28 December 1843

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Autograph letter signed

Title: to R.W. Latham

Jackson writes to Latham at Upperville, Virginia. Discusses Stockly Donelson's default on a contract involving the purchase of enslaved people from Andrew Jackson Donelson and Andrew Jackson, Jr. Latham who attempted to hold A. J. Donelson and Andrew Jackson Jr. liable for the sum. Tells Latham that Stockly's part of the debt is secured by a deed of trust.

GLC03423

January 24, 1691 - December 20, 1843

Header Record

Title: Middlesex County Virginia documents [Decimalized: .01-.85]

A collection of eighty seven documents, many regarding the slave trade in Middlesex County Virginia. Includes by-laws for Colored Ladies Lincoln Association and a document regarding a freeman emancipating an enslaved woman he intended to marry. Also includes slave sales documents. The collection also includes materials relating to the Pursoll family, the Winn family, and a printed document signed by Peter V. Daniel, who later served as Supreme Court Justice. A finding aid list was created by Pierpont Morgan Library.

GLC03434

1861-1865

Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant, 1818-1893

Autograph letter signed

Title: to J. T. Doswell

Dated "Saturday morning." Beauregard encloses a note (not included) from "a gentleman who had offered me that servant girl & her family." Two of the family recently died, and though Beauregard regrets their death, he is "glad it has occurred before they had been bought." Doswell was likely a financial agent and/or merchant in New Orleans.

GLC03564

9 September 1786

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Francis Mercer

Washington replies to a letter from Mercer, noting that he would have replied sooner, but he had a fever. Expresses his plan to never enslaved another person again, and his wish that slavery be abolished by "slow, sure & imperceptible degrees." Discusses financial matters, mentioning a debt he owes Governor George Clinton of New York, which was supposed to have been repaid within twelve months of "the Peace" (1783). For what remains of the loan, Washington is paying seven percent interest. Mentions another, higher debt he owes to an unspecified individual, and that repayment of this…

GLC03705

1839-1844

Jones, William, fl. 1823-1860

Manuscript document signed

Title: [Plantation Book]

Plantation account book of William Jones, the owner of a cotton plantation in the vicinity of Jonesville, Liberty County, Georgia, near Savannah. Also mentions planting rice, but cotton appears to be the main staple of the plantation. Gives a nearly day-by-day account of the operation of his plantation. The book was kept as a record of planting, harvests, weather, preparation of ground, allocation of slave labor, crop yields, prices realized, and other agricultural matters. Provides extremely little on Jones's personal life. No systematic listing of slaves on the plantation is provided, but…

GLC03703

1 November 1841

Garrard, Theophilus T., 1812-1902

Autograph document signed

Title: [Document regarding Garrard's debt to Daniel Garrard]

Cites the details of several sums Theophilus owes Daniel Garrard (one of Theophilus's brothers and his father were named Daniel). As surety, Theophilus conveys the right, title, and interest of a tract of land in Clay County, Kentucky, to Daniel (the land is known as "the saltworks tract"). Also presents Daniel with "the Abner Baker place," crops, farm animals, and slaves (including Andy, Bill, and George) until the debt is paid.

GLC03996

28 March 1785

Walton, George, 1740-1804

Autograph document signed

Title: [Legal Document on confiscation of slaves]

Written by the Declaration of Independence signer George Walton. Was written while Walton was the Chief Justice of Georgia. Legal document in the case Hancock v. Jack. Document declares that three negroes had been delivered by the "Commissioners of Confiscated Estates to Henry Allison." Allison had received the slaves as compensation for military service and had sold them to the defendant. Goes on to say that the plaintiff recovered them "as not having ever been public property." Says that Allison must apply to the government to be reimbursed. Attached document signed by Thomas [Hancock]…

GLC04337

28 June 1849

Payne, Ann, fl. 1849

Document signed

Title: [Deed of sale for two slaves]

Possibly a copy possibly written in the hand of Lewis Carbery. Deed of sale for slaves Eliza Jones & son Sam Jones for $170 to William Fowler. Eliza, age twenty-nine, and son Sam, sixteen months, were sold on condition that Eliza be freed on Ann Payne's death and that Sam be freed at the age of 28. Signed by Payne with her mark. Second page is Lewis Carbery's autograph endorsement signed, attesting to the sale as justice of the peace. Docket signed by Jonathan A. Smith.

GLC04294

1836

American Anti-Slavery Society, 1833-1870

Broadside

Title: Slave Market of America.

American Anti-Slavery Society broadside regarding the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia. The text quotes scripture, the Declaration of Independence, the federal Constitution, state constitutions, and news accounts. Illustrated with nine woodcuts. The woodcuts include the signing of the Declaration (based on Trumbull), a map of the capitol district entitled "The Residence of 7000 Slaves," a picture of the capitol building, three pictures of public prisons including one captioned "Jail in Washington, Sale of a Free Citizen to pay his Jail Fees," and three pictures of "Private…

GLC04557

9 April 1823

Carroll, Charles, 1737-1832

Autograph letter signed

Title: to William Gibbons

Writing to his overseer regarding a slave he has just purchased, a blacksmith named Clem. Says Clem does not get special treatment but that "he was promised, if sold, that his wife should live with him." Also discusses buying horses. Signed "Ch. Carroll of Carrollton."

GLC04868

24 August 1835

Fannin, James Walker, Jr., 1804-1836

Autograph document signed

Title: [Agreement for sale of five slaves]

Fannin receives $2800 in payment from J. F. Perry for the purchase of five slaves "African Negroes": Billy, John, Joe, Peter, and Betcey.

GLC06186

February 4, 1835

Palmer, Hastings D., 1806-1879

Document signed

Title: [Receipt for payment for a slave named Eliza]

Adam Poole pays Palmer $500 for "a negro girl of dark complexion, about sixteen years of age, known by the name of Eliza or 'Lize,' which I warrant to be sound in body and mind as well as a slave for life." Attested to by [Jessi H. Cleveland?].

GLC06261.01.01

18 September 1852

Napier, John E., fl. 1852

Autograph letter signed

Title: [Bill of sale for a female slave named America and her child]

Napier sells America, a nineteen year old slave, and her six week old child to James Chambers for $675. Attests that the slaves are "sound and slaves for life..."

GLC06261.02

26 December 1774

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Autograph letter signed

Title: to James Mercer

Written by Washington a month after the adjournment of the first Continental Congress to Mercer as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. Informs Mercer of the cost of purchases made for him in Frederick, Maryland including £29 for a slave named Kate. Says the whole of Mercer's purchase was for £2385.14.2. Has heard nothing from Colonel Payton on the Loudoun County land for which Mercer was charged. Washington is involved in a disputed land deal through Mercer for Gray & Adams land, and he writes that it appears that the land in question is 56 acres short of the 1224 he was going to…

GLC06335

February 6, 1864

Sandoz, Joel H., fl. 1840-1864

Newspaper

Title: The Opelousas courier. [Vol. 11, no. 44 (February 6, 1864)]

The raising of a "State Guard" to repress crimes and act as a police force. Information about a public sale of slaves and a $600 reward for runaways. French translation on right side. Lilac-colored grape and oak floral pattern wallpaper.

GLC05988.07

February 13, 1864

Sandoz, Joel H., fl. 1840-1864

Newspaper

Title: The Opelousas courier. [Vol. 11, no. 45 (February 13, 1864)]

News from the Confederate capitol at Richmond that Lee's Army has not received reinforcements after the turn of events at Gettysburg. Ads for slave sales, fugitive slaves, and retail. French translation on right side. Wallpaper has beautiful multicolor floral and geometric pattern (pattern # 1930).

GLC05988.08

5 March 1864

Sandoz, Joel H., fl. 1840-1864

Newspaper

Title: The Opelousas courier. [Vol. 11, no. 48 (March 5, 1864)]

News that five federal gun boats entered the Red River bombarding Fort Beauregard. Schedule of prices for state stores. French translation on right side. Ads for slave sales. Wallpaper has floral pattern printed on purple-brown background.

GLC05988.10

4 April 1787

Yard, Benjamin, 1757-1787

Document signed

Title: [Affadavit of sales agreement for a slave named Hannibal in St. Croix]

Marked "Copy." Certifies that he purchased Hannibal in October 1780 from Captain John Earl. He was informed that Thomas Wright, a sailor on board Earl's ship, owned one half of Hannibal. Payment was twenty half "Joes" - ten to the captain and ten to Wright in Havana. Payment also included a certain amount of rum. The rum was worth £50.17.7 1/4 Philadelphia currency and was shipped to Earl on Captain Harr's vessel on 31 October 1781. Says "I do not recollect any other circumstances attending the Sale of this Negro."

GLC06148

7 March 1862

Bondurant & Elliot

Newspaper

Title: Daily Richmond whig. [Vol. 67, no. 56 (March 7, 1862)]

Page 1 and 2 have an image of the Viriginia state seal. Piece of 19th century paper adhered to the front page has the name "W. H. DeWitt." List of the acts passed by the Confederate Congress on front page. Page 2 has several columns of news from the Congress. Article on Confederate foreign relations which states "Negro slave labor, then, may safely be assumed to be essential to the successful production of cotton in the Confederate States. If the negro were withdrawn, or his status materially changed, the crop would soon dwindle into insignficance-for none but the negro can do the work, and…

GLC05959.78

1862 - 1864

Morse, N.S., fl. 1862-1864

Header Record

Title: Daily chronicle & sentinel.

Each issue contains telegraphic reports and Northern news, mostly covering battle reports and war news. Commercial reports indicate stock values in Augusta markets, including financial, cotton, dry goods, grain, groceries, country produce, and sale of enslaved people. Special notices in each issue list religious services, legislative and election news (including intentions of running for elected office), meeting notices, requests for blankets for soldiers, and conscription notices. Auction notices list a variety of things for sale in each issue. Most issues have four pages; one has two…

GLC05959.07

1862

Holden, William Woods, 1818-1892

Header Record

Title: Weekly standard.

The paper gives regular reports of the latest war news. Advertisements include runaway slave notices and slaves for sale; retail, real estate, and other items for sale; conscription substitutes wanted; lost items; and market reports. Telegraphic news is also included. Obituaries are printed, as are notices of deserters. Many issues contain minutes of the North Carolina Legislature or Acts and Resolutions of the North Carolina General Assembly. Most issues contain fugitive slave and negro for sale ads. (1862/9/17, 1862/12/17, 1862/12/24, and 1862/12/31)

GLC05959.22

1805

Wood, Samuel, 1760-1844

Broadside

Title: Injured Humanity; Being A Representation of What the Unhappy Children of Africa Endure from Those Who Call Themselves Christians

Printed broadside on terrible conditions of slavery and the slave trade in the West Indies. Wood, a prolific Quaker-reformist publisher, printed and sold the broadside out of his office at 362 Pearl Street in New York. Describes the sale, horrendous working conditions, and punishments of the slaves. Seven graphic vinettes depict slaves being whipped, sold, and tortured. There is no date of creation on the broadside, but the printing date was discovered as 1805 through research.

GLC05113

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Slave Pen, Alexandria, Va

E. & H. T. Anthony, publisher. Negative by Brady & Co., Washington. Union soldiers stand at the iron gate to the slave pen. Inscription on verso: "Emma G. Griggs From my Husband."

GLC05137.075

1861-1865 ca.

Photograph

Title: Slave Pen, Alexandria, Va

E. & H. T. Anthony, publisher. Negative by Brady & Co., Washington. A black woman holding a basket stands in front of the slave pen. Two men stand behind the iron gate.

GLC05137.076

1 April 1854

Stith, C., fl. 1854

Autograph document signed

Title: [Receipt of sale for a slave]

Signed by Stith. Receipt for the sale of a "Negro Boy Richard about fifteen or sixteen years of age..." sold for $1,000 to James W. Goodman. Refers to Richard as "a slave for life."

GLC07356.03