Memorandum between Matthew I. Keith, Susan Keith, William Henry Heyward, James B. Heyward, and Maria Heyward concerning a house on Meeting St., Charleston and the use of trust monies to purchase a summer house on Sullivan's Island. 4p. February 16, 1853.
Letter from C.R. Hains to James B. Heyward concerning the accidental? shooting of one of James' slaves, Sam, at a Mr. Perkins' house some months earlier. 3p. January 21, 1855.
Letter from Thomas M. Rhett to James B. Heyward asking him for more time to repay a loan so he can sell property to raise the necessary funds, having "lost my Crop of provisions, and made but a half crop of light Rice. 2p. December 22, 1856.
Statement of receipts and expenditures for the construction of Vernizobre Bank ("bank" believed to refer to a river bank or dyke). Earliest date appearing on the document is an expenditure to the contractor in 1854. 2p.
Ledger for Vernizobre Bank construction (bank termed as a repair to a river) ca. 1860, including entries dated 1859. Ledger itemizes expenses associated with the building of Vernizobre bank and includes payments to various landowners for use of their slave hands and carts. 4p.
Short contract between W.L. Hadine (?), C.R. Hains and James B. Heyward to oversee two unnamed Heyward properties in 1858 and 1859. The handwritten document includes short statements from 1859 detailing the fulfillment of the contract. 1p.
Letter from James B. Heyward to William Henry Heyward about their business agreement with John Chadwick at Fife Plantation. James dislikes the terms of the agreement and doesn't want it extended beyond the one year. He would rather sell Fife "than go into these extortionate bargains for cultivating it." 2p. March 16, 1866.
Letter from Lacklison & Co. in Savannah to James B. Heyward. The letter states that "owing to all communication being cut off from the South," the company is unable to secure from Philadelphia the boilers James had ordered for Fife Plantation. 1p. May 31, 1861.
Letter from James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation to his wife Maria Heyward in Columbia. James writes Maria about troubles in Savannah and fears the city will fall soon depending "upon the time it will take to reduce the Fort." He continues to mull over the fate of Fife Plantation and its slaves but speaks optimistically about plans for next summer. 8p.
Letter from William Henry Heyward at Savannah to James B. Heyward at Combahee. William Heyward has come to the conclusion that the destruction of slave labor will prevent them from ever turning a profit again on the scale seen in the past. He claims that the bargaining power exercised by the freedmen "makes the Planter a slave, far worse than his slave used to be." Because of the scarcity and high price of labor he believes that he and James should sell most of their properties and concentrate all their efforts on a few. 4p. April 17, 1866.
Letter from fellow Charlestonian Aimee B. Stevens in Pendleton, SC, to Maria Heyward in Columbia. Aimee offers her condolences on the destruction of the Heyward's house in Charleston and inquires if she saved "all her silver." She writes about living with other families who had fled Charleston and the warm "welcome given by the hospitable inhabitants" of Pendleton. 4p. June 17, 1862.
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.
Letter from James B. Heyward at Hamburgh Plantation to his wife Maria Heyward. James writes Maria about a battle at Port Royal Ferry "full of danger to our property" and his anxiety over the dangers of the war. 4p. January 3, 1862.
