RANAWAY, on Wednesday last, my wife Sally Conrod, a free woman of color, without any just cause. All persons are requested not to harbor said Sally, and are hereby forewarned from trusting her on my account, as I will not pay any debts she may contract. I can produce respectable recommendations as to industry and morality, & wish not to be clogged with the debts of my worthless wife. ABSALOM CONROD, of color. Greensboro, May 8th, 1841.
Greensboro Patriot, 11 May 1841.
$200 Reward!
Stop the Thieves and runaway Mulattoes.
WHEREAS, sometime ago, Jemima Armwood, a free mulatto woman, for the sum of $200, (to enable her to purchase her husband, named Richard, or commonly called Dick Youngblood, well known in Barnwell District, So. Ca.) bound three of her Girls, named Becky, about 17 years old, Teena, about 14, and Darcas, about 12, to me, to serve as indented servants, and on Thursday, the 8th instant, they inveigled them from my service and removed to parts unknown, taking them my three servants; they besides committed several acts of swindling, theft, outrages, and other rogueries, to myself and others, — such as stealing my sulkey and harness, and selling them in Hamburg, S.C., on the 7th instant; and on the 8th, assaulting and beating a white man, a respectable old gentleman; and many other villainies too numerous to be here inserted.
A reward of $200 dollars will be paid for apprehending the said Jemima, her husband Dick, Becky, Teena, and Darcas, and deliver them to me, or in the Augusta Jail. They have besides five smaller children, one a sucking baby, and may probably have their son, named Daniel, about 22 years of age, all mulattoes, 10 or 11 in number. They started with a cart and a white blind mare; the cart is an uncommon one, it has a very large new body nailed to the shafts, the wheels are from an old gig, originally painted green, but dirty – the axletree of the cart is wood, and the ends that goes in the wheels are iron. Dick is short, about 40 or 50 years of age, illiterate but keen, artful, and well acquainted with the world – most any subject can furnish him with grounds on which to build plausible stories, to secure in his favor the sympathy of others; (and girls are known to be prolific subjects.) Therefore, in order, if possible to counteract his cunning, and as I am not known at a distance, let it be known that I am a married man, with wife and seven small children, the oldest only ten years. I employed the three girls in nursing my small children, and to no other work, and never whipped them; but Dick gave Teena a most unmerciful whipping on the 8th instant, for not robbing me according his directions, and may probably place that whipping too, to my credit, in order to enlist the feelings of others in his favor. – They have been traced to Fayetteville, N.C., and arrived there between the 18th and 26th February. JOHN GUIMARIN, Watch Maker, No. 171, Broad Street. Augusta, Geo. Feb. 23, 1827.
Fayetteville Weekly Observer, 3 May 1827.
Coroner’s Inquest.
Coroner Jones held an inquest yesterday on the body of Mary Green, a free mulatto woman. The particulars of her death as we have heard are as follows: She, in company with another woman, started to Green’s Mill, about one mile from town, sometime during the middle of the day on Monday. Just before getting to the mill, Mary was observed to stagger and fall, apparently in a fit. Her companion ran for assistance, and when she returned found that she was dead. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with the above facts.
Wilmington Daily Herald, 27 July 1859.
From the Halifax Advocate, Oct. 29.
Our Superior Court. — …
The next case taken up was that of a free man of color named Morgan. He was indicted for the murder of James Wiggins, a white man. The prisoner was defended by Messrs. Whitaker and Spruill. The testimony, in substance, was that the prisoner and the deceased, not long before the homicide, had a quarrel and that a few days thereafter, and before the homicide took place, the prisoner had been heard to make threats against the life of Wiggins, in the event of another dispute occurring between them; that soon after this the deceased, with three other men, went to the prisoner’s house in the night with a view of chastising him, and required him to open the door, he refused to do so, upon which the door after several attempts, was pushed open, and the deceased entered and as he did so the prisoner struck him with an axe burying the blade up to the helve in his bowels. The prisoner instantly fled and the deceased very soon died of his wound. After a lucid charge from Judge Donnell, the jury retired and in about ten minutes brought in a verdict of manslaughter.
The third case, was an indictment against Polly Carter alias Polly Harrison, a free woman of color, for the Murder of Nancy Combs, likewise a free woman of color. It appeared in evidence, that at the very moment when the deceased came in sight of the prisoner, the latter was listening to a conversation calculated to exasperate her against the former and immediately ran to her and struck her on the face. The deceased, who was a tall and athletic woman, and very far gone in pregnancy, threw the prisoner down with ease and while the parties were in this situation, a white man named _____ Hall came up and kicked the deceased violently in the side just above the hips. The parties were then separated, and soon afterwards the prisoner made another attempt to revive the fight. Upon this part of the case, there were direct contradictions among the witnesses. Some, and the greater number, affirmed that the person of the deceased was not touched, and others that she received a blow of some violence about the small part of her back. The deceased immediately complained of much pain in her side, and continued to linger in much distress for 6 or 7 days when she was delivered of a still born child, and did [sic]. In the opinon of the physicians who heard most of the testimony, the death was caused by the violence in the affray, and the prisoner was found guilty of woman slaughter, and imprisoned one month, and to pay the cost of the indictment. _____ Hall had fled from justice.
….
The North Carolina Star (Raleigh), 6 November 1834.
From the Raleigh Register.
A man by the name of Raiford Watkins, of Johnston, was brought before Justice Thompson, in this City, on Monday, upon a charge of attempting to sell Phoebe Flowers, a Free woman of color. He was bound over, in the sum of $200, to make his appearance at the next term of Wake Superior Court, and, failing to give bond, was committed to jail, to await trial.
Tarboro’ Press, 21 September 1850.
…
Mr. Cheek introduced a bill for the relief of Sythia Chavis, a free colored woman. (Allows her to sell herself into slavery.)
…
Weekly Raleigh Register, 19 December 1860.
$30 REWARD.
Horse and Money Stolen.
STOLEN from the subscriber, on Thursday night the 26th Feb’y, a BRIGHT CLAY BANK HORSE, with a white blaze in the face, low in flesh and limps a little in the right hind leg, has a sore back. He was taken by a free negro by the name of Jacob Goings alias Morgan. There was a free girl with him by the name of Sara Jane Goings.
I will give a reward of Twenty Dollars for the arrest and confinement of Jacob Goings in Lumberton Jail, or ten in any other Jail in the State, and ten dollars for the return of the horse to me. DUGALD McDUGALD. Dondarroch, Robeson Co. – Feb’y 18, 1863.
Fayetteville Semi-Weekly Observer, 16 March 1863.
FIVE CENTS REWARD.
RANAWAY from the subscriber on the 15th February last, a free negro girl named EDNY MANOR, an indented apprentice. She is tall, of light complexion and about 16 years of age. All persons are hereby warned not to harbor or employ said girl, under the penalty of the law. The above reward will be given and no thanks, to any person who will apprehend and deliver her to me. E. FERGUSON. Newbern, March 7th, 1848.
The Newbernian and North Carolina Advocate, 21 March 1848.
To the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina
The petition of John Monroe, Zebulon Hunt, Alexander B. Caldcleugh, and James Sawyer Executors of the last Will and Testament of Andrew Caldcleugh late of the County of Rowan dec: respectfully sheweth That their Testator on the 11th of february 1822 made and published his last Will and Testament in writing, in which among other things, he devised as follows — That his woman Slave Fanny Kelly should be emancipated for meritorious serviced, rendered to him and his wife, during their sickness, their Testator further devised that the daughter of the said woman Fanny Kelly, called and known by the name of Sally Zimmerman a child of tender Years, should be also emancipated. The said Testator in and by his last Will made ample provisions for the maintenance and support of the said Fanny and Sally as will be seen by reference to his Will.
For the purpose of carrying their Testators Will into effect, Your petitioners applied to the Superior Court of law held for Rowan County at October term 1822, and were permitted by the Judgment of the said Court to emancipate the said woman Fanny Kelly, which they have done in conformity with law. But the said Court having power only to allow emancipation of Slaves for meritorious services rendered to their Owners, and the said Sally from her tender Years, being incapable of rendering such services as are contemplated by the act of Assembly Your petitioners are unable to affect the emancipation of the said Child Sally by the Judgment of said Court.
Your petitioners further state, that no other person then Your petitioner Alexander R. Caldcleugh has any interest in retaining the said Girl Sally in a state of Slavery, he being the only child and heir at law, as well as resduary legatee of the said Andrew Caldcleugh.
Your petitioners being unable from the circumstances they have stated to give effect to the wishes of their Testators, without the Assistance of the General Assembly respectfully pray, that an act may be passed for the emancipaton of the said Sally Zimmerman. /s/ Alex R. Caldcleugh, James Sawyer, Jno. Monroe, L. Hunt
General Assembly Session Records, Box 1 (November 1832-January 1924), Folder November 29, North Carolina State Archives.
To the worshipfull Court of Perquimans
we the Subscribers pray your worships that Negro Phillises freedom may be Established for Merritorious Services by the Court
She first being Purchased by her Husband Doctor Tom & actually paid for also being verry Serviceable in the neighbourhood both as a Midwife and Doctress & has acktually Performed Some Surpriseing Cures, & we your Petitioners as in Dutty Bound Shall Ever pray Feb’ry 1797
/s/ Fra’s Newby, Jas. Summer, Robert Whedbee, Joab Kinyon, John Miller, William Barclift, Joseph Perisher, Seth Whidbee, Sam’l Whidbee, Geo. Sutton, Tho’s Whedbee, Wm. Whidbee.
Slave Records, Pasquotank County Records, North Carolina State Archives.
Fourth Generation Inclusive 