October | 2012 | Fourth Generation Inclusive

Where are they now? No. 4.

K.H. was born in the mid-1960s in Wilson NC. He is descended from:

(1) Vicey Artis Williams [1810-ca1868, Greene/Wayne] via Adam T. Artis [1831-1919, Greene/Wayne] via Noah Artis [1856-1952, Wayne/Wilson County]

(2) Chaney Jones [1795-1873, Nash County] via Lucinda Jones Artis [1834-1859, Nash County]

(3) Christopher Mozingo [1800-ca1855, Sampson County] via Wiley Mozingo [1832-??, Sampson/Cumberland/Wayne County]

(4) Sarah Allen [??-??, Cumberland County] via Agnes Allen [1840-??, Cumberland/Wayne County]

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I was free born, I got my property by way of work.

Bryant Simmons filed claim #12254 with the Southern Claims Commission. He was 40 years old and lived near Dudley, Wayne County, where we worked as a wagonmaker. He lived on his own land, consisting of 51 1/4 acres, of which half were under cultivation. During the war, he worked on his farm and in a blacksmith shop.

“I was employed, or rather pressed into service, for about 2 years by the Rebels, they made me go and work on breastworks and fortifications [in Kinston NC], they guarded me during the night.” Also, “I worked on the railroad a few days while the Union army was in here.”

“I was free at the beginning of the war, I was free born, I got my property by my work. I live on my own land.” In March 1865, the Union army took bacon, lard, corn, pease, meal, fodder and hogs, saying that soldiers needed something to eat after a march. “I think they eat the hog on the premises …” “There were about 500 lbs. of bacon, sound and good, well dried in my dwelling in the loft worth about 20 or 25 cts. per pound, 20 pounds of good lard in my corn crib … four barrels of good sound corn partly husked … 1400 pounds of good sound fodder standing in the field in stacks .. one hog fat in the woods ….” Simmons was literate and signed his deposition.

Jesse Hollowell, a 62 year-old white farmer, testified that he had known Simmons about 25 years and lived within two or three miles of him. He testified that loyal men regarded Simmons as loyal.

James King, age 60, a farmer and carpenter who lived near Dudley, testified that he had known Simmons about 20 years and lived about a mile and a half from him. They often talked about the Union cause, and Simmons said he hoped the United States would put down the rebellion. King signed his name to his deposition.

Wife Elizabeth Simmons and daughter Cornelia Aldridge corroborated Simmons’ account of his property taken by General Kilpatrick’s command in March 1865. Both testified that the closest camp was near Mount Olive, about five miles away. Cornelia Aldridge signed her name to her deposition.

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October 20, 2012

Surnames: Brunswick County, 1860.

ADAMS, ALLEN, ARCHY, BAKER, BARK, BELL, BOWEN, BROWN, CHAVIS, COMBY[CUMBO], DAVIS, FREEMAN, HANKINS, HAYS, HOOPER, JACOBS, JONES, JORDAN, LAMBERT, LAW, LLOYD, McQUILLEN, MOORE, NEAL, PATRICK, PHILLIPS, RANSOM, SHADE, SKIPPER, SMITH, SWAIN, WEBB, and YOUNG.

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October 20, 2012

Adultery and fornication.

State v. Joel Fore and Susan Chestnut, __ NC __ (1841)

Joel Fore of Lenoir County, a free man of color, and Susan Chesnut, a white woman, lived together and had one or more children, and the inartful pleading of their indictment would not defeat a finding that marriages between such persons were null and void under the Act of 1838, and subsequent cohabitation between them was adultery and fornication.

Joseph [sic] Fore married Susan Chestnut on 13 January 1840 in Craven County. (See marriage records of that county.) The 1840 census of Lenoir County shows Joel Fore as the head of household that included one white female aged 30-40, one colored male aged 24-36, and 5 slaves. By 1860, the family had moved to Moore County, where Joel, “Susa” and their children Tootle, Elizabeth, Nancy, Anna J., Hardey, Henry and Sarah, aged 1-20, are described as white. In 1870, Joel and Susan Fore and their children are listed in Greenwood township, Moore County. Joel and children Augustus and Henry are classified as mulatto. Susan and the remaining children as white.

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October 18, 2012

Where are they now? No. 3.

K.L. was born in the mid-1960s in Wilson NC. She is descended from:

(1) Garry Rowe [1805-ca1865, Wayne County] via Samuel Rowe [1832-??, Wayne County]

(2) Dicey Bass [1814-??, Wayne County]

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October 18, 2012

Surnames: Wayne County, 1850.

Surnames of free people of color listed in the 1850 population schedule of Wayne County:

ALDRIDGE, ARTIS, AVIS, BARFIELD, BASS, BEST, BIRD, BRACEY, BRENTLEY, BROOKS, BROWN, BRUNT, BRYAN, BRYANT, BUNN, BURNETT, BUTLER, CAPPS, CARROLL, COLE, COLEY, CROOM, DALLESON, DANIEL, DAVIS, DUNN, EVANS, FREEMAN, GAINS, GINN, GREEN, GREENFIELD, GRICE, GUY, HAGANS, HALL, HATCHER, HAYS, HAZEL, HERRING, HILL, HOBBS, HODGET(?), HOOD, JONES, KING, LANCASTER, LANE, LISBURN, LUCAS, LYNCH, MANLEY, MARE, MARHAM, MITCHELL, MORGAN, MORRIS, MUNDA, MUSGRAVE, NEWELL, NEWSOM, PILOOT(?), PROCTOR, RADFORD, READ, RICHARDSON, ROBINSON, ROE, SAMPSON, SASSER, SCOTT, SEABERRY, SIMMONS, SMITH, STAFFORD, STRICKLIN, SUMMERS, TAYLOR, THOMSON, TOLER, TURLEY, TYLER, WALL, WALTON, WARD, WARREN, WATKINS, WIGGINS, WILKINS, WILKINSON, WINN, WISE, WOODARD, VICK and YOUNG.

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October 17, 2012

She lived to herself and was controlled by no one.

William Brookfield v. Jonathan Stanton, 51 NC 156 (1858)

William Brookfield, whom Jonathan Stanton claimed as a slave, brought the action to try his right to freedom. Brookfield introduced evidence that for 30 years or more prior to his birth, his mother and maternal grandmother were recognized and admitted to be free people of color. They were known as the McKim negroes. His mother had moved from Carteret to Hyde County and lived as a free woman. She was reported to be the wife of a slave “but lived to herself and was controlled by no one.”

Stanton sought to prove that Brookfield’s mother and grandmother were slaves. He proffered (1) an attachment made on behalf of an Elijah Cannady against John McKim, who resided in another state, that was levied upon a negro woman named Beck and her children Fan and Olly in 1809 and (2) a bill of sale for the purchase of Bookfield. Both were rejected.

The Supreme Court noted that when a person is black, i.e. dark-skinned, a presumption arises that he is a slave. Nonetheless, where that person’s mother and grandmother have been treated as free for 30 years, there is an inference that they were lawfully manumitted. The case was remanded to Craven County court.

There are no free colored Brookfields or McKims listed in antebellum North Carolina census records.

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October 17, 2012

We, all here, were a proscribed people.

John Herring Jr. filed claim #11519 with the Southern Claims Commission. He was a 67 year-old farmer living in Dudley, Wayne County. During the Civil War, he lived in Grantham township on rented land on a two-horse farm (about 45 acres.) “The claimant being a colored man it is needless to question him as to loyalty.”

“Sherman’s whole army was encamped within about a mile and a half ‘and stayed there longer than I wanted them to!'”

“I was always a free man was born free, all my days a farmer.”

Augustus Blunt, age 38, testifying to Herring’s loyalty, said that he lived in Brogden township and ran a sawmill. He was Herring’s son-in-law. He overheard one Union officer remark, “You are making a purty good raise boys.” Daughter-in-law Kizzie Herring, age 36, living in Grantham, also testified, as well as son Doctor Herring, 24.

John Bryant Capps, age 44, was a boarding house keeper in Goldsboro. He testified that he had known Herring for 20 years and lived about 7 miles from him. “Shortly after the outbreak of the war I was carried off by the rebels to serve as a cook. When I made an effort to get home to my family I was prevented and they gave me 50 lashes.” I never knew a man of my color who did not wish to see the south get whipped by way of satisfaction for the the many whippings inflicted upon us.”

Wm. H. Thompson, age 27, lived in Goldsboro and had known Herring since childhood. During the war he lived about 5-8 miles from Herring. “I have yet to learn of the first colored man who was not in full sympathy with the Union cause. We, all here, were a proscribed people, and during the war had to keep our mouths shut or they would have been effectively shut for us forever.”

John Herring, age 50, mulatto, his wife Charity and their children (including 2 month-old Doctor) appear in the 1850 census of Wayne County living south of the Neuse River.

Augustus Brunt [sic] is listed twice in the 1850 census of Wayne County, both times south of the Neuse. He appears as a 12 year-old (probably an apprentice) in the household of William Benton, and as a 13 year-old with his mother, Polly Brunt. The censustaker noted that Augustus was born in Wayne County and Polly in Johnston.

John Capps, age 22, mulatto, is listed in the 1850 census of Wayne County on the south side of the Neuse River.

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October 17, 2012

Where are they now? No. 2

D.C. was born in the early 1960s in Indiana. She is descended from:

(1) Margaret Balkcum [1836-1915, Sampson/Wayne County]

(2) Patsey Henderson [ca1795-??, Onslow County] via James Henderson [1815-ca1885, Onslow/Sampson/Wayne County] via Lewis Henderson [1836-1912, Onslow/Sampson/Wayne County] via Ann Elizabeth Henderson [1862-1900, Wayne County]

(3) Axey J. Manuel [1823-1885, Wayne County]

(4) Winnie Medlin

(5) Phereby Simmons [1772-ca1855, Bertie/Wayne County] via James Simmons [1798-1860, Wayne/Sampson County] via George W. Simmons [ca1820-1919, Wayne County] via Hillary B. Simmons [1853-1941, Wayne County]

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October 17, 2012

47 legitimate children?

It comes from Fremont, Wayne county, that Adam Artis, colored, 75 years old, who lives near there, is the father of 47 legitimate children and that in addition there are 80 or 90 grandchildren.

The Landmark, Statesville, 9 Jan 1906.

Adam Toussaint Artis was born free in 1831 in Greene or Wayne County. Estimates of the number of his children vary, but more than two dozen have been positively identified. [Sidenote: I am descended from one of them. –LYH.]

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Month: October, 2012