（Signed，） ORVILLE CLARK.
Sworn before me， November
19th， 1852. U. G. PARIS， Justice of the Peace.
STATE OF NEW-YORK：
Washington County， ss.
Benjamin Ferris， of the village of Sandy Hill， in saidcounty， being duly sworn， doth depose and say—thathe is now fifty-seven years old， and has resided in saidvillage forty-five years； that he was as well acquaintedwith Mintus Northup， named in the annexed memorialof Anne Northup， from the year 1816 to the time of hisdeath， which occurred at Fort Edward， in the fall of 1829；that he knew the children of the said Mintus， namely，Joseph Northup and Solomon Northup， and that the saidSolomon is the same person named in said memorial；that said Mintus resided in the said county of Washingtonto the time of his death， and was， during all that time， afree citizen of the said State of New-York， as deponentverify believes； that said memorialist， Anne Northup， is awoman of good character， and the statement contained inher memorial is entitled to credit.
（Signed） BENJAMIN FERRIS.
Sworn before me， November
19th， 1852.
U. G. PARIS， Justice of the Peace.
STATE OF NEW-YORK：
Executive Chamber， Albany， Nov. 30， 1852.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a correct copy ofcertain proofs filed in the Executive Department， uponwhich I have appointed Henry B. Northup an Agentof this State， to take proper proceedings in behalf ofSolomon 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， whichis satisfactary to me， that Solomon Northup， who is a freecitizen of this State， is wrongfully held in slavery， in theState of Louisiana：
And whereas， it is made my duty， by the laws of thisState， to take such measures as I shall deem necessary toprocure any citizen so wrongfully held in slavery， to berestored to his liberty and returned to this State：
Be it known， that in pursuance of chapter 375 of thelaws 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，318
with full power to effect the restoration of said SolomonNorthup， and the said Agent is hereby authorizedand empowered to institute such proper and legalproceedings， to procure such evidence， retain suchcounsel， and finally to take such measures as will be mostlikely to accomplish the object of his said appointment.
He is also instructed to proceed to the State ofLouisiana with all convenient dispatch， to execute theagency hereby created.
In witness whereof， I have hereunto subscribed myname， and affixed the privy seal of the State， at Albany，this 23d day of November， in the year of our Lord 1852.
（Signed，） WASHINGTON HUNT.
JAMES E. RUGGLES， Private Secretary.
C.
STATE OF LOUISIANA：
Parish of Avoyelles.
Before me， Aristide Barbin， Recorder of the parishof 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 commissionto him as agent of the State of New-York， given andgranted by his excellency， Washington Hunt， Governorof the said State of New-York， bearing date the 23d dayof November， 1852， authorizing and empowering him，the said Northup， to pursue and recover from slavery afree man of color， called Solomon Northup， who is a freecitizen of the State of New-York， and who was kidnappedand sold into slavery， in the State of Louisiana， andnow in the possession of Edwin Epps， of the State ofLouisiana， of the Parish of Avoyelles； he， the said agent，hereto signing， acknowledges that the said Edwin hasthis day given and surrendered to him as such agent， thesaid Solomon Northup， free man of color， as aforesaid，in order that he be restored to his freedom， and carriedback to the said State of New-York， pursuant to saidcommission， the said Edwin Epps being satisfied fromthe proofs produced by said agent， that the said Solomon Northup is entitled to his freedom. The parties consentingthat a certified copy of said power of attorney be annexedto this act.
Done and signed at Marksville， parish of Avoyelles，this fourth day of January， one thousand eight hundredand fifty-three， in the presence of the undersigned， legaland 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 andcorrect copy of the original on file and of record in myoffice.
Given under my hand and seal of office as Recorder inand for the parish of Avoyelles， this 4th day of January， A.
D. 1853.
（Signed，） ADE. BARBIN， Recorder.
