Deed of manumission by John Jervis for Negro slave named William H. Little, alias William H. Nelson, dated May 4, 1864

Deed of manumission dated May 4, 1864 by John Jervis of Howard County, Maryland for his Negro slave named William H. Little, also known as William H. Nelson. Witnessed by Geo. (George) Bond and Charles W. White on May 4 and by Justice of the Peace Wm. J. (William J.) Timanus on May 13 and then recorded by Howard County clerk W. W. Watkins on May 13, the document grants William H. Little, also known as William H. Nelson, his freedom to commence from August 11 [1863], the date of his enlistment in the 4th Regiment of Colored Troops in the service of the United States. (Editor's note: According to the National Archives and Records Administration's "Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served With the United States Colored Troops, 2nd through 7th Colored Infantry, etc.", William H. Nelson enlisted in the 4th United States Colored Troops at Baltimore, Maryland on August 11, 1863. The record for the deed of manumission probably should be found on number 4 folio 127, not number 23, folio 127, as in other documents around that time.)