The Petition of James Manly an Indian humbly represents to your Honor hat he was ^free^ born at Edenton and that he never has been Guilty of any action by which his Freedom can be forfeited by any of the Laws of this or any other of the United States of America.

Your Petitioner further begs leave to inform your Worships that he has lived some Time past at Broad Creek and that on or about the [intentionally blank] Day of [intentionally blank] a Certain John Garland came to the dwelling House of the said James Manly and forcibly drove him away and sold him as a Slave to Colonel Levi Dawson for the Consideration of one hundred pounds specie. Wherefore as your Petitioner is a subject of this State and under the present happy Constitution humbly moves that this worshipfull Court will pass a ^an^ Order for liberating or setting ^him^ free from the service of Colonel Levi Dawson for for aforesaid and restore him to his Freedom. And as in Duty bound your Petioner will ever pray.