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Early Louisiana Territory, May 4th, 1807, Summons for John H. Wright to Appear in Court

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:900.00 USD Estimated At:1,250.00 - 2,000.00 USD
Early Louisiana Territory, May 4th, 1807, Summons for John H. Wright to Appear in Court
SOLD
1,450.00USDto floor+ buyer's premium
This item SOLD at 2023 May 23 @ 16:42UTC-4 : AST/EDT
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District of Cape Girardeau, In Our Territory of Louisiana, (Now part of Missouri), May 4th, 1807. Hand written Summons for John H. Wright to appear before the Court of the District of Cape Girardeau as a witness to an alleged assault. "The United States of America, to John H. Wright: greeting We command and firmly injoin you that laying all other matters aside and notwithstanding any excuse you be in your proper reason before our Justices assigned to keep our peace in our district of Cape Girardeau in our Territory of Louisiana and also to have and determine... felonious trespasses and other misdeeds in our said district... to testify all and singular what you know concerning a certain assault and battery in and upon one John Gaster ~~~ where of William H. Ashley is indicted, on our part, and this you are not to omit nor depart our said court without leave under the penalty of $300." The summons is signed "Winess Christopher Hays First Justice of our said court at Cape Girardeau aforesaid the fourth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven... Joseph McFerron, Prothonotary." Although no information about the assault is available, both Justice Hays and the prothonotary (clerk) McFerron have interesting back stories. Christopher Hayes was a Colonel during the Revolutionary War and some sources claim he crossed the Delaware River with George Washington before the Battle of Trenton on December 26th 1776. On March 19th, 1805, the District Court of Cape Girardeau appointed Hays one of the original justices by President Thomas Jefferson and his son, John Hays, was appointed Sheriff. Joseph McFerron was first appointed as Postmaster in 1806 and an appointment as courts clerk followed, a position he held for much of the rest of his life. McFerron, however, is most known for his duel with businessman William Ogle in 1807, Ogle was the first licensed tavernkeeper west of the Mississippi. McFerron apparently cast aspersions on Ogle’s wife, and the resulting disagreement ended with McFerron challenging Ogle. The duel on Cypress Island opposite Cape Girardeau ended with McFerron wounded in the thigh and Ogle killed by a head wound. McFerron resigned his office, but the citizenry insisted he continue. McFerron became a delegate to the Missouri Constitutional Convention, and afterward a representative to the first General Assembly. He resigned in November 1820, possibly due to illness. Alexander Buckner wrote of McFerron, “…in McFerron’s grave is buried the Statesman, the Lawyer, the Clerk, the Philosopher, the Poet, the accomplished Scholar, and the virtuous man.” McFerron even married a ward of Col. Hays, Eve Tyler. Document is in XF condition and gives an early look at love and politics in the Louisiana Territory.