Formerly enslaved Matilda Johnson petitions the Freedmen's Bureau for the return of her children and household goods, after which the agency waived her right to her children
Dublin Core
Title
Formerly enslaved Matilda Johnson petitions the Freedmen's Bureau for the return of her children and household goods, after which the agency waived her right to her children
Description
Series of complaints around property rights and apprenticeship for Black residents of Anne Arundel County. Of special interest are the two complaints by Matilda Johnson relating to her children and household goods being held illegally by by James Boyle. Resolution of the case indicates that while the Freedmen's Bureau had intervened to have her children returned, Boyle was successful in getting permission to retrieve them under previous apprenticeship proceedings.
Date
12/29/1864
Coverage
Anne Arundel Co, MD
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Order by the Provost Marshal at Annapolis, Maryland, and the Provost Marshal to Two White Marylanders
Annapolis, Md. Dec. 29” 18[64]
Sir A colored woman by the name of Matilda Johnson makes complaint that you have her household goods” in your possession and this is to notify you that you must deliver to her forthwith all goods chattels and household utensils of every description that rightfully belong to her or subject yourself to Military arrest for disobedience of Genl. Order 112 Hd. Qrs. Middle Dept. Genl. Wallace Comdg.
Geo. W. Curry
Capt. 4” Del. Vols.
Provost Marshal
Annapolis, Md. Jan. 30" 1865
To whom it may Concern Matilda Johnson colored having claimed Military protection for herself and child a boy named Henry W. Johnson formerly living with Mr James Boyle herself nor boy will not be molested by any one without a written order from this office
Geo. W. Curry
Capt. 4” Del. Vols.
Provost Marshal
Annapolis Md. Feb. 9" 1865
Gentlemen I am receipt of your Communications of the 5th Inst and after a careful perusal of their contents beg leave to say that I have given an order to Matilda Johnson the mother of the boy mentioned of which the following is a true copy
And I would further state that in view of the representations made by you and others I have no objections to your again getting possesion of the boy
You can see by the reading of the order that the case was left open for an appeal by you if you thought proper to do so but I have never been approached on the subject directly except day before yesterday by a colored girl who said that she lived with you and gave me a pretty clear understanding in the case and I told her that when I saw or received a proper communication from either of you I would attend to the matter as I did not deem her a proper channel of communication and I do think that in my official capacity as Provost Marshal that I have tried to act with courtesy and give proper attention to all be they in what circumstances of life they may and I do not think that my worst enemies can charge me with ignoring even the most common civilities in my official capacity
In regard to the violation of an organic law of your State I have only to say that the law is well enough in its self but it has been shamefully abused my many citizens of this state who call themselves Gentlemen and they have taken advantage of the ignorance of the freedmen and women and indentured under the plea of their not being able to support them their children when in many cases the children were large and old enough to in a great measure support their parents and it was this state of things that caused the issue of Genl. order No. 112. by Genl. Lew Wallace comdg Middle Dept 4
You will find enclosed an order for Matilda Johnson to give the child into your charge which trusting will be satisfactory I. Remain Gentlemen Your. Obt Servant
Geo. W. Curry.
Provost Marshal
Capt. Geo. W. Curry to James Boyle, 29 Dec. 1864, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938]; Capt. Geo. W. Curry, 30 Jan. 1865, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938]; Geo. W. Curry. to Mess. J. & L. Boyle, 9 Feb. 1866, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938].
Annapolis, Md. Dec. 29” 18[64]
Sir A colored woman by the name of Matilda Johnson makes complaint that you have her household goods” in your possession and this is to notify you that you must deliver to her forthwith all goods chattels and household utensils of every description that rightfully belong to her or subject yourself to Military arrest for disobedience of Genl. Order 112 Hd. Qrs. Middle Dept. Genl. Wallace Comdg.
Geo. W. Curry
Capt. 4” Del. Vols.
Provost Marshal
Annapolis, Md. Jan. 30" 1865
To whom it may Concern Matilda Johnson colored having claimed Military protection for herself and child a boy named Henry W. Johnson formerly living with Mr James Boyle herself nor boy will not be molested by any one without a written order from this office
Geo. W. Curry
Capt. 4” Del. Vols.
Provost Marshal
Annapolis Md. Feb. 9" 1865
Gentlemen I am receipt of your Communications of the 5th Inst and after a careful perusal of their contents beg leave to say that I have given an order to Matilda Johnson the mother of the boy mentioned of which the following is a true copy
And I would further state that in view of the representations made by you and others I have no objections to your again getting possesion of the boy
You can see by the reading of the order that the case was left open for an appeal by you if you thought proper to do so but I have never been approached on the subject directly except day before yesterday by a colored girl who said that she lived with you and gave me a pretty clear understanding in the case and I told her that when I saw or received a proper communication from either of you I would attend to the matter as I did not deem her a proper channel of communication and I do think that in my official capacity as Provost Marshal that I have tried to act with courtesy and give proper attention to all be they in what circumstances of life they may and I do not think that my worst enemies can charge me with ignoring even the most common civilities in my official capacity
In regard to the violation of an organic law of your State I have only to say that the law is well enough in its self but it has been shamefully abused my many citizens of this state who call themselves Gentlemen and they have taken advantage of the ignorance of the freedmen and women and indentured under the plea of their not being able to support them their children when in many cases the children were large and old enough to in a great measure support their parents and it was this state of things that caused the issue of Genl. order No. 112. by Genl. Lew Wallace comdg Middle Dept 4
You will find enclosed an order for Matilda Johnson to give the child into your charge which trusting will be satisfactory I. Remain Gentlemen Your. Obt Servant
Geo. W. Curry.
Provost Marshal
Capt. Geo. W. Curry to James Boyle, 29 Dec. 1864, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938]; Capt. Geo. W. Curry, 30 Jan. 1865, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938]; Geo. W. Curry. to Mess. J. & L. Boyle, 9 Feb. 1866, vol. 153/306 8AC, Letters Sent, ser. 1350, Annapolis MD, Provost Marshal Field Organizations, RG 313 Pt. 4 [C-8938].
Collection
Citation
“Formerly enslaved Matilda Johnson petitions the Freedmen's Bureau for the return of her children and household goods, after which the agency waived her right to her children,” Black Maryland in the Civil War—A Microedition of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.fssp.artinterp2.org/items/show/25.