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Slave
Records & Information |
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A True History of Company
I, 49th Regiment NC Troops
in the Great Civil War |
by W. A. Day |
Newton, NC 1893 |
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Slavery, that great
curse of all races, was 1st introduced by New Englanders, who
had vessels fitted up for the purpose of kidnapping Africans and
bringing them to this country and selling them into slavery. |
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Some of the
Southern States were much opposed to the slave traffic that they
passed laws, and so anxious were the people of the U.S. to put
an end to this iniquitous traffic, that in 1807 Congress passed
a law forever prohibiting the importation of slaves to the U.S. |
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The New
Englanders had introduced it, made his money by selling them
South, found it was not profitable North, then when the trade
was prohibited by law, all at once his conscience began to lash
him in regard to the poor Negro in the South; and he began to
cry for liberation. |
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Lincoln was
elected. South Carolina too hasty, rash and inconsiderate,
passed the ordinance of secession; other states soon followed.
Virginia, on the North, went out, what was North Carolina to do?
She still refused to secede; it was voted on and voted down in
N.C., but when Lincoln called on N.C. for 75,000 troops, then
the old north state began to move, if she must furnish troops at
all, she would furnish them for her out southland. |
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It seems hard
for our Northern brethren to understand us. They had an
idea that every man down here was a slave owner and was an
aristocrat; what a mistake. |
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I will
venture that (in) any company from Catawba, there were but a few slave owners
among them, but you went my brethren to fight for your rights,
for liberty, which was guaranteed to you under the then existing
Constitution; a right that your Northern brethren had advocated
and preached for years. |
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According to the 1860 Catawba County Slave Schedule, there were
292 slave owners in the county, 1613 slaves (777 male & 839
female) and 340 slave houses.
Some of our ancestors did indeed own slaves
prior to the
Civil War. |
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The BARRINGERS |
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Mathias Barringer [1727 - 1776], Great-Great
Grandfather of
Ida Lillian Setzer Loftin, had two slaves, a
husband & wife, when he came into the territory in 1762. |
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The BEATTYS |
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Charles (Manson) Beatty
[1795 - 1863], father of
Tyler Beatty, brother of
Sally Lavina
Beatty (wife of
Thomas Loftin), is listed on the 1850 Catawba
County Slave Schedule as having 2 slaves, a 38-year-old female
and a 26-year-old male. |
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Calvin Beatty (son of Charles Manson
Beatty) is listed on the 1860 Catawba County Slave
Schedule (page 19) as having 1 slave. |
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Franklin Beatty (son of Charles
Manson Beatty) is listed on the 1850 Catawba County
Slave Schedule as having 6 slaves: a 60-year-old male, a
59-year-old male, a 44-year-old female, a 12-year-old female, a
10-year-old female and a 9-year-old female. According to
the 1860 Slave Schedule (page 19) he had 3 slaves. |
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Thomas Beatty is listed on the 1850 Catawba County Slave
Schedule as having 9 slaves. According to the 1860 Slave
Schedule (page 19) he had 11 slaves |
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The
HAMILTONS |
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# 1 Hamilton Family - Letter
concerning slaves (Goble/Johnson ancestry) |
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Letter Dated: February 4, 1837 |
From:
Drury Hamilton
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Living In: Willow Grove, NC |
To:
Archibald Hamilton II
(Uncle) |
Living In: State of Indiana, Washington County, Salem
Post Office |
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Dear friends and relatives -
I have taken my seat one time more in order to write a
few lines to you to inform you that we are all in good health at
present - hoping these few lines will find you all enjoying the
same blessing. I will inform you that your friends is all well
at present as far as comes within my knowledge.
I will now give some account of our seasons - last
summer was very wet, last fall was wet and cold and the winter
this far has been almost the coldest that I ever saw. Wheat
crops was only middling - corn crops in upland was good but the
bottom lands was light. Produce of every kind is high - cotton
is selling from 15 to 18 dollars per hundred - wheat has sold as
high as one dollar and fifty cents per bushel - flour at market
from 12 to 14 dollars per barrel - corn 50 cents per bushel - pork
from 6 to 8 dollars per hundred and as for negros
there is no bounds. I have known some
negro fellows to sell as high as fifteen hundred dollars cash up
and no grumbling. The people are running hundreds of them off to
the states of Alabama and Mississippi and if they were all gone,
I should be glad.
Dear Uncle, I have given you some account of the
friends at large, I will now say something more of them
individually. Your sister Rachel Sherrill was in good health
about a week ago and doing well. Mason Sherrill and family is
well, also Alfred Sherrill and family is in good health and
doing very well.
I can also inform you that Henry Lollar has sold all his negros
or rather his wife's negros and the plantation that he formerly
lived on, and has bought Washington Thomas's land at Thomas
Ferry - for which he gave three thousand dollars.
I will now say something of your
friends on the other side - John Bridges and family is in good
health at this time - the old man appears to take the world fair
and easy. Two of his boys, Elisha and Nicholas are married to
two of the widow Jones daughters - George Jones daughters.
Elisha and Alfred Bridges and families are all well - they
appear to be getting along in the world very well. They have
bought 190 acres of land of Mr. Fry - it lies joining them -
they gave five hundred dollars. James Bridges was to have been
in this country last September, but he did not come and has not
been heard from since. His friends are very uneasy about him for
fear something has happened to him or his family.
Dear friends I have wrote something about the most of
the friends - I suppose you would not think it amiss if I should
write something about myself. I would in the first place say
that I have nothing to boast of but I am getting along tolerable
well. I have cleared about 40 acres of land since I was married
the last time. I have four very thriving children. We had a boy
November 1835, but it only lived three days.
I have three nags and cattle and hogs a plenty to do me
very well. I raised a very good crop of oats last year - a
tolerable good crop of wheat and a very good crop of corn, and I
expect to sell 4 or 5 hundred pounds of bacon this spring. Also,
I bought a surveyer's compass two years ago for 26 dollars and I
have made about 70 dollars by surveying land some. I will now
tell you, as I am getting scarce of paper that I received a
letter from you about two years ago and was very glad to hear
from you. I will say to you that this is the third letter I have
wrote to you since, but have received no answer as yet. If you
have not wrote I hope you will as soon as you read this letter,
so I will add no more at present,
but remember |
your affectionate
friend - |
Drury
Hamilton |
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# 2 Hamilton Family - Letter
concerning slaves (Goble/Johnson ancestry) |
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Letter Dated: June 16, 1837 |
From:
Drury Hamilton
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Living In: Lincolnton, NC |
To:
Ninian Hamilton
(b. 1789 - Uncle) |
Living In: State of Indiana, Washington County, Salem
Post Office |
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My much Esteemed friend:
By divine providence I have been once more permitted to
write a few lines to you informing you that we are all on the
land amongst the living, and enjoying a reasonable portion of
health at present - hoping these lines will find you all in the
same state of health.
Your friends is all well on both sides as far as I
know. Our winter has been very hard - our spring late and cold,
and at this time dry. Our wheat is generally thin on the ground,
but appears to be well headed. Oats is short - corn small for
this season of the year. I will inform you that there is a very
great change taken place in the aspect of things since I wrote
to Uncle Archibald last winter.
Cotton took a very
sudden fall in the market this spring and that has reduced the
price of almost everything - even money is becoming a cash item
- horses is down one third, and negros that was selling for
double their value can scarcely be given away, but bread and
meat is not down yet. Corn is selling
from seventy-five cents to one dollar per bushel - bacon twelve
and fifteen cents per pound.
Flour at home four and five dollars per hundred. I sold
some at market this spring at twelve dollars per barrel - cakes
comes high. We have very little fruit this year - it was mostly
killed with the late frost.
I will now give you some account of our political
affairs in this country - they have been very much changed since
you left here. Our state constitution has been altered and
amended - we send members to the Legislature according to the
number of population. Lincoln County sends four in the commons
and one in the senate. The people has the electing of the
Governor, the sherriffs, the clerks of the courts, and the
constables. Our Legislature is to meet once in two years - we
are becoming a republican people. Our old friend, Henry W.
Conner, is still going to Congress - he has no opposition this
year.
Well I will now write a few lines to Aunt Margaret informing her
that her friends are all well so far as I know. Your stepmother
is well as common. William Bandy and family is in good health.
Your sister, Elizabeth Bandy, had a fine son last fall, the only
one that she has had since you left here - also two of their
daughters is married. Myra was married about a year ago to Mr.
Joseph Sherrill, son of Camy Sherrill, aged 17 years. Elvira was
married last fall to Franklin Kirksy. You in no doubt wish to
know what sort of men they are - on this part I will say but
little, but I think if they were put in the balance with smart
men they would be found wanting.
You will in the next place inquire if any of your
friends have died. There is but one that I know of. That is
Daniel Wilfong, son of Peter Wilfong. He died last summer with
the fever. I have nothing more to write to you at present, but
wish to remain your friend. My wife sends her best love and good
wishes to you.
Well, my old uncle, a few more lines to you. I will
inform you that I received a letter from you on the third day of
June - it was dated March 10th - it must have had a long
journey, but made a safe arrival. I was truly glad to hear from
you all one time more and that you was all well and doing well.
You wrote that you would take a newspaper from Lincolnton,
called the newspaper, Lincoln Transcript. I will inform you that
there is another paper called the newspaper, Lincoln Republican,
printed there - it has lately been established. You can have
your choice, but as you are not here to choose for yourself, I
will choose for you. I will send you the Republican as I like it
best. I expect to start to Lincolnton tomorrow morning to
forward it to you.
I expect you would be glad to hear about all your old
neighbors and acquaintances. I would willingly write something
about them all if the limit of my letter would permit, but it
will not. There has a great many things happened in the
neighborhood since you left here that I could tell you if I was
with you, but I cannot with them all. I will record one which
you can depend on being correctly true, that is concerning
Ephraim Kale. He has been in a practice of going to see Sally
Butler for the last three or four years, and their conduct has
caused a final separation between her and her sister, Elizabeth.
They have divided their land and other property. Elizabeth is
living in the house where the family lived, and Sally is living
in a little house that Lewis Powers built on their land. How
Kale and his wife gets along I am not able to say as to my own
knowledge, but the neighbors say that he has to use the rod once
and a while to keep things as cool as possible at home. What I
have wrote is a certain truth.
I will now say to you that your old neighbor, John
Shin, died about a year ago. The family is all dead but Prudy.
She is living in Rowan. I could tell you many things more but
paper and time is both growing scarce, so I must shortly close.
Give my best respects to Uncle Archibald and family.
I have been looking for a letter from him but have seen
none yet. Write to me as soon as possible and let me know how
you all are and if you get your newspaper. I add no more but
remain you loving friend till Death. Excuse much haste and bad
writing. |
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Yours, |
Drury
Hamilton |
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# 3 Hamilton Family - Letter
concerning slaves (Goble/Johnson ancestry) |
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Letter Dated: March 3, 1849 |
From:
Drury Hamilton (age 47) |
Living In: Lowrance Mills, NC |
To:
Ninian Hamilton (b. 1789 - Uncle) (age 60) |
Living In: Salem P. O., Indiana |
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Dear Uncle and Aunt:
I take my pen in hand to write a few lines to let you
know that I am still on the land among the living, and in good
health for which I feel very grateful to Him who gives all good
things, and hope these lines find you enjoying the same
blessings. I received your letter this morning and read it with
great satisfaction to hear from you all another time and also to
hear the good tidings of peace and plenty and good health among
you. You say that I must make some good excuse for not writing
sooner - I hardly think you have much room for complaint unless
you had been more punctual to write yourself, but be that as it
may, I will say no more about it at this time, but will render
you my excuse as it is. I wrote you two letters some six months
ago - the first one I got no answer to date - the last one I
wrote, if I mistake not, in the spring of 1847. I received a
letter from you in December
(1847)
following, which had been wrote in June
but not mailed until the 17th of November, in which you informed
me that you had been to Tennessee*
and found it a very good country, from which I drew the
inference that you intended to move there immediately - that is
the reason that I did not write. I knew if I directed it to
Salem, Indiana, and you should be gone that you would not get it
and if you were gone to Tennessee I did not know where to direct
a letter.
Upon them terms I concluded to wait until I heard from
you again as I knew you was one letter in my debt, but as to
anything wrong between us, I will assure you my old Uncle there
is nothing on my part, far from it. I would be so thankful to
see the members of your family. I can think of nothing better
and hope to have the pleasure of seeing you one more time. I
hope you will receive my excuse and pardon my omission for not
writing sooner.
I will now give you some account of the times in our
country - we have peace and plenty - crops last year was
generally good. I raised a good crop of oats - a tolerable good
crop of wheat and a very good crop of corn - so that we have
nothing to complain of in the way of eatables. Corn is selling
from 25 to 33 1/3 cents per bushel - wheat 75 cents per bushel -
pork 3 and 4 cents per pound - and other things in proportion,
but we buy our salt, sugar, and coffee equally as low as we sell
our produce.
I will give some account of our season - last fall was
dry and warm and very pleasant until November - this month was
very cold, but December was warm for the season until Christmas
- since then we have had some very cold weather. There was
considerable snow in January, and February has been very cold,
dry and windy. We had two warm days this week but is cold and
cloudy at this time, the wind blowing from the east and looks
very much like rain.
You wish me to write all the
particulars concerning father
(Reuben Hamilton, age 73)
- this would be rather delicate task, but I will give you
some of them. The old man is getting along in the world as well
as could be expected - he had a negro boy with him four or five
years that brother Reuben bought in South Carolina, but he took
him away about twelve months ago - he has Lawson Bynum, my
son-in-law living with him and my youngest sister Nancy is with
him.
He makes plenty of everything
to live on and generally some to spare, but the old man's mind
is failing him - he never wrote Uncle Thomas
(Thomas Cleophas Hamilton)
a line since he was in this country (January 1840 ?
letter). Old Aunt Rachel
(Hamilton)
Sherrill is living with her grandson, Franklin Sherrill. She is
well and getting along very well - all the rest of the friends
is well as far as I know.
My old and affectionate friend I have wrote as much to
you as I can spare paper for , so as I wish to write a line to
the children, therefore I must come to a close but before I
conclude I must request you to write to me as soon as
convenient, as I am always very glad to get a line from you, so
I add no more, but remain your affectionate friend until death. |
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Drury
Hamilton |
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The LOFTINS |
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John Loftin [1740 - 1793] had at least 14 slaves, listing
them in his Last Will & Testament dated 03 Aug 1793. He
left them to his wife and children upon his death. Their
names were: Dilvy, Pegg, Fanny, Andrew, Kate, Lucy, Jenny,
Doctor, Scott, Ephram, Charlotte, Silva, Rose and Bob. |
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James Loftin [1768 - 1836] inherited two slaves from his
father John Loftin (1740 - 1793) at the time of his death. They
were Fanny (f) and Dilvy. The 1810 Census for Lincoln County
shows that James had 11 slaves. James had 7 slaves at the time
of his death in 1836, listing them in his
Last Will & Testament dated 05 Apr 1833. He
left them to his wife, Susannah, and children upon his death. Their
names were: Fan (f), Gin (f), Cass (f), Hammilton (m), Epps (f),
Washington (m) and Andrew (m). Upon his death, & that of
his wife, the slaves were passed to their children John, Edmund,
Mary, Elizabeth & Nancy. For some reason, James' two sons
Thomas (our direct ancestor) and Henderson did not inherit
slaves. |
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There is an Edwin Loftin
listed on the 1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 11) with 3 female
slaves: a 3-year-old, a 37-year-old and a 51-year-old.
This was more than likely Edmund Loftin, son of James &
Susannah Sherrill Loftin. |
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John Edwards, husband of
Mary E. Loftin &
son-in-law of James Loftin, was listed on the 1850
Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 8) as having 4 slaves:
a 22-year-old female, a 4-year-old male, a 2-year-old male and
an 8-month-old male. |
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The 1860 Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 17) shows
John &
Mary Loftin Edwards as having 9 slaves. It's 10 years
later and they still have the 4 slaves from 1850, and have added
5 more, and also added a slave house. |
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Elam
Sherrill, husband of Nancy Loftin &
son-in-law of James Loftin, was listed on the 1850
Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 11) as having 6 slaves: a
65-year-old Female, an 18-year-old male, a 13-year-old male, a
7-year-old female, a 6-year-old male and a 5-year-old male. |
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By 1860, Elam & Nancy Loftin Sherrill still had 6 slaves,
but only two of them seem to be the same ones from 1850. The 1860 Catawba County
Slave Schedule (page 15) shows them as having a 25-year-old
male, a 17-year-old female (she would have been 7 on the 1850
Census), a 15-year-old male (who would have been 5 on the 1850
Census), a 14-year-old male, a 1-year-old female, and an
8-month-old female. He had also added a slave house. |
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The McCORKLES |
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Matthew L (Locke) McCorke
(1817-1899), son of Francis Marion McCorkle Jr & Elizabeth
Mariah Abernathy, is listed on the 1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule as having 2
slaves, a 10-year-old female and a 15-year-old male. He is
listed on the 1860 Slave Schedule (page 1) as having 9 slaves
and 1 slave house. |
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Alexander McCorkle [1775 -
1854], son of Francis Marion McCorkle Sr & brother to Isabella McCorkle and Great Uncle to James
Franklin Loftin, is listed on the 1850 Catawba County Slave
Schedule as owning 36 slaves from the ages of 2-months-old to
72-years-old. He died in 1854. |
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Francis McCorkle (Jr.) [1786
- 1853], son of Francis Marion McCorkle Sr & 1/2 brother to Isabella McCorkle is listed on the 1850
Catawba County Slave Schedule as owning 15 slaves from the ages
of 2-years-old to 31-years-old. |
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Agnes McCorkle
(1788-18??), daughter of Francis Marion
McCorkle Sr & 1/2 sister to Isabella McCorkle, is listed on
the 1850 Slave Schedule as having 2 slaves. |
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The SETZERS |
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According to the 1850 Catawba County Slave
Schedule, the following Setzers had slaves. |
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1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule |
Name of Slave
Owner |
Census Year |
Page |
Slave Age |
Slave Sex |
Daniel Setzer |
1850 |
1 |
7 |
Male |
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2 |
31 |
Male |
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George Setzer |
1850 |
1 |
29 |
Female |
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1 |
12 |
Male |
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1 |
18 |
Female |
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1 |
10 |
Female |
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1 |
3 |
Female |
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Reuben Setzer |
1850 |
2 |
11 |
Male |
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1860 Catawba County Slave Schedule |
Name of Slave
Owner |
Census Year |
Page |
Slave Age |
Slave Sex |
Frank Setzer |
1860 |
14 |
17 |
Female |
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6 |
Male |
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5/12 |
Male |
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George Setzer |
1860 |
1 |
50 |
Female |
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40 |
Female |
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28 |
Male |
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25 |
Female |
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23 |
Male |
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18 |
Female |
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15 |
Male |
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George Setzer |
1860 |
15 |
38 |
Male |
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Mary Setzer |
1860 |
15 |
60 |
Female |
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Jacob Setzer is listed on the 1860
Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 14) as having one
26-year-old female slave and 1 slave house. Margaret
Witherspoon was the next entry on the top of the same page. |
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The SHERRILLS |
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There were many Sherrills who owned slaves
according to the 1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule. |
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Elam A. Sherrill had 6 slaves
in 1850 and 6 slaves in 1860.
Elam was married to Nancy Loftin, the daughter of
James Loftin
&
Susannah Sherrill. |
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Eli Sherrill had 5 slaves in 1850. He was the 3rd
Cousin of
Levina C. Sherrill Johnson and 1/2 Grand-nephew of
Susannah Sherrill Loftin (wife of James Loftin). |
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Gabriel Sherrill had 7 slaves in 1850
and 10 slaves in 1860. He was
the Grand-Son-in-law of Francis Marion McCorkle. |
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Hiram Sherrill had 8 slaves. He was the
nephew of Susannah Sherrill (wife of James Loftin). Hiram
was also the 2nd Cousin once removed to Levina C. Sherrill
Johnson. |
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Jeptha Sherrill had 13 slaves in 1850
and 3 slaves in 1860. He was
the son-in-law of Francis Marion McCorkle Sr and the husband of
the 1/2 Great-Aunt of James Franklin Loftin. |
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Mason Sherrill had 4 slaves. He was the
uncle to Levina C. Sherrill Johnson. Mason was the 1st
Cousin once removed of Susannah Sherrill Loftin (wife of James
Loftin). |
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Additional Sherrills with slaves on the 1850
and 1860 Catawba County Slave Schedules included: |
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1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule |
Slave Owner |
No.
of Slaves |
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Slave Owner |
No. of Slaves |
Daniel Sherrill |
1 |
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Lawsen Sherrill |
5 |
Daniel Sherrill |
1 |
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Mahala Sherrill |
16 |
Elam A. Sherrill |
6 |
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Mary Sherrill |
5 |
Eli Sherrill |
5 |
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Mason Sherrill |
4 |
Elisha Sherrill |
1 |
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Matthew Sherrill |
7 |
Gabriel Sherrill |
7 |
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Miles Sherrill |
2 |
Henderson Sherrill |
10 |
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N. Sherrill |
11 |
Hiram Sherrill |
8 |
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Reuben Sherrill |
2 |
Jane Sherrill |
2 |
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Reuben Sherrill |
3 |
Jeptha Sherrill |
13 |
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Ruben Sherrill |
1 |
Joshua Sherrill |
1 |
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Silas Sherrill |
6 |
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1860 Catawba County Slave Schedule |
Slave Owner |
No.
of Slaves |
Page |
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Slave Owner |
No.
of Slaves |
Page |
E. A Sherrill |
6 |
15 |
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J. A Sherrill |
1 |
20 |
E. B. Sherrill |
2 |
17 |
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J. F. Sherrill |
7 |
16 |
Elisha Sherrill |
18 |
19 |
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J. I. Sherrill |
3 |
16 |
Elizabeth Sherrill |
3 |
17 |
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Jeptha Sherrill |
3 |
17 |
Elizabeth Sherrill |
5 |
18 |
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Lavina Sherrill |
1 |
18 |
Elizabeth Sherrill |
5 |
19 |
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Mahala Sherrill |
15 |
14 |
Elizabeth Sherrill |
4 |
20 |
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Martha E. Sherrill |
2 |
18 |
Gabriel Sherrill |
10 |
20 |
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Sarah Sherrill |
8 |
18 |
G. M. Sherrill |
4 |
20 |
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Woodford Sherrill |
6 |
18 |
Henderson Sherrill |
12 |
13 |
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The WITHERSPOONS |
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Thos./Thomas (Wesley) Witherspoon
is listed on the 1850 Catawba County Slave Schedule (page 1) as owning
one 18-year-old male slave. Thomas was the father of
Miles
Rankin Witherspoon, Great-Grandfather of
Ida Lillian Setzer
Loftin. |
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When Thomas died 16 Jan 1856, his slave
passed to his wife Margaret Rankin Witherspoon. Margaret
is listed on the 1860 Catawba County Slave
Schedule (page 14) as having one 28-year-old male slave and 1
slave house. He is more than likely the same slave from
1850, just 10 years older. |
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Before 1850, slave pens, slave jails, and
auction blocks were a common site in the District of Columbia, a
center for domestic slave trade. On 16 Apr 1862, the
nations capitol ended slavery. President Lincoln signed an act
abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia, an important
step in the long road toward full emancipation for African
Americans. |
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Slavery was abolished by the United States
Constitution, Amendment 13 - Ratified 12/6/1865 after the
conclusion of the Civil War. |
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William
Alexander "Alec" Loftin and a group of other men, left
Shiloh
Methodist Church because of "friction" following the Civil War,
and started
Center Methodist Church. Alec's grandfather,
Thomas Loftin, did not inherit slaves from
his father,
James
Loftin. All of James Loftin's children inherited
slaves except for Thomas and his brother,
Henderson Loftin. Alec's father-in-law,
Rev. Manley Wilson Cranford, attended
Mt. Pleasant Methodist
Church in Sherrills Ford. The church had been established
by a local group of citizens with anti-slavery feelings. |
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Oldest Former Slave Nears Century Mark |
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“Aunt
Viry” Weeps Over Grave of Last of Her “White Folks”
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1930, North
Carolina By Anne McCorkle |
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“As the rays of the setting sun fell upon the tall spruce
pines that she had planted, Mrs. Sue Wilfong, 90-year-old
descendant of pioneer North Carolinians, was laid to rest
beneath them,” stated a clipping from the July paper. “Feebly
weeping beside the grave of her mistress was Aunt Viry, the
oldest know [living] slave in North Carolina.”
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Aunt Viry will be 100 years old in three years. In that
time she had served five generations of “her family”, beginning
with Mrs. Annie Moore Reinhardt, Mrs. Wilfong’s grandmother. She
has helped marry and bury them, shared intimately in their joys
and sorrows, and although slavery days are only a vague memory,
seen through the haze of 97 years, Aunt Viry firmly considers
herself as “belongin’” to them. In her dim old eyes is a
pathetic loyalty for the ones she has always depended on, who
have never failed her.
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Sitting before the little Catawba County cabin that her
white folks gave her, with her snuff stick in her mouth, and
hound dogs and great-grandchildren lazing about her in the
sunshine, the days when she was autocrat of the seven-foot
Abernethy hearth where the fire was never allowed to die,
stirrig up her famous corn pone and “shorts” bread, are almost
dearer to her than the present.
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WADED CREEK FOR CHILLUNS
Aunt Viry was always absolutely trusted. As a husky girl,
she would lead a horse wit some of the children clinging to
their dinner baskets on it, all the way to the little log school
house, preferring to wade the icy creek rather than walk across
the footlog. “No suh (sir),”
she shook her head truculently when asked about it. “If I’da
(I had) walked dat
(that) log, hawse
(horse) mighta fell down and spilled my chilluns
(children).” At the
school house, she would send them in, get on the horse, and ride
home again, making the same several mile trip back at sunset.
Often she would carry on of her pets four or five miles to the
big negro preachings and “foot washings” held by her church.
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Henry, Aunt Viry’s husband, long since dead, was the
Abernethy coachman. “Lawd (Lord),
dat wuz (that was) a
fine rig (carriage),”
Aunty Viry reminiscences, dipping a big lip full of snuff. “Two
spankin’ hawses dat Henry allus
(always) kept dat
(that) slick – you know, he changed de (the)
teams on de stage coaches dat come by de house, too – an’ ol’
(old) Missus and Miz
Barb’ra settin’ inside. De keeridge
(The carriage) had roll
up windows same as houses do, and all tan an’ black inside. I
can see ‘em now. O’ Henry settin’ up dere wid he
(sitting up there with his)
hair greased,” and she cackled shrilly.
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The Abernethy corncrib that marked the stage coach stop
on the old Charlotte to Morganton road and the grand old post
oak that lent its broad shade to St. John’s are still there, but
the house was burned, and the beautiful log church, with its
high pulpit, sounding board and negro gallery [location where
the slave sat during church services] has been torn down.
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WAR TIME DAYS “TURRIBLE”
As Viry ruled the hearth, Henry was lord of the thousand
acre Abernethy farm, a major domo invaluable in the dreadful war
time, when there was not a white man on the place, and one had
to fear not only hungry bands of the enemy, but marauding
thieves and scalawags of every description.
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“De (The)
Yankees stayed a week above de house, an’ a week on de barn
lot,” Aunt Viry reflected, shaking her white head, and clutching
her stick tighter with her wrinkled hands. “It was terrible,
Miz. Barb’ra had us set wid her ma to keep her comp’ny ev’y time
dey come, she so skeered. (Miss Barbara had us sit with her
ma to keep her company every time they come, she was so scared.)
Fust time Henry saw ‘em, he run fum ‘em. Dey say, ‘Come’re,
uncle, we won’t hurt ya.’ (Henry saw them, he ran from them.
They said ‘Come here, uncle, we won’t hurt you.) He acted
like he wuz fixin’ de fence. Wan’t no more fixin’ de’ fence dan
nothin’.” (He acted like he was
fixing the fence. He weren’t/wasn’t no mor fixing the fence than
nothing.) She chuckled to herself.
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“N’en, Henry come arunnin’ and apantin’, an’d hid de
hawses up de ribber. (Then,
Henry came running and panting and hid the horses up the river.)
We buried de silver near a grape vine on de ribber
(river)
bank, an’ de bes plate in ahole
(and the best plate in a hole)
in de barn, under a pile of manure. Dey nev’
(They never)
did find it! Oh, dey went on terrible. Took ev’thing dey
could lay hands on. Dey got in de spring house, took all de milk
an’ cream, den come wher’ I wuz carrying de milk up de hill on
my haid, an’ th’ew out what dey had fo’ fresh!
(then come where I was carrying the
milk up the hill on my head, and threw out what they had for
fresh!) Did it make me mad? I reckin’ so!” Aunt
Viry’s dim, half-blind eyes almost sparkled at the memory, and
she cut viciously at a scratching hound. “Nex’ time I sees ‘um I
grab de spring house key an’run.
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THREATEN TO BURN HOUSE
“But de wust was de way dey try to git ol’ marsa’s gol’
watch.” (But the worst was the
way they tried to get old master’s gold watch.)
Mrs. Reinhardt, Mrs. Abernethy’s mother, was old and
feeble at the beginning of the war. As soon as she would hear
the Yankees coming, she would get into her bed, where snugly
tucked away between two feather tickings [covers/quilts], was
the watch. “You’ve got a watch, you know you have,” the soldiers
angrily accosted Mrs. Abernethy one day. “Give it to us or we’ll
burn the house down.” And they stuck a lighted match menacingly
under her nose. “Wait until I can get my old sick mother out,”
was her indomitable reply. Beds were always examined or struck
at for rattles which might show hiding places of jewelry, but
the soldiers never bothered the one where old Mrs. Moore
serenely defied them.
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“One day dey drove up wid a nigga on a fine hawse,” Viry
remembered. “He wuz mos’ bar foot. Dey say, ‘Dis is a fine man,
got to have fine clothes. Ain’t you got no boots fo’ ‘im?’ Ah’
do you know dem scalawags fou’ de place in de attic wher’ Hanry
nailed away some new $15 boots Miz’ Barb’ra had fo’ her boy in
de war? Lak to kill us. Den dey th’ow dat nigga’s nasty ol’
shoes down.”
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(“One
day they drove up with a Negro on a fine horse,” Viry
remembered. “He was most bare footed. They say, ‘This is a fine
man, got to have fine clothes. Ain’t you got no boots for him?’
Ah’ do you know them scalawags found the place in the attic
where Henry nailed away some new $15 boots Miz’ Barbara had for
her boy in the war? Nearly killed us. Then they threw that
negro’s nasty old shoes down.”)
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“Dey got Lady Fulton, too,” she added as mournfully as if
it had happened yesterday. “She wuz de pertiest brown filly.
Henry hid ‘er in de smoke house, but dey foun’ ‘er, an’ lef’ a
ol’ gray sore backed nag in her place. Big sores all over her
back. What de Yankees look like, you say? Look like po’ white
trash.” And she grumbled darkly to herself.
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(They got Lady Fulton, too,” she added as mournfully as if it
had happened yesterday. “She was the prettiest brown filly.
Henry hid her in the smoke house, but they found her, and left
an old gray sore backed nag in her place. Big sores all over her
back. What did the Yankees look like, you say? They looked like
poor white trash.” And she grumbled darkly to herself.)
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“Did they offer you anything to go away with them?”, she
was asked. “Forty acres and a mule?”
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“No, suh. Didn’t gib’ ‘em time!”
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(“No, sir. Didn’t give them time!”)
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NORTHERN GUARD PROTECTS HOUSE
Relief came to the harried Abernethy home when a northern
Lieutenant discovered the depredations, sternly reprimanded his
soldiers for the looting, and even put a guard around the house
for its protection as long as he was in the vicinity.
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After the war, Viry and Henry continued to fill their
accustomed places until, after generations had been born, and
some of them died, they were old and were given a farm of their
own. But the memorable times in Viry’s life are still when she
cooked at the ‘big house.’ One of the most treasured is of “Miss
Sue’s” marriage, just before the war.
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Mrs. Wilfong, Mrs. Abernethy’s daughter, was only a
little younger than Viry, and they were friends rather than
mistress and servant, up to Mrs. Wilfong’s recent death. “I
he’ped Miz’ Martha McCorkle fum Newton bake de weddin’ cake. It
wuz a beauty! “Dat big and white! We had a time, wid folks fum
ev’ywhere in de house.”
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Aunt Viry wears a plain gold band on her left hand. “No,
Lawd, dat ain’t no weddin’ ring. Dat’s whut keeps me fum taking
cramp. I has rheumatiz in his hand so bad,” and she gravely held
out her wrinkled, bony right hand, which the ring’s influence is
supposed to protect.
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She is looking Forward to her hundredth birthday. “If I
live.” She wants her white folks and relatives to plan a big
(party for her.)
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SOURCES |
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A True History of Company
I, 49th Regiment NC Troops
in the Great Civil War"
by W.A. Day, Newton, NC 1893 |
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Thanks to Peggy Loftin Brotherton for sharing
the stories she learned from Aunt Cordie Loftin Wilson |
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Thanks to Jeff Truitt for
sharing the article about "Aunt Viry".
You can contact him
at
truittjc@gmail.com |
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If you have additional information concerning
slave records, please contact me. |
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