Twelve Years a Slave

person named in said memorial; that said Mintus resided in the said county of Washington to the time of his death, and was, during all that time, a free citizen of the said State of New York, as deponent verily believes; that said memorialist, Anne Northup, is a woman of good character, and the statement contained in her memorial is entitled to credit.

(Signed) Benjamin Ferris.

Subscribed and sworn before me, November 19th, 1852,

U. G. Paris, Justice Peace.

State of New York:

Executive Chamber, Albany, Nov. 30, 1852.

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a correct copy of certain proofs filed in the Executive Department, upon which I have appointed Henry B. Northup an Agent of this State, to take proper proceedings in behalf of Solomon Northup, there in mentioned.

(Signed) Washington Hunt.

By the Governor,

J. F. R., Private Secretary.

State of New York:

Executive Department.

Washington Hunt, Governor of the State of New York, to whom it may concern, greeting:

Whereas, I have received information on oath, which is satisfactary to me, that Solomon Northup, who is a free citizen of this State, is wrongfully held in slavery, in the State of Louisiana:

And whereas, it is made my duty, by the laws of this State, to take such measures as I shall deem necessary to procure any citizen so wrongfully held in slavery, to be restored to his liberty and returned to this State:

Be it known, that in pursuance of chapter 375 of the laws of this State, passed in 1840, I have constituted, appointed and employed Henry B. Northup, Esquire, of the county of Washington, in this State, an Agent, with full power to effect the restoration of said Solomon Northup, and the said Agent is hereby authorized and empowered to institute such proper and legal proceedings, to procure such evidence, retain such counsel, and finally to take such measures as will be most likely to accomplish the object of his said appointment.

He is also instructed to proceed to the State of Louisiana with all convenient dispatch, to execute the agency hereby created.

[L. S.]

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed the privy seal of the State, at Albany, this 23rd day of November, in the year of our Lord 1852.

(Signed) Washington Hunt.

By the Governor,

James F. Rugges, Private Secretary.

C

State of Louisiana:

Parish of Avoyelles.

Before me, Aristide Barbin, Recorder of the parish of Avoyelles, personally came and appeared Henry B. Northup, of the county of Washington, State of New York, who hath declared that by virtue of a commission to him as agent of the State of New York, given and granted by his excellency, Washington Hunt, Governor of the said State of New York, bearing date the 23rd day of November, 1852, authorizing and empowering him, the said Northup, to pursue and recover from slavery a free man of color, called Solomon Northup, who is a free citizen of the State of New York, and who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, in the State of Louisiana, and now in the possession of Edwin Epps, of the State of Louisiana, of the Parish of Avoyelles; he, the said agent, hereto signing, acknowledges that the said Edwin has this day given and surrendered to him as such agent, the said Solomon Northup, free man of color, as aforesaid, in order that he be restored to his freedom, and carried back to the said State of New York, pursuant to said commission, the said Edwin Epps being satisfied from the proofs produced by said agent, that the said Solomon Northup is entitled to his freedom. The parties consenting that a certified copy of said power of attorney be annexed to this act.

Done and signed at Marksville, parish of Avoyelles, this fourth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the presence of the undersigned, legal and competent witnesses, who have also hereto signed.

(Signed) Henry B. Northup.

Edwin Epps

Ade. Barbin, Recorder.

Witnesses:

H. Taylor

John P. Waddill.

State of Louisiana:

Parish of Avoyelles.

I do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true and correct copy of the original on file and of record in my office.

[L. S.]

Given under my hand and seal of office as Recorder in and for the parish of Avoyelles, this 4th day of January, AD 1853.

(Signed) Ade. Bargin, Recorder.

Endnotes

1. See Appendix A. ↩

2. See Appendix B. ↩

3. See Appendix C. ↩

Colophon

Twelve Years a Slave
was published in 1853 by
Solomon Northup.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Vince Rice,
and is based on a transcription produced in 2014 by
Richard J. Shiffer and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans available at the
Internet Archive.

The cover page is adapted from
The Captive Slave,
a painting completed in 1827 by
John Simpson.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by
The League of Moveable Type.

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