Sloman Reese
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Christening: Death: Abt 1803 - Bedford Co., Virginia Burial: Cause of Death:
Spouses and Children
Children: 1. Rhoda Reese (Abt 1760-After 1830) 2. Sarah "Sally" Reese (Abt 1765-1854) 3. John Reese (1770-1863) 4. Nancy Reese (Abt 1771-1836) 5. Jordan Reese (Abt 1775-1830) 6. David B. Reese (Abt 1784-After 1860) 7. Stephen Reese (Abt 1790- )
Notes
General:
BEDFORD CO., VIRGINIA PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX LIST:
Sloman Reese is in the Bedford Co., Virginia personal property tax list from 1783 until 1803. His last name is spelled in a variety of ways, and his first name is sometimes Sloman and sometimes Slowman. He is a white male over 21, and he never owns a slave. In 1783 he has one horse and 2 cattle. In 1787 and 1788 he has two horses. In 1790 and 1791 he has no horses, in 1792 he has one, and after that he owns no taxable property. The county is divided into two districts, and Sloman lives in the Northern District until 1799. In 1800 and 1801 he is absent from the list, and in 1802 and later he and most other Reeses are in the Southern District. That suggests to me that they lived close to the boundary between the 2 districts and that the boundary changed in 1802.
DISPUTE with WILLIAM OVERSTREET:
In a dispute between Sloman Reese and William Overstreet, the county court in Bedford Co. issued a judgement in favor of Overstreet. On August 29, 1786, Sloman asked the court to grant him an injunction against enforcement of the judgement until the matter could be relitigated in a Court of Chancery. The injunction was granted. In his request for the injunction, Sloman Reese sets forth the basic facts relative to the dispute.
At some point during the War of Independence (we don't know when), Sloman Reese agreed to perform a 6-month tour of military duty for William Overstreet in exchange for £40, and he received an advance payment of more than £20. Sloman made all the necessary arrangements to be able to respond immediately whenever William Overstreet was summoned to perform his 6 months of military service, but the war was over before Overstreet was called up, and Reese never had to perform any military service.
We don't know the details of the original judgement, but it seems likely that Overstreet wanted Sloman to return the advance payment of more than £20. In his request for an injunction, Sloman points out that he rented out his plantation and experienced considerable inconvenience in order to be able to leave at any time. We don't know what the ruling of the Chancery Court was or if William Overstreet ever received any money from Sloman.
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war in 1783, but military operations largely ceased with the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia in October 1781.
Scanned documents relative to the chancery case (index number 1786-017) can be seen at the website of the Library of Virginia:
https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=019-1786-017
Sloman's request for an injunction:
[To] the Worshipful the Justices of Bedford County in Chancery Sitting Humbly complaining Sheweth unto your Worships yr Orr [your Orator] Sloman Reese that in the year 17__ [blank rather than unreadable] he hired himself as a Substitute in the place of William Overstreet to perform a Tour of Duty for Six months for which the Said Overstreet gave his Bond to your Orator for forty pounds the price agreed upon as a compensation for the services.
That at the time the contract was entered into it was agreed that if your Orator Should be called upon to go on that Service and refused or delayed to go that he Should repay the money then advanced which was some better than Twenty pounds and at the same time gave his Bond to the sd Overstreet under penalty of Eighty pounds on failure Yr Orator further Sheweth that in consequence of the agreement he Rented out his plantation and was at considerable inconvenience in holding himself in readiness to March whenever calld upon, and was informd that Colo Galloway the County Lieut agreed to receive yr Orator in Lieu of the Delinquent Overstreet But owing to the conclusion of the War in a short time afterwards he yr Orr never was calld upon to perform the service But now so it is that the Said Overstreet whom yr Orator prays may be made a party Deft to this his Bill has instituted a suit at Law upon the Bond aforesaid and recovered a Judgt for 40£ with Cost, all which actings & doings yr Orator is advised are contrary to equity and good conscience & tend to the manifest Injury wrong & oppression of your Orator for as much as he is remediless in the premisses by the Com: Law [common law] & only relievable in a court of Chancery He prays the Said William may on his corporal oath a full true and perfect answer make to the allegations herein containd as if the same were herein again repeated and interrogated and that the proceedings of the Judgt aforesaid may be injoined & stayed untill the matter hereof can be heard in Equity may it please yr Wps [your Worships] to grant to yr Orr the Com:wth wt of Inj___ [maybe Commonwealth writ of injunction]
sworn to in Court Aug. 29th 86.
J. Steptoe Cl. B.C.
Hancocke Jorpens
August 1786: On the motion of Slowman Reese by his attorney an injunction is granted him to stay further proceedings on a judgement obtained against him by William Overstreet till the matter thereof shall be heard in equity on a bill now filed; who gave bond and security according to law. (Order Book 8, page 286, image 229/625)
August 1786: "Reese vs Overstreet" -- By consent of parties, it is ordered and decreed that the injunction be made perpetual and each party pay their own costs. (Order Book 8, page 289, image 230/625)
DISPUTE with WILLIAM MOON:
In May 1786 Sloman Reese sets forth the facts in his dispute with William Moon and asks the court for an injunction against further proceedings at common law until his case can be heard in equity. Sloman says that in 1784 he agreed to work as an overseer on the plantation of a certain William Moon in Bedford Co. The agreement stipulated that Moon was to supply provisions for Sloman and his family, but because Moon did not have an adequate supply of Indian corn for his own use, he did not provide corn to Sloman as he had agreed to do. Therefore, Sloman had to use his own resources to purchase corn for himself and his family. Moon assured Sloman that he would be compensated at the end of the year. During the course of the year, Sloman became indebted (amount unspecified) to Moon and gave him a promissory note. Sloman assumed that at the moment of repayment, allowance would be made for the corn that Sloman had been forced to buy with his own resources. The quantity purchased was not known until the end of year. That total amount was seven barrels. Apparently, Moon did not reduce the amount of the debt by the value of the corn and initiated a suit in the County Court of Bedford Co. for full repayment.
Two cases are mentioned multiple times in the order books of the Bedford County Court. "Reese vs Moon" and "Moon vs Rees" are both mentioned for the first time in July 1784. In "Reese vs Moon" the comment is "Imparlance" (Order Book 8, page 61, image 113/625). There is a continuance in March 1785 and again in March 1786 (Book 8, page 138, image 153/625, Book 8, page 249, image 209/625). In March 1786 a jury returns a verdict in "Moon vs Reese" for the plaintiff (Book 8, page 248, image 209/625). In May 1786 a jury returns a somewhat cryptic verdict in "Reese vs Moon" for the plaintiff "for the Bed & Sheets in the Decl mentioned of To be had if Not £12 &Co: & Jud: Accg" (Book 8, page 258, image 215/625). Also at the May 1786 court, a motion by the defendant's attorney for a new trial is rejected with costs, Wm. Boatright is allowed/allotted 2 days for attendance ("alld 2 Days attce"), Salley Reese is allowed/allotted 13 days, and Joshua Wade is allowed/allotted 2 days. Additionally, on the motion of Slowman Reese by his attorney, an injunction is granted him to stay further proceedings on a judgment obtained against him by William Moon "til the Matter thereof shall be heard on a Bill now fild".
One year later in March 1787, a jury returns a verdict for the plaintiff in "Reese vs Moon" for £13.5.0 damages and costs (Book 9, page 43, image 264/625). Is this the proceeding in equity that Reese asked for in May 1786? Finally, in August 1787, in "Reese vs Moon", the court decrees that the injunction be made perpetual and that the plaintiff recover his costs (Book 9, page 86, image 287/625).
Did Sloman Reese ever receive any compensation from William Moon? We don't know. Probably not. In his request for a trial in a court of equity, Sloman mentions that Moon has moved far away from Bedford Co.
The following references are in Book 8 of the Order Books of the Bedford County Court, which can be seen at FamilySearch. The first number is the page number, and the second number is the image number. 47, 106; 61, 113; 70, 119; 71, 119; 77, 122; 137, 152; 138, 153; 248, 209; 249, 209; 255, 213; 258, 215; 259, 215; 288, 230. The following are in Book 9: 43, 264; 44, 264; 86, 287.
Scanned documents relative to the chancery case (index number 1787-013) can be seen at the website of the Library of Virginia:
https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=019-1787-013
Sloman's request for an injunction:
To the worshipful the Justices of Bedford County sitting in chancery humbly complaining sheweth unto your worships your Orator Sloman Reese that he undertook and agreed with a certain William Moon whom your Orator prays may be made Dft to this bill of complaint to act in the capacity of an Overseer at the plantation of Sd Moon in Bedford County during the year of 1784. Your Orator shews that it was expressly stipulated and agreed on the part of the Sd Moon to furnish your Orator and his family with provisions during his continuance as an Overseer for the year aforesd but the Sd Moon being scarce as to the article of corn himself and being under the necessity of purchasing the same for the use of his own family your orator was compelled to have recourse to his own resources and to whatever quarter he could procure this article, and your Orator swears that in the course of that year he was obliged from his own stock and from purchases to make use of seven barrels of indian corn for the use of his family which by positive agreement the Sd Moon was to have furnished and in consequence of his inability to comply with his contract in this instance he assured and promised your Orator that at the expiration of the year aforesd he would allow your Orator ample allowance and compensation for the corn which should be found necessary for the use and support of his family -- in full confidence from this agreement and assurance of the Sd William Moon your orator continued to supply his family with the article of corn to the amount aforesd. Your Orator further Shews that during the year aforesd he became Indebted to the Sd Wm Moon the sum of £__ [blank, not unreadable] for the payment of which he gave his note of hand not doubting but the Sd Moon would credit for the corn above mentioned when it should be once ascertained what quantity was necessarily made use of for the purposes aforesd But now so it is may it please the Court the Sd Moon not regarding his agreement and undertaking aforesaid hath instituted suit in the County Court of Bedford for the recovery of the amount of the aforementioned note and has prosecuted the same as a ___ and issued an ___ against the body ___________ of your Orator; --- all which actings and doings are contrary to equity and good conscience and tend manifestly to the injury and oppression of your Orator, more especially as he expressly charges that the Sd quantity of seven barrels of corn which was necessarily consumed for the use and support of his family was not accounted for at the time of executing the aforementioned note of hand because it could not be ascertained what quantity should be found to be necessary and that it was to be setled for at the expiration of the year. In tender consideration whereof and for as much as your Orator is remediless by the Strict rules of common Law because the Sd Moon has since removed to a quarter remote from the Jurisdiction of this Government. May it please yr worships to grant your Orator a subpoena that the Sd William Moon may upon his corporal oath true and perfect answer make to the premisses as if the same where[sic] here again repeated and interrogated, now especially If your Orator was not Overseer for him the Sd William during the year 1784? Whether by agreement the Sd William was to furnish your Orator's family with necessary provisions & whether your orator was not compelled from the Sd Moon's inability to supply him with the article of corn to purchase or to furnish himself from his own stock during his continuance on Sd plantation, and whether the Sd William by agreement and promise was not to account for and allow yr Orator for the Same, and yr Orator further prays that the Sd William may upon his corporal & solemn oath say whether he made any allowance or gave yr Orator credit at the time he executed the aforementioned note of hand for any corn, and whether from the extremely[sic] scarcity of that article the current price of the Same was twenty Shillings for the year aforesd. May it please your worships to grant your [Orator] a writ of Injunction to stay further proceedings at Common Law till this matter can be heard in equity and the Court decree what may be just and equitable
Crawford Mag.
May 86.
Sworn to in Court
Teste, J. Steptoe Cl: B C.
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