A letter from Virginia Wilkinson Belin at Sandy Knowe plantation to her mother, Eleanora Wilkinson. She shares some news of nearby Friendfield plantation, where 10 slaves ran away.
This is a Sandy Island plantation journal written inside of The South Carolina and Georgia Almanac for the year 1792. The plantation journal documents the planting of crops (rice, corns, and potatoes), the maintenance of ditches and drains, slave records, complications with the hiring of an overseer, livestock, and business relations with Laurel Hill Plantation.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she implores him to supply the enslaved people on their plantation with meat, milk, tobacco, and textiles to discourage them from escaping. She also updates him on their acquisition of a farm and Greenville and the general economic state of the town.
This document is a labor agreement between J. W. Sprague and freedmen and signed by other numerous individuals. The reverse side of the document includes the notation "Agreement Hands."
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she arranges the arrival of six enslaved people in Greenville. She also advises him on the management of their house in Charleston and warns him to not allow enslaved people to travel without the accompaniment of a white person so as to prevent their impressment.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she writes of her efforts to find an affordable house in Greenville. She also discusses the Civil War and rumors of enslaved people escaping plantations. Attached to this letter is a note that further specifies houses available to purchase.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Susan Alston to her father, Charles Alston, in which she describes their work setting up the farm in Greenville and complains about the soaring cost of living in the town. She also relays the story of the Seven Days Battles in Virginia, blaming General Huger for the Union's escape.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she discusses her situation in Greenville and her continued search for a house. She writes of her concerns about the Civil War's effect on their finances and house in Charleston; in addition, she lists the names of enslaved people that she brought with her to Greenville (Zilpah, Winnie, Brown, little Thomas, John, Venus, Johny).
In this six-page, handwritten letter Warren Hubert Moise writes to his nephew, Edwin Warren Moise (b. 1889), about a trip he took to Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. He also discusses his father, Edwin Warren Moise (b. 1810), whose death in 1868 left the family in financial distress.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing the Denmark Vesey trial, money and business.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she informs him of a rumor that the Confederate authorities plan to send all enslaved people to Charleston. Emma expresses her disapproval of this and encourages Charles to only send certain people if he cannot avoid the command altogether.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she describes the issues of crowding and food scarcity in the city of Greenville. She requests that her husband send barrels of rice to them and instructs him on the management of enslaved people such as old Molly, young Molly, and Fred.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she describes the situation at their new farm in Greenville, including the growing prices and scarcity of food. Throughout the letter, she mentions the work done by enslaved people such as Tom, Winnie, and Toby.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania discussing health, religion and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include the notation, "on the case of the poor blacks who I fear are in the community at large" and "that wretched Vesey." Also references executions include the hanging of "Gullah Jack" or "creature" known for his superstitions. Makes notation "Mrs. Martin's negroes" attacking with firearms.
A list of sales figures to various places throughout the United States and the tonnage shipped for the year 1766. [page 1] A continuation of the sales list for the year 1767. [page 2]
This letter is from John Lloyd in Charleston, South Carolina to his nephew Thomas B. Smith in London, England. Some of the contents of the letter discuss Smith's slave who was stolen, which he references as "a negro"; Lloyd's advocacy of "the new Constitution"; Smith's nephew William Farr who arrived from Holland and the estate of Thomas Farr.
The Frederick Fraser Receipt Book, 1793-1816, is a bound journal consisting of receipts for Frederick Fraser written by numerous merchants, family members and acquaintances Receipts include payments made for purchases, taxes, bonds, store accounts, pew rentals at church, cotton bagging, and the sales and purchases of enslaved men and women.
This document is the last will and testament of Mary Magdalen Poyas. Makes the notation that her two female slaves, Lydia and Sarah, are free upon her death.
This document is a court case discussing a law suit to recover wages brought by Lydia Witten, a midwife who delivered the child of a slave women (referenced as "negro woman") without the consent of her master.
A document with the title "Negroes, The Estate of Peter Villepontoux Deceased" in which the writer lists the names of enslaved men, women and children. Makes notation "Abby-mulatto wench" as well as the relationships between slaves.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she advises him on the sale and purchase of mules and enslaved people from Beneventum plantation. She also fears that Charleston will soon fall and describes the scarcity and rising cost of food and other necessities in Greenville amid the Civil War. In addition, she mentions the work done by two enslaved women, Zilpah and Venus, at their farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she describes the functioning of their new farm in Greenville, requests items from their plantations, and advises him on the management of enslaved people. She also mentions the possibility of hiring out Jack, an enslaved blacksmith.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she laments her experience house-hunting in Greenville, South Carolina, amid wartime inflation. She also worries for the situation of Charleston following a battle on James Island and advises on the management of enslaved people such as Tom Gibbs.
This document is the last will and testament of William Mills where he discusses the distribution of his properties and items. Makes notation on the first page that he leaves his son Thomas "my two negroes Jacob and Binah." On the second page, he makes the notation that he leaves his son Henry "my negro wench Maryanne," his son Robert, "my two negro men Dunder and Jeffrey" and his daughter Sarah, "my two negro girls named Jinney and her sister Cate." On the third page, makes the notation that he leaves to William Mills, "a negro boy about the age of (14)."
The Daniel Huger Receipt Book 1803-1812 is a bound book documenting the receipts by various employees of Daniel Huger and Charleston merchants he frequented. Receipts include the payments made to buyers of enslaved people, money sent for subscriptions to newspapers and to the Charleston Library Society and the American Revolution Society. Other receipts include dividends to the State Bank and employee wages.
This document is the last will and testmament of Thomas Hunter Forrest. Includes the notation that he bequeathed his entire estate, including slaves (referenced as negro slaves) and household furniture, to "a certain mulatto boy named Frank or Frederick and lately emancipated by me." In the event that the boy dies before he reaches the age of twenty-one, the estate is bequeathed to the "Orphan House in the City of Charleston." Also makes the notation that his executors see that Frank or Frederick recieved a "good English education," learns a trade and that the "wench Sarah" is not to be sold in order to take care of Frank or Frederick.
This document is a report to commissioners regarding the slaves of R. Russell Ash, listing their value and division upon his death. The enslaved men and women are referenced as "negroes."
The Daniel Huger Receipt Book, 1812-1819, is a bound book documenting the receipts by various employees of Daniel Huger and Charleston merchants he frequented. Receipts include the payments made to buyers of enslaved people, money sent for subscriptions to newspapers and to the Charleston Library Society, the American Revolution Society, and churches. Other receipts include money for advertisements and political campaigns, employee wages, tuition money for his daughters and funeral expenses and memorials following the death of his son, Daniel Huger Jr.
The Medical Account Book of Dr. George Paddon Bond Hasell contains medical entries on visits and treatments for Georgetown County plantation families and their slaves between 1812-1816. The book is written in both English and Latin and references enslaved people by their first name, the name of their slave owner or by using the letter "N" before their name.
This document is the last will and testament of Joseph Waring. Makes the notation that he left his son William "one negro fellow named Billy" and Marcella, Clara and Jacob.
The Gaillard Plantation Journal, 1817 is an anonymous journal concerning shoes made for enslaved people on a plantation owned by the Gaillard family. Other entries discuss cattle, milk, coffee, and pecks of corn.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing religion and a bad storm. Details include the deaths of members of "Lavel's" family, deaths in the Withers family, the escape of Miss De "Berrrie" from an island, the death of a slave or "negro girl" who was crushed by the fall of a house and that three young girls held on to a log for two hours immersed in water.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania discussing the Denmark Vesey trial, personal matters and religion.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania discussing health, religion and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include the notation that Satan is "setting these incendiaries the Negroes to work," the defenses put up by the city, suspicions for persons involved, brief information regarding who Denmark Vesey is and his execution where a young boy was killed by a carriage and finally, the execution of "29 poor miserable cuplrits."
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing health, religion and her opinions on slavery and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include those she calls "insurgents," and "miserable men."
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania primarily discussing the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include Vesey's incarceration, his state of mind and the notation, "he deserved to die." Also references the execution of conspirators involved calling them "villians."
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania discussing personal matters, religion and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include the approaching execution on "the gallows" including for someone named "Billy."
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania discussing health, money and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include references to those involved describing them as "deluded creatures," the approaching execution of William Garner and the hanging of twenty-two people.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing health, specifically yellow fever and a bad storm she describes as a "tornado" in which five people drowned on a schooner.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania primarily discussing money issues, house rents and the Denmark Vesey trial. Makes notation referencing slaves as "negroes."
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Germantown, Pennsylvania primarily discussing money issues, house rents and the Denmark Vesey trial. Makes notation referencing slaves as "negroes."
A cash book for Robert F.W. Allston for the years 1823-1843. The book includes account transactions conducted by Allston including payment of overseer wages, the hiring out of enslaved people, transportation, taxes, governesses, nurses, crops, sundries, and cloth distributed to slaves. This book also includes accounts between Allston and other individuals including the Estate of Charlotte A. Allston (primarily for the purchases of blankets, shoes, and cloth for enslaved people) and an account with Mary P. Jones. The last several pages of the book contain cash ledgers. Allston explicitly notes accounting related to Matanza Plantation, later known as Chicora Wood. Other account records do not explicitly state plantation sites.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing the Denmark Vesey trial, health, money, religion and politics. Makes notation regarding eleven deaths the week before.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing health, money and the Denmark Vesey trial. Details include references to rumors on another "insurrection"
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing the Denmark Vesey trial, health, money, business and religion.
A letter from Mary Lamboll Beach to her sister Elizabeth Gilchrist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania discussing the Denmark Vesey trial, health, money and business.
The Henry Ravenel Account Book, 1822-1833 is a book kept by Henry Ravenel documenting the purchases of goods by enslaved people as well as accounts of various members of the Dubon and Porcher families for personal goods.
One enslaved woman named Charlotte, described as being "mulatto" was sold from the estate of Robert Francis Withers to Stephen C. Ford for the sum of $900.
The Andrew Hasell Medical Account Book between the years 1830-1842 is a book listing Dr. Andrew Hasell?s visitations to ill or injured patients on various plantations throughout Georgetown County, South Carolina. His book documents the diseases, injuries, surgical procedures and deaths of patients that include enslaved men, women, and children. Some pages are written in partial latin.
This document conveys an ownership in trust of "certain coloured children" of William Remley to several individuals emancipating them. Remley expresses his desire that the children "enjoy all the privileges of free persons," and the deed directs that they should be taken to a "non-slave holding state" should anyone attemp to enslave them. The slaves are listed as Elizabeth, Catharine, Ann, Eliza, Cinda and Harriott.
This document is a bill of sale at Charleston, South Carolina for a slave named Rhoda, referenced as "negro girl slave," sold to C.S. Simonton from Louisa Lane for $600.
A document with the title "List of Negroes on my Marriage Settlement" listing the names of fourty enslaved men and women in an 1835 marriage settlement.
The Stoney Account Book, 1837-1838, and Plantation Daybook, 1852 is a bound volume kept by the Stoney family, possibly John Stafford Stoney, in which the first half of the book documents payments for shipping, freights, wharfage and commissions from GM Thompson, Wade Hampton II, William Cunningham, Robert E. Russell, Mary Hampton, Horace Osborne & Co., John Preston, and Nesbit Manufacturing Co. The second half of the book was written by a plantation overseer at Medway Plantation in which he documents the tasks performed by enslaved people and the slaves who missed work due to sickness. The names of the slaves are listed as: Abraham, Andrew, Beck, Bella, Bess, Binah, Bob, Brooke, Celia, Cesar, Charlot, Cily, Dido, Dinah/Old Dinah, Dolly, Edward, Elsey, Grace, Hector, Hercules, Jack, Jackey, Kate, Maully, Moses, Old Elley, Old Felix, Old Jerry, Peter, Philaskey, Philis, Pussy, Quash, Robert, Robin, Rosannah, Sam, and Samey.
The General Work and Allowance List was kept in the year 1840 by the Glover family and records the enslaved people at Camp, West Bank, Forlorn Hope and Snug-it-is Plantations. Information includes the names of the male, female and child slaves, tasks completed by the slaves and their food allowances.
Slave pass written by Sarah H. Savage giving permission for an enslaved person named Mack to stay on Bedon's Alley for two months. The pass notes that Mack was "hired by his Mother."
The front page of the document includes the title "Bill of Sale for M. O'Connor" and the notation "J. J Palmer." The second page discusses the purchase of the slave Jim from the estate of John S. Palmer to M. O'Conner for $127. Refers to Jim as "Negro slave."
Bill of sale for "negro slave named Cyrus" who is the property of William S. McDonald and sold to Stephen Ford for $650. The reverse side includes a testimony to the sale.
Notes on Charles Sumner's Lecture on White Slavery in the Barbary States, 1847, is a bound journal kept by a member of the Allston family in which they summarize the lecture given by Charles Sumner at the Boston Mercantile Library Association. The lecture discusses the Missouri Compromise, the "peculiar institution of the south," the history of slavery by the nations of antiquity, the importation of enslaved people into the English world, a timeline of slavery in the United States and Sumner's opinions of slavery as being cruel and sinful.
The Newton Plantation Slave Lists and Blanket Distribution Book, 1854-1861, is a bound book recording the names of enslaved persons at Newton Plantation (thought to be in Georgetown County, South Carolina). The lists include information concerning births, deaths, marriages, and purchasers of slaves. The blanket list includes names of the slaves, and the years blankets were distributed.
The 1854 Samuel Wilson journal is a Miller's Planters & Merchants Almanac repurposed as a journal. The journal contains handwritten meterological observations, weekly reports of yellow fever deaths, mortality tables, deaths of slaves including murder, notes on family matters, fires, hurriances and other events that took place in Charleston in the year 1854.
The front page of the slave bill of sale is the notation "Peter G. Snowden to H. W. Ravenel Trustee." The reverse side is a bill signed by Peter G. Snowden describing the sale of two slaves named Cupid and George for the sum of $1,500 to Henry Ravenel, trustee under the marriage settlement of Snowden and his wife Laura Ana.
Bill of sale for "sixteen negro slaves" for $5,800 sold by Edward North, executor of the estate of J.P Gough, to E.B. Means. The slaves are listed as Patty, Peggy, William, Mary, Tenah, Harriett, Willoughby, Jenn, James, Delia, Silvey, Toney, Sally, Henry, Kate and Caroline.
The Dr. Francis P. Porcher Prescription Book 1856-1859 records the patients, including enslaved people, of Dr. Francis Peyre Porcher. The descriptions state the names of the patients, the slave and their owner, the types of medicines that are being prescribed and specific ingredients for those medicines.
This multi-page document is a slave insurance policy by the Aetna Life Insurance Company to Thomas P. Allen. Enclosed is details on the insurance policy for the enslaved women listed as "Sebina" or "Sebrina" and her occupation as a washer.
A written agreement between James Adams and James Hopkins in which Adams agrees to the sale of fifty slaves for $34,000. The slaves are referenced by name or as "negroes" and the following pages of the agreement discuss interest and debt.
This document is the last will and testament of Mary Ellison that discusses the distribution of her finances, estate and personal items. Makes the notation that she leaves her daugher Harriet "my negro slaves" listed as Binah, George, May, Robert, Betsey, Jerry, Sam, Jane, Sukey, Sukie's children, Lizzie, Caroline and Eliza.
An account of the Hardscrabble plantation that details concerns over frost threatening the crops of the plantation and the capture of runaway enslaved people.
An account of the Hardscrabble plantation that describes a scene of frost threatening the crops of the plantation and the capture of runaway enslaved people.
A record of sale with the title "A Prime Gang of 27 orderly Country-raised Negroes" by Wilbur & Son. Makes notation regarding the sale at a public auction for the following slaves: Sam, Amy, Rodger, Doll, Bella, Moll, Myrcam, Phoebe, Harriet, Mary, Sye, Joe, Flora, Scipio, Daniel, Jane, Emma, High Bob, Thomas and numerous children not referenced by name. Includes associated figures in dollars and the ages and qualifications of each slave.
A medical receipt from Dr. T. J. Goodwin to James P. Adams recording the patients treated and their fees. Makes notation of the medical treatment of "little negroes" and includes associated figures. The reverse side of the receipt includes the notation "Mr. Jas P. Adams $64.00."
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles Alston, in which she discusses her fear of the Union's destruction of Georgetown, South Carolina. She also mentions the dissatisfaction of the enslaved people from one of their plantations and encourages him to visit them in order to dissuade them from escaping.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles Alston, in which she laments the ongoing Civil War and specifically worries about their ability to maintain their enslaved workers. She advises him on which enslaved people to bring to Georgetown and the possibility of hiring out Jack, a blacksmith.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Joseph Alston to his father, Charles Alston, in which he tells him of his experience in a skirmish with a Union gunboat and updates him on the movement of other Confederate troops. He also discusses the spread of edema among enslaved people and them escaping to Union soldiers. In addition, he mentions the conditions at his residence and the spread of fever there.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Joseph Alston to his father, Charles Alston, in which he updates him on his status as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. He informs his father of the Confederate troops moving north to Virginia and discusses topics such as Benjamin Huger's actions and the lack of intervention from England or France in the war.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she advises him on the management of enslaved people (Alfred, Forester, Philemon, Mitchell, and Andrew) in the face of them possibly escaping to the Union. She also reports on the family's situation and health at the new farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she shares her fear for the future of South Carolina, specifically Charleston and Georgetown, amid the Civil War. She also mentions the impact of the war on enslaved people and the Middleton family.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she reports on life at the new farm in Greenville, shares her concern for the Union troops' advancement in Georgetown, and advises him on the management of enslaved people.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her sister, Elizabeth Smith, in which she describes the situation at the Alstons' new farm in Greenville.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she encourages him to provide the enslaved people with milk, meat, tobacco, molasses, and sugar to dissuade them from escaping. She also discusses the general state of their newly acquired farm in Greenville and requests him to send enslaved people to fix it up. On the back of the envelope, a list of names and "by Hands by Charleston South Carolina" is written.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she relays rumors of enslaved people being impressed into service in Charleston. She advises him on the management of enslaved people such as Andrew, Johny, little Alec, and Brown's wife, and she informs him of the health of relatives in the Confederate military. She also reveals that she has been attempting to hire out an enslaved man, Jack, to various people in Greenville, South Carolina.
A handwritten, two-page letter from James A. Pringle to Charles Alston, forwarded to him by his wife, Emma Alston, in which Pringle updates Charles Alston on his finances, including his payment of the Confederate War tax and holding of Confederate bonds. Emma Alston adds to the letter to inform Charles of the arrival of an enslaved person, Tom Gibbs, to their Greenville farm and express her concerns for the future of Charleston and South Carolina amid the Civil War.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she encourages him to provide additional provisions, including meat and tobacco, for the enslaved people to prevent them from running away to the Union Army. She also discusses the necessities for the repair of their farm, requesting that he arrange for enslaved labor and materials to be sent.
A handwritten, two-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she relays her knowledge of the Confederate war efforts. In addition, she considers what should be done for the enslaved people left at the Alstons' Charleston home and at their plantation in Pee Dee.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she discusses the possibility for illness, specifically typhus fever, spreading in crowded South Carolina cities. In addition, she expresses her wartime fears and advises him on the management of enslaved people. Attached to this letter is a note requesting that he bring books on farming to Greenville. On the front of the envelope, a list of items is written; on the back, a list of names of enslaved people is written.
A handwritten, three-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she confirms her purchase of a farm in Greenville and lists the names of enslaved people she wants Charles to bring to work on the property (Tom Gibbs, Mitchell, Peter McCants, Alfred, Abraham, Charles, little Alec, Guy, Philander, Tyra's Tom, Philemon, Damon, Warley, Porter, Prince, little Morris, Prince's wife, Brown's wife, and Peter Brown). On the front of the envelope, names with checkmarks beside them are listed; on the back, a list of items and groceries is written.
A handwritten, four-page letter from Emma Alston to her husband, Charles, in which she notifies him of her purchase of a farm in Greenville and lists the names of the enslaved people she plans to have work on the property. She also encourages him to purchase a new plantation on the interior of South Carolina to avoid the dangers posed by the Union Army, including the prospect of enslaved people escaping.
