A letter from Henry L. Barker at South Mulberry Plantation to William Ball in Cordesville expressing his sympathies for the death of their friend Bill.
A letter to Woodward Manning from his brother Ira L. Manning discussing the death of their brother Elisha, the failing cotton crop, the hiring of freedmen, and requesting information on who from their hometown was killed in the war.
A report signed by Robert F.W. Allston, his overseer Jesse Bellflowers and the reporting Dr. describing the death of an enslaved man named Joe who died following an injury from a fall.
A letter from William P. Carmichael to Langdon Cheves Jr. discussing the death of one of Cheves' enslaved persons. The enslaved person is described as "prime" and having "walk right overboard-it is supposed he was either asleep, or perhaps wanted to go to the edge of the boat..." The letter goes on to state that rescue attempts were made but "he was not seen after he fell." Carmichael concludes with a discussion on the anticipated arrival of the enslaved persons in Abbeville on rail cars and they are to "not leave the cars, as the same cars are to take them through to Abbeville depot."
A fragment of a plantation journal listing enslaved persons at Murry Hill Plantation. The pages include a list of enslaved men, women and children, notes on clothes for enslaved persons and births and deaths.
A list of enslaved children born at Nightingale Hall Plantation recording the month of birth and name of the child. Also noted are a list of deaths at Nightingale Hall Plantation.
A letter to Woodward Manning from his brother Ira L. Manning discussing the death of their brother John, a "rage" of yellow fever that has killed 125 people, acquiring land, crops, construction on a railroad in Alabama, and purchasing enslaved persons.
The Robert F.W. Allston Account Book, 1853-1855, records the numerous payments, receipts, debts and purchases and yearly crop information for Chicora Wood, Waverly and Nightingale Hall Plantations. Also included in the book are sections on births, deaths and marriages for enslaved people, writing down the first name of the men and women who married.
A letter to William Ball at Limerick Plantation from his mother Elizabeth Poyas discussing the seal and signature of Ball's grandmother Jane, a release of dower to Elizabeth Smith, a renunciation of dower from Judith Ball for lands at "Wambaw," a release of 500 acres of lands in "Irishtown," information on land held by Henry Laurens, a list of marriages within the family, the death of Catherine Ball (Smith) and her infant and the Ball family's connection to Henry Laurens. The letter continues by discussing the memoirs of Henry Laurens and Eliza Ball's daughter Martha Laurens Ramsay. These memoirs details the Laurens family's "extraction" from France, being Huguenot or Protestant, compelled to leave France due to the Edict of Nantes, traveling to America in 1685, the migration of the Ball family from England, the death of Eliza Ball, Henry Laurens traveling to England to oversee his children's educations, leaving England for America because "love for his country brought him back to it's defence against the aggressions of Britain," the death of John Laurens in 1782 due to a wound from battle, Henry Lauren's imprisonment in the Tower of London for high treason, his liberation and signing of the "preliminaries of peace," and a genealogy chart of the family.
The Account of Enslaved Persons and Various Stories, 1831-1844, is kept by or for a member of the Ball family. The first half of the account book contains various lists of enslaved men, women and children owned by John Ball at Comingtee/Stoke, Kensington and Midway Plantations in Berkeley County, South Carolina. These lists include enslaved persons given first or second quality blankets, cloth, clothes and osnaburg fabric as well as lists of pregnant enslaved women or enslaved infants given clothes.
The second half of the book contains stories retold by various persons on topics such as an eyewitness account of the Steamship Pulaski Disaster in 1838, stories of enslaved persons including the execution of an enslaved man, stories about the family of George Chicken, eyewitness accounts of the British occupation in Charleston during the Revolutionary War, numerous ghost stories and an account of the first settlers of Charlestown.
The last will and testament of Robert F.W. Allston outlining his wishes to pay his debts by selling portions of his estate. Robert Allston's wife Adele Allston and sons Benjamin and Robert Jr., each receive one-third part of the estate. The second page, dated one year later, includes an addendum on the death of Robert Allston Jr., and the division of the estate between Robert Allston's wife Adele and their son and daughters.
A letter from Langdon Cheves Sr. asking for assistance into discovering the cause of death for four enslaved persons at Delta Plantation. The letter mentions that four enslaved persons died in the field during planting time and that due to insufficient work, the overseer was asked to "employ the necessary punishments to enforce obediency..." Cheves states that punishments included seventy-five lashes which he deemed "perfectly harmless to him and much short of what would have been generally inflicted for the misconduct of which he was guilty."
A letter to Langdon Cheves Sr. concerning the cause of death for four enslaved persons on Delta Plantation. The letter mentions a possible chronic malady as the cause rather than "improper severity" by the overseer or harm by other enslaved persons. Makes a remark that the enslaved man Charles, thought to have committed suicide, may have fallen into the canal accidentally.
An agreement from Langdon Cheves Sr. to Mr. Zant allowing him to work two enslaved persons on his plantation for the crop of 1834. Mentions deductions of money for loss of crops but not for an enslaved person who runs away or dies. The third page of the agreement contains a note on the mortgage for enslaved persons.
A letter from Stoke Plantation overseer Thomas Finklea to John Ball in Charleston discussing enslaved runaways in the neighborhood, putting together a patrol of overseers and the enslaved persons Scipio and Ned to find these supposedly armed runaways. The letter goes on stating that the runaway named Morris tried to kill Scipio with a sword and the other runaway named Adam had a gun. Finklea ends with the death of the enslaved woman Amey and the poor health of various enslaved persons, that Morris was shot and injured and an inventory of cattle.
A letter from Kensington Plantation overseer James Coward to John Ball in Charleston discussing the rice, pea and corn crops, the death of Mr. Simmons, and the death of young children due to sickness.
A letter from Kensington Plantation overseer James Coward to John Ball in Charleston discussing the health of John Ball, the weather, planting slips, the death of Celia at Midway Plantation, and details on when the enslaved persons "strip themselves" when it rained due to the warm weather.
