Case Summary

James McAlvoy enlisted in the U.S. Army. His mother, Bridget McAlvoy, asserted that he was a minor and petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus to retrieve him, which was granted. After hearing the evidence, James was released.

Case Information

Petition type(s)

• Institutional

Petition subtype(s)

• Underage military enlistment

Sites of significance

• Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis, Missouri)

Outcome

Writ allowed

Fate of bound party

Released from custody

Case Citation

St. Louis Law Commissioners' Court, August Term 1855, No. 105

Source material(s)

Case File

Length of case file

Between 6 and 10 pages

Repository(s)

• Missouri State Archives-St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri)

State

• Missouri

Tag(s)

• Children

People

• McAlvoy, James (alias James Roy) (bound party)
• McAlvoy, Bridget (petitioner)
• See, R. E. (responding party)
• See, R. E. (holding party)
• Colvin, John W. (judge)

• Additional parties

  Eccurs, N. G. (physician)

  O’Hara, Capt. (enlisting officer)