Christmas day letter from James B. Heyward back at Combahee to Maria Heyward in Columbia. In his letter, James is reflecting on the dire situation and the bleakness of their future believing soon "it will all be over and we shall be reduced to a poverty irretrievable." He struggles with what to do with his slaves given the eventual "scarcity of food" and "depreciated currency." He intends to leave the majority at his plantation but expects to bring up to Columbia "John's wife so as to take from him that temptation to running off." He writes that he will also bring "Mary if she will leave her daughter Molly...I don't value Mary so much as to saddle myself with the support of Molly." 10p.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson at Dean Hall Plantation. McBurney discusses the recurring problem of obtaining a steady supply of labor for Dean Hall and sends Ferguson several bushels of "Fripp" cotton seed. 6p.
Letter from William McBurney to Thomas B. Ferguson at Dean Hall. McBurney alludes to problems Ferguson is having with the lack of good labor and discusses cotton and rice options for the next planting seasons. 6p.
Legal complaint between William C. Bee and Godfrey Blake concerning the adjudication of several large tracts of lands bequeathed by Charles Heyward. 9p.
Letter from Edward Barnwell Heyward to James B. Heyward telling James that he is moving all his father's slaves from Combahee and Pocotaligo to Wateree, SC, for safety. He offers James some land nearby to move his slaves to and "rough it out" a while with him. His plan includes putting all his father's slaves in a camp in the woods "out of the wind, and driving rain, plenty of firewood, and dry ground." 8p.
Small booklet with the names of slaves and the carpenter's tools assigned to them on a yearly basis from 1853-1858 (cover of booklet lists 1852). There is no mention of the plantation but the slave names match several on the list of Fife Plantation slaves (no. 117). 16p.
List of Field Slaves for Hamburgh, Copenhagen, Rotterdam and Myrtle Grove Plantations in 1854-1856, designated by sex and full hand, half hand, etc. 26p.
Letter from Rev. A.J. Leavenworth in Petersburg, Virginia, to James B. Heyward thanking him for the daguerreotypes of his daughters. He writes at length about the beauty and charm of James Heyward's recently departed daughter Charlotte and concludes the letter with several suggestions for epitaphs. 8p.
Limit your search
Heyward and Ferguson Family Papers, 1806-1923✖[remove]389
