To the Hon William C. Carr Judge of the Circuit
Court of the County of St. Louis and State of Missouri
April 22d 1833.

Your Petitioner Milly represents
to your Honor that she was born in the State of
Maryland the property of one Lee. That she was sold
to Moses Bigby and by him taken to the State of
Ohio , about fifteen years ago That she was by the said
Moses Bigby detained in the State of Ohio
about fifteen months - Thatshewas held in Slavery
by Willey Williams in the County of Saint Louis and State
of Missouri , when she is advised& beleves she is
entitled to her Freedom - Therefore your petitioner
prays she may be permitted to sue as a poor person to estab
lish her right thereto and that such other and further
order may be made in the premises as the Law directs
and as may seemmeet & proper to your Honor

Milly her Mark

County of Saint Louis State of Missouri , Let this
day personally appeared before me Wilson Primm
a Justice of the peace for the County and State aforesaid
Milly the above Petitioner who being duly sworn
say that the facts set out in the forgoingpetition
are true to the best of her knowledge and belief

Sworn to & subscribed this
22d day of April 1833 Wilson Primm Justice
of the Peace St. Louis County Milly her mark

State of Missouri
Judicial Circuit

The within named Milly
is permited to sue as a poor person on the within
petition to establish her freedom and the clerk
of the Circuit Court of Saint Louis County is hereby
directed to issue the necessary process thereon for this
purpose - is hereby assigned
as her Counsel - it is moreoverorderedthat the
petitioner have reasonable liberty to attend her
Counsel and the Court when occasion may require
and than the Petitioner shall not be taken or
removedout of the jurisdiction of the Court nor be
subject to any severity because of her application for
freedom.

Saint Louis Circuit Court March Term 1833 Tuesday 23d April 1833

Stephen W Foreman Esquire presents to the Court the petition of Milly (a woman of
color praying that she may be permitted to institute suit against Willy Williams for Establishing
her right to freedom and that she may be permitted to institutesuit as a poor person
thereupon the court permit the said Milly to sue as
aforesaid and direct that an action of assault & battery
and false imprisonment be brought in the name of the
said Milly and assign the said Stephen W Foreman as
her counsel and it is ordered by the Court that the said
Willy Williams permit the said Milly to have a
reasonable liberty of attending her counsel and the
court when occasion may require it and that the
said petition shall not be taken or removed out of
the Jurisdiction of this court or be subjected to any
severity of treatment on account of her said application
for freedom

A true copy of the order A Gamble Clerk

Milley
vs
Wiley Williams

Petition filed
April 23rd 1833 A Gamble clk

Ref not found-

No 28
July Term 1833

Milley
vs
Wiley Williams

This is a suit for
freedom by leave of the Court

Foreman
atty

filed April 23rd 1833 A Gamble Clk

Wiley Williams not found in my
county 6th July 1833

.50 Jno K Williams
shff

State of Missouri
St Louis County
Circuit Court TermJuly
Term 1833-

Milly by her attorney complains
of Wiley Williams of a plea of trespass
Assault and battery & false imprisonment
For that the said Wiley Williams on the twenty second day of April Eighteen hundred
and thirty three with force andarms made
an assault upon the said Milley to wit at
the County of St Louis and State of Missouri
and then and there beatbruised and ill treated
her the said Milley and kept and detained her
in prison there without any resonable
or probable cause for a long space of time
to wit: for the space of twelve hours then
next following; and nevertheless the said Milley
avers that before and at the time of committing the said grievances she was and still
is a free person and that the defendant
held and detained her and still holds &
detains her in slavery contrary to the law
of the land and against the will of the said
Milly ; and other wrongs to said Milly then
and there did to the great damage of the
said Milly , wherefore she says she is injured and hath sustained damage in the sum
of five hundred dollars therfore she sues
& C.

F W Foreman
Atty

The State of Missouri
County of Saint Louis ssTo the Sheriff of the County of Saint Louis Greeting

We command you to summon Wiley Williams that he be and
appear before the Judge of our Circuit court at the next July term
thereof to be held at the city of St Louis within and for the county of
Saint Louis on the fourth Monday of July next then and there to
answer into Milly of a plea of trespassassault and battery and false
Imprisonment wherefore she says she is injured and hath sustained
damage in the sum of five hundred dollars and have you then
there this writ.

Witness Archibald Gamble clerk of our said
Circuit Court at office this twenty third day
of April one thousand eight Hundred and
thirty three Archibald Gamble clerk