color of a plea of trespass. Assault
and Battery and false imprisonment wherefore the said plaintiff
says she is injured and hath sustained Damage to five Hundred
Dollars - and have you then there their writ

witness Archibald Gamble clerk of
our said circuit court at office this
second day of November A D 1835.

Archibald Gamble clerk CC

To the Haw Luke   Lawleys Judge of the
circuit court of St Louis county.

Yourpetitioner courtney, a woman
of color, about twenty three years of
age, respectfully represented, that she
was born in the State of Virginia and
belonged to a man named Laclavd; that
when quite young she said sold by him
to his brother major John Gacland of
the United States Army; who told
her to Detroit in michigan; that
she was kept there in flavery as nearly
as she can recalled about two years;
that from there she was taken by
major Garland , , she
believes to Fort Howard Green bay in in
michigan territory, where she was kept
sometimes, but how long she does not
remember, still held in service by major
Garland ; that from there she was taken
to Prairie da Chiew in michigan ter-
ritory, where she was kept about five
years in the family of major Gacland;
that about five years since she was
told by major Garland to Mr Alexis
Bay at Prairie da Chiew; that she
lived with Mr Bay abou five years
at St Peters an the Mississippi Revers
that somewhere about four months
rived Mr Bay removed to Prairie da
Chiew where and brought her with him,
and that she has been them with
since until a shorttime ago, when
she was brought by him to the city
of St Louis , and there told by him to
Mr Samuel A. Rayburn as a slave,
and that said Rayburn now holds
her in custody as a slave.

Your petitioner also represents that
the said Alexi Bay at the time of
selling her- told also to the said Samuel
S. Rayburn, an infant child of hard,
a log, about seven months old,
named, William , who was forn at
St Peters , while she was there in the
service of Mr Bay.

Your petitioner further states that
she belives herself and her child to be
legally entitled to their freedom; and
she therefore prays that she may
be permitted to sue as a poor person
for her freedom and that of her
now, and that your honor will
such other   further order in the premises as will secure to her, her legal rights.

Courtney her mark

State of Missouri
County of St Louis

It Before me Wilson Primm as
justice of the peace within for the county afore
said personally called Courtney a woman
of color, who being sworn on her oath says
that the facts stated in the above peteti-
tion are true.

courtney her X
Wilson Primm J. P.sworn to to subscribed before the this 2d nov. 1835

His hereby that the above problem
Country for permitted to see for the freedom
and that church DDrakeassigned as her
attorney of to the in deal canmadeandprovided.

this writ by offering to read it of the
Declaration   or ourmade by the judge of the Court the samuel Rayburn the defendant in the city of St . Louis on the fourth day of
November 1835 so which the refused to hear and
acknowledged the of the same of James brotherton
service$$1.00

Sheriff

St. Louis Circuit Court
Courtney (a woman of color)
or
Samuel S. RayburnMarch Review 1836

And the said defendant
by his attorney comes   defendent
therforce and injury when V. G. and says
that he is not guilty of the said trespass nor
any of them the said declaration mentioned
in manner form as the said
plaintiff hath above thereof complained and
of this he puts himself upon the country
.

> J. Spalding
atty for def And the plaintiff do the liked
Manning   Drake
Pttffis Ally's

St Louis Circuit Court

Courtney (a color woman
vs
Samuel , S.Rayburn
plea
not guilty

J . Spalding
attyFiled 14th March 1836
John Ruland clerk