A letter from Charlotte Allston to her overseer at Chicora Wood Plantation discussing the enslaved man Stephen, his family and the enslaved man Toney who escaped the plantation. She believes that Toney failed to escape the plantation and willingly returned to avoid being captured. She states that Stephen needs to be captured, not because he is valuable but for plantation moral. She further writes that she wishes Toney to be sent to work for the government on the fortifications until the war is over, to not be allowed to see his family and confined until he leaves. She writes that the elder enslaved persons James and Mary, the parents of Stephen, be held as hostages in jail as punishment for their child's escape. She states for them not to have communication with anyone in their family except if a white person is present.
A letter to Charlotte Allston from the overseer at Chicora Wood Plantation discussing the crops and tasks performed by enslaved persons. Makes notation that the enslaved person Stephen, his family and the enslaved person Toney escaped the plantation for the "yankees." He explains that one of the boats is missing and how the overseer stayed up all night "not knowing what Stephen will do."
A letter to Charlotte Allston from the overseer at Chicora Wood Plantation discussing crops, a sickness on the plantation and resistance from enslaved persons, particularly females, following Stephen's departure. Makes notation that the enslaved person Toney came back and has not been punished. According to Toney, Stephen tricked Toney to travel with him, only to be told later on that Stephen, who was supposedly armed, was taking his family to the "Yankees" and that Toney needs to come with them. Toney eventually was able to leave and return to the plantation.
A letter to Charlotte Allston from the overseer at Nightingale Hall Plantation discussing tasks performed by enslaved persons as well as those who are sick and crops. Makes a notation about the enslaved person Toney from Chicora Wood Plantation who returned from the "yankees." The overseer believes Toney and his family should be sent to North Carolina as he does not wish to have him sent to the military.
A letter to Charlotte Allston from the overseer at Chicora Wood Plantation discussing tasks performed by enslaved persons and crop farming. Makes an inquiry on what should be done with the enslaved man Toney who is "under the belief that he will be punished."
Willis writes from near Frederick City, MD, on the Second Battle of Bull Run or Manassas. His account (which places him at Manassas Junction), describes the battle-scenes and skirmishes, and his belief the "Yankees" had suffered more casualties. He also notes his inability to get some goods at Frederick City on account of the store owners being "Unionists"; his discovery that his hired "boy" was a runaway slave, (he has also fled from Keith); the misery of camp and his idea of resigning and returning to South Carolina to join Marion's Artillery who "will never be sent out of state".
A receipt for forty dollars paid to R.W. Byers, an officer of the city of New York, for his services in searching for the enslaved person named Pence, who absconded from the property of Charlotte Ann Coachman in 1846.
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.
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 Florida Herald on June 10th, 1835, discusses laws of the United States, extracts from letters and other newspapers, the gold mines of the south, a section titled "Confession of a Pirate," word of a cholera outbreak from The Natchez Courier, the death of Reverend Parker Adams from consumption, and advertisements for enslaved persons to work at the saw mill. Page three of the newspaper includes a posting titled "Committed to Jail" where two runaway enslaved persons were arrested. The posting describes the physical characteristics of these men and that they identified themselves as Chambers and William but now call themselves John Smith and Tom Brown.
