Your Petitioner Dred Scott , a man of color, respectfully represents that from some time in the year 1835 Your Petitioner [was a slave] was purchased ^ as a slave by one since deceased, who afterward, to wit, [illegible] about the ^year[Month of] 1836 or 1837 [illegible] conveyed Your Petitioner from the State of to , a fort ^ then occupied by the troops of the & under the Jurisdiction of the , situated in the Territory ceded by to the , under the name of , lying north of 36 degrees & 30 minutes north latitude, not included within the limits of the State of , and ^resided and continued to reside at Said for a period of one Year and holding Your Petitioner in Slavery at Said Fort, during all that time; in violation of the Act of Congress of March 6th 1820, entitled "An Act to Authorize the People of Missouri Territory to form a Constitution & State Government & for the Admission of Such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States & to prohibit Slavery in Certain Territories ".

Your Petitioner avers that Said Emerson has since departed this life leaving his widow Irene Emerson and his children an infant Child whose name is unknown to Your ^ Petitioner and that one Alexander Sandford has administered upon the estate of Said Emerson

Emerson[& that] Your Petitioner is now unlawfully held in Slavery by Said Sandford , as Said Administrator, & Said Irene Emerson who claims Your Petitioner as Part of the estate of Said – and by one Samuel Russell Your Petitioner therefore prays Your Honorable Court to grant him leave to Sue as a poor person, in order to establish his right to freedom & that the necessary orders be made in the Premises.—

This day personally came before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace Dred Scott the person whose name is affixed to this forgowing petition and made oath, that the facts set forth in the above petition are true to the best of his Knowledge and belief and that he is entitled to his freedom Witness my hand this 1st day of July 1847.

Sworn to and Subscribed before me this 1st day of July 1847

Upon reading the above petition ^ this day it being [the opinion] of the Judge of the Circuit Court […illegible] that said petition contains sufficient matter to authorize the commencement of a suit for his freedom, it is hereby ordered that the said petitioner Dred Scott be allowed to sue on giving security satisfactory to the Clerk of the Circuit Court for all costs that may be adjudged against him and that he have reasonable liberty to attend his counsel ^ and the Court as occassions may require and that he be not subjected to any severity in account of this application for his freedom and that he be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the Court.

Your Petitioner Harriet , a woman of color, respectfully represents that from some time in the year 1835 Your Petitioner was purchased as a Slave by one , since deceased, who afterward in the year 1835 conveyed Your Petitioner to , a fort then occupied by the troops of the & under the Jurisdiction of the , situated in the Territory ceded by to the , under the name of , lying north of 36 degrees & 30 minutes north latitude, not included within the limits of the State of , and resided and continued to reside at Said for a period of one Year or more and holding Your Petitioner in Slavery at Said Fort during all that time; in violation of the Act of Congress of March 6th 1820, entitled "An Act to Authorize the People of Missouri Territory to form a Constitution & State Government & for the Admission of Such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States & to prohibit Slavery in Certain Territories "

Your Petitioner avers that Said Emerson has since departed this life leaving his widow Irene Emerson and his children his Child whose name is unknown to Your Petitioner and that one Alexander Sandford has administered upon the estate of the Said , and that Your Petitioner is now unlawfully held in Slavery by Said Sandford as Said Administrator and Said Irene Emerson who claims Your Petitioner as Part of the estate of Said Emerson and by one

Your Petitioner therefore prays Your Honorable Court to grant her leave to Sue as a poor person, in order to establish her right to freedom & that the necessary orders be made in the Premises.—

This day personally came before me the undersigned a Justice of the Peace in deed for this County and State a aforesaid Dred Scott the Husband of the petitioner above who being duly Sworn [illegible] & says that, the facts set forth in the above petition of Harriet his wife are true; as he was with her during the time mentioned in said petition, and was personally acquainted with all the Statements above set forth Witness my hand this 1st day of July 1847.

Sworn to and Subscribed before me this 1st day of July 1847

Upon reading this bond petition and affidavit, this day, & it appearing that the said petition contains sufficient matter to authorise the commencement of a suit, it is hereby ordered by the undersigned, that the said petitioner, Harriet , be allowed to sue, on giving security satisfactory to the Clerk of the Circuit Court , for all costs which may be adjudged against her; and that she have reasonable liberty to attend her counsel and the Court, as occasion may require, and that she be not removed out of the jurisdiction of the Court, and that she be not subjected to any severity on account of this application for freedom.

Know all men by these presents that whereas an order has been made this second day of July eighteen hundred and forty seven by the Honorable Alexander Hamilton Judge of the Circuit of St Louis County, that Dred Scott a man of color be allowed to sue for his freedom, Now therefore I. _____________________________________________________________ do by these presents acknowledge myself, my heirs, executors and administrators held and firmly bound to pay all costs that may be adjudged against the said Dred Scott in any suit instituted by him for his freedom in pursuance of the order aforesaid. in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid

Know all by these presents that whereas an order has been made this second day of July eighteen hundred and forty seven by the Honorable Alexander Hamilton , Judge of the Circuit Court of St Louis Court that Harriet , a woman of color be allowed to sue for her freedom Now. therefore I ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- do by these presents acknowledge myself, my heirs, executors and administrators held and firmly bound to pay all costs that may be adjudged against the said Harriet in any suit instituted by her for her freedom in pursuance of the order aforesaid. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year aforesaid.

Dred Scott , a man of color, by his attorneys, plaintiff in this suit complains of Alexander Sandford administrator of estate of John Emmerson deceased, Irene Emmerson and Samuel Russell defendants of a plea of trespass. For that the said defendants heretofore to wit on the first day of July in the year eighteen hundred and forty sixseven at to wit, the county of St Louis aforesaid, with force and arms assaulted the said plaintiff and then and there beat bruised and ill-treated him and then and there imprisoned and kept and detained him in prison there, without any reasonable or probable cause whatsoever, for a long time to wit, for the space of one year [then] next following contrary to law and against the will of the said plaintiff, and the said plaintiff avers that before and at the time of the committing of the grievances aforesaid, he, the said plaintiff was ^ then and there and still is a free person and that the said defendants held and still hold him in slavery, and other wrongs to the said plaintiff then and there did ^ against the [law] of the State of Missouri to the damage of the said ^ plaintiff in the sum of three hundred dollars and therefore he sues

Harriet a woman of color by her attorneys, plaintiff in this suit complained of Alexander Sandford Administrator of estate of John Emmerson deceased, Samuel Russell and Irene Emmerson defendants of a plea of trespass. For that the said defendants heretofore to wit on the first day of July in the year eighteen hundred and forty six at to with, they county of St. Louis aforesaid, with force and arms, assaulted the said plaintiff and then and there beat, bruised and ill-treated her and then and there imprisoned her and kept and detained her there in prison without any reasonable or probable cause, whatsoever for a long time to wit; for the space of one year [then] next following, contrary to law and against the will of the said plaintiff; and the said plaintiff avers that before and at the time of the committing of the grievances aforesaid, she, the said plaintiff was then and there, and still is a free person and that the said defendants held and still do hold her in slavery: and other wrongs to the said plaintiff then and there did ^ against the Law of the State of  to the damage of the said plaintiff in the sum of three hundred dollars and therefore she sues.

To the Sheriff of , GREETING:

WE command you to summon , and if they be found in your county to appear

before the Judge of our Circuit Court , on the first day of the next term thereof, to be held at the , within and for the , on the third Monday of November next, then and there to answer unto Dred Scott of a plea of Trespass and false imprisonment

to the damage of said plaintiff                 dollars: And have you then there this writ.

WITNESS, , Clerk of our said Court, with the seal thereof hereto affixed, at office, in the , this Third day of July in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-seven.

I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause.

WITNESS my hand and seal, at St. Louis , this          day of                 184  

Executed this writ in the by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 6th day of July 1847. And by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 30th day of August 1847. And by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 23r day of October 1847. which they each refused to hear.

PlaintiffPlf. ordered to elect 18p38 plea 18p48 discontinued 18p187 Feb 29th, 1848 Transcript of Sup. Court dismissing at plaintiff'splffs costs filed Dec 11, 1848.

To the Sheriff of , GREETING:

WE command you to summon , and if they be found in your county to appear

before the Judge of our Circuit Court , on the first day of the next term thereof, to be held at the , within and for the , on the third Monday of November next, then and there to answer unto Harriet (of color) of a plea of Trespass and false imprisonment

to the damage of said plaintiff                 dollars: And have you then there this writ.

WITNESS, , Clerk of our said Court, with the seal thereof hereto affixed, at office, in the , this Third day of July in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and forty-seven.

I acknowledge myself bound for all costs that may accrue in the above cause.

WITNESS my hand and seal, at St. Louis , this          day of                 184  

Executed this writ in the by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 6th day of July 1847. And by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 30th day of August 1847. And by offering to read it and the declaration to on the 23r day of October 1847. which they each refused to hear.

PlaintiffPlf. ordered to elect 18p38 plea 18p48 Discontinued Feb 29th 1848 18p187 Transcript

Court. reversing & dismissing cause filed Dec 11. 1848

This day comes said plaintiff by his attorneys and says that he will not further prosecute this suit. It is therefore considered that said defendants go hence without day and recover of said plaintiff their costs and have thereof execution.

This day comes said plaintiff by her attorneys and says that she will not further prosecute this suit. It is therefore considered that said defendants go hence without day and recover of said plaintiff their costs in this behalf and have thereof execution.