Transcribed from document held at the Texas State Archives, Austin, Texas.

Please understand that all punctuation will be (or not be) as is on the document.

Any typos are my own.
Submitted by Joanne DeShong

The State of Texas

County of Harrison

At a term of the District Court begun and holden at marshall in and for the County of Harrison on the fifteenth day of December AD 1851 before the Honorable Samuel D. Evans Judge thereof.

The following Cause came on for trial:

W.W.O. Stanfield Plaintiff

Vs

John Carmley and

Daniel Carmley Defandants

State of Texas

Harrison County

District Court [Inne Time, looks like] 1850

To the Hon Samuel D. Evans Judge of the District Court in and for the 6^th Judicial District John Carmley and Daniel Carmley who reside in the County of Harrison. Complains of William W. O. Stanfield who also resides in said county and say that on the –day of November or some time in the year AD 1845 one Abner P. Vaughn obtained a judgement for the sum of three hundred dollars cash of suit before John W. Maulding a Justice of the peace in and for said county against John F. Ramsdale That an execution issued on said Judgement on the 24^th day of February A.D. 1846 and on the 7^th day of march A.D. 1846 by Jerimiah Ogle constable in and for said county was levied on one hundred acres of land of the headright of said John F. Ramsdale Which land is described as follows Commencing at the South West corner of said Ramsdale headright survey thence running North with the West line of said survey eighteen hundred and eighty two yards to a stake Whence S 33 degrees East three hundred hundred yards to a stake thence South 37 degrees West eighteen hundred and eightytwo yards to the bank of the Sabine Thence North 77 degrees West with the bank of said river to the place of beginning. Which land lies in Harrison County on the North side of the Sabine river including Ramsdale’s Ferry That after due advertisements and proceedings in regard to the same said land on the first Tuesday in April AD 1846 was lawfully sold by said Constable by virtue of said levy and execution and that David G. Weuff became the purchaser thereof as evidenced by the deed of said Constable to said Weuff of the date of the 15^th day of December AD 1846 said Weuff for a valuable consideration sold said land to Elijah Martin by deed of that date and the said 15^th day of December AD 1846 both of said deeds were filed in the Office of the Clerk of the County of said County-----------for record and by said Clerk was recorded that on or about the 25^th day of December AD 1848 petitioners emigrated to the state of Texas and on the __ day of January AD 1849 the said martin being in possession of said land and planning to hold the same by virtue of said Deeds of Conveyance induced petitioners to purchase the same from him which petitioners did the said martin making the deed to One of the Petitioners said John That said Martin immediately give the possession of said premises to petitioners and that the deed of petitioners to said John by said Martin was immediately recorded in the Office of the Clerk of the County Court of the County aforesaid that petitioners are now and since the execution of said deed by said Martin have been in the possession of said land That said Martin had been in the undisturbed possession of said land from the said 15^th day of December AD 1846 Claiming to hold the freehold and title thereof by Virtue of his deed from said Weuff recorded as aforesaid until the time aforesaid of the sale to petitioners all of which was well known to said Stanfield Petitioners are informed and believe that said Stanfield knew that Petitioners were about to purchase said land from said martin and that said Stanfield failed to notify Petitioners of his having a claim thereto That on the 13^th day of may AD 1830 [GOT to mean 1836 or 1838] said Stanfield filed his petition before one R.A. Heindman a Justice of the peace in and for said county representing that he ought to have possession of said land and that he said Stanfield had delivered to one George W. Dunlap a certain writing authorizing said Dunlap to hold peaceable possession of the land for four years on which the said Dunlap then lived and also to include said Ferry (which said (can’t make out) was leased to said Dunlap by said john F. Ramsdale and dated the 16^th day of October AD 1845 said petition of said Stanfield further charges that said Dunlap by virtue of said writing still held possession of said land that said Stanfield purchased said headright of said Ramsdale That afterward he said Stanfield sold the same and took a mortgage thereon and that the same has been foreclosed and that he said Stanfield purchased said land by virtue and under the decree of foreclosureand said petition of said Stanfield further represents that said Dunlap sold his interest to said land to martin who took possession of the same by virtue of said lease and that said martin sold his interest in said premises to petitioners petitioners having full knowledge of said lease aforesaid all of which statements in said petition of said Stanfield petitioners deny to be true and charge that said Stanfield well knew that said martin claimed the title and freehold to and in said premises by virtue of the Deed executed to him said martin by said Weuff and recorded as aforesaid from the said 15^th day of December AD 1846 till the time that said martin sold to petitioners aforesaid that on the 22^nd day of may AD 1850 said Matters in said petition and the prayer therein for restitution of said premises to said Stanfield.

(Keep in mind that from 1836 until they left the area, W.W.O. Stanfield held an office of Justice of the Peace and was Post master, and involved with various local events. He was also married to John Ramsdale’s sister, Mary Ann)