hou02075 Miscellaneous documents concerning American slavery (MS Am 1278): Guide. 07/12/2010 Melanie Wisner Finding aid prepared using DACS 11/07/2013 Loaded into OASIS MS Am 1278 Miscellaneous documents concerning American slavery: Guide. Houghton Library, Harvard College Library

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA

© 2010 The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Last update on 2010 July 12 Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University b MS Am 1278 Miscellaneous documents concerning American slavery, 1803-1863 and undated. 1 box (.2 linear ft.) Collection materials are in English and French. Documents concerning sale of slaves and other materials related to slavery in North America.

Processed by: Melanie Wisner

Gifts and purchases from various sources at various times. Acquisition information is given with items.

There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.

Preferred Citation for Publication:

Miscellaneous Documents Concerning American Slavery (MS Am 1278). Houghton Library, Harvard University.

Interstate domestic slave trading in the United States was well established by 1808 when the importation of slaves from other countries was abolished. Interstate slave trading was erratically controlled by the states and by 1850 completely unregulated. Traders in the Upper South maintained agencies and representatives in the Lower South. The seaboard and border states exported an estimated 25,000 slaves a year, with Virginia the largest source. Water transport was occasionally used, but more often slaves were marched overland to markets such as New Orleans and Natchez (the two largest markets), where they commanded prices that at least quadrupled between 1800 and 1860.

Organized alphabetically.

Primarily manuscript bills of sale for slaves in Charleston (S.C.) and New Orleans (La.), with a few printed and other documents pertaining to slavery in North America.

(1) Bill of sale in Charleston (S.C.)? for sales of 24 Negroes from the estate of Richard Beresford, deceased, to various buyers : manuscript signed, 1803 March 15. 1 folder.

Previous owner was possibly Richard Beresford (1755-1803), a lawyer of Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the old Congress and U.S. Congress.

With list of buyers and names of Negroes: Saml. Prioleau: Mingo, Affey. Jno. Brailsford: Billy. Jas. Shoolbred: Jockey Billy. Wm. Price: Jack, Dick. Geo. Smith: Cain, Elsey, Sylvia, Bob. Wm. Washington: Phaebe. Wm. Heyward: Caesor. Wilson Glover: Gillam, Marian, Jemmy, Jenny, Billy, Lydia. Isaac C. Moses: Sarah, Doll, Barbara. Genl. McPherson: Wall, a cook. Mr. Stoney: Cupid. Mrs. Bradford: July.

Simes Collection, 1928.

(2) Bill of sale in Charleston (S.C.) for slaves sold by Benjamin Stead to Thomas Wilson : printed document signed, 1803 March. 1 folder.

The document names the slaves Frank and Long Sally, is signed by attorneys Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and James D. Mitchell, and was printed by W. P. Young.

Norton collection, 1914.

(3) Bill of sale in Natchez (Miss.) for a slave, Phill, sold by John Woolfolk (by his agent, John Maydwell) to Thomas S. Cunningham (represented by his agent, Henry S. Buckner) : manuscript document signed, 1827 May 9. 1 folder.

Signed by the agents and witnesses.

Source unknown.

(4) Bill of sale in New Orleans (La.) for slaves sold by Stephen Pillon? to Mrs. Delphine Macarty, wife of Louis Lalaurie : manuscript document signed, 1828 November 19. 1 folder.

Document pasted onto another sheet. Signed by Antonis Ducros, Register of Conveyances. Slaves listed are: Nelson, aged 21 Jack, aged 22 Kinchin? aged 19 Samson, aged 14 Cyrus, aged 32. Jim, aged 12 Mathilda, aged 20 Maria, aged 18.

Source unknown.

(5) Bill of sale in New Orleans (La.) for slaves sold by Celestin Morel de Guiramand to Félicie Anaïs Cunningham Morel de Guiramand : printed and manuscript document, 1852 February 13. In French. 1 folder.

Slaves listed as: Henriette, aged about 40, and her children: Thomas, aged nine and a half John, aged five Auguste, aged three Lucie, aged two Maria, aged 32, and her children: Anna, aged nine Jim, aged seven William, aged two Rosine, aged 18 Jim, aged 32.

Source unknown.

(6) Bill of sale in New Orleans (La.) for two slaves sold by John Quincy Leak to George Salaun : manuscript document signed, undated. 1 folder.

Signed by seller and purchaser as well as notary public. Slaves are described only as "fellows free from all vices and maladies prescribed by the Laws of the State of Louisiana."

Source unknown.

(7) Bill of sale in Opelousas (La.) in Saint Landry Parish (La.) for two slaves sold by John Moore, attorney for James M. Reynolds, to Antoine Nezat : manuscript document signed, 1819 March 6. 1 folder.

Two female slaves are named as Charity, aged about 20, and Edy, aged about 16.

Signed by the seller, Judge George King, the witnesses, and with the mark of the buyer.

Simes Collection.

(8) Bill of sale in Orleans Parish (La.) for two slaves sold by Emile Leblanc to Fernand Duplessis of Saint James Parish (La.) : manuscript document signed, undated. 1 folder.

Signed by seller and purchaser as well as recorder. Slaves listed as: Bob, a negro man aged about 28 Samson, a bright mulato aged about 36.

Source unknown.

(9) Capers & Heyward. Gang of 93 Negroes. Estate sale of Wm. Mathews : printed document with manuscript annotations, [no year] February 8. 1 folder.

A list of 93 (94, with manuscript addition) individuals by name with age and physical condition notes.

Gift of Alfred Vincent Kidder, 1959 February.

(10) General Anti-slavery Convention. ...Resolutions... : manuscript signed (Thomas Clarkson), London (England), 1840 June 23. 1 folder.

With a cover sheet addressed to the New York Anti-Slavery Society.

Formerly MS Am 682. Gift of Lydia Maria Child, 1844 August 16.

(11) Indenture between Washington Carlton, James A. Row, and Robert B. Semple in King and Queen County (Va.) concerning the services of a slave, Betsey, and her offspring to Carlton's sister, Catharine Nunn (wife of Richard Q. Nunn) : manuscript document signed, 1829 October 23. 1 folder.

Signed by Carlton and two witnesses, Thomas Hoskins and Alexander Fleet.

Source unknown.

(12) Methodist Episcopal Church, Alexandria (Va.). Letter of recommendation for Austin Triplett to purchase his freedom (with authority from his owner) : manuscript unsigned, 1843 April 10. 1 folder.

Source unknown.

(13) Pictorial envelope addressed to George Nichols Jr. at Crosby and Nichols in Boston (Mass.), ca. 1862-1865? 1 folder.

Depicts slaves freed from chains in a landscape with ships in the background, the Biblical citation to Isaiah 58:6, and the motto: Haste, happy day! The time we long to see when every son of Adam shall be free!

Source unknown.

(14) Stokes, E. H. Report to John Watts of selected sales of individual slaves as indicator of state of slave market in Richmond (Va.) : manuscript, 1862 December 31. 1 folder.

List describes slaves with ages (without names) and with amounts paid.

With correspondence concerning the gift of the document to Harvard College.

Formerly MS Am 667. Gift of J. A. Judson?, 1863 October 7.

(15) United States. Army. Dept. of Virginia. Office of Superintendent of Contrabands. Military passes issued to colored men to travel to Hampton (Va.) from Fort Monroe (Va.) : printed documents completed in manuscript, 1863. 1 folder.

Two passes: for Robert Whitt? for one month, 1863 July 16. for Edmund Berkley for one day, 1863 July 19.

Source unknown.