William B. Porch asks the court to order Thomas Demoss and Aris Brown to "deliver up to Your Orator" a slave named Julia and her “small child which as yet has no name." Porch explains that Brown, the sheriff of Davidson County, has seized the two slaves for "an Execution in favor of one Thomas Demoss against John C Porch," the petitioner's brother. While the slaves were hired out to his brother for "the present year," they belong to William, who purchased them the year before from B. C. Robertson, "a citizen of Dickson County for the sum of Seven hundred Dollars." William notes that Julia is "peculiarly valuable to Your Orator as she [is] young, healthy and likely to raise him a large family of likely and valuable children." He seeks an injunction restraining the sale, as well as compensation for Julia's hire while she has been detained. The defendants' answer reveals that Julia's child is named Maria.
Result: Dismissed; appealed; affirmed.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
