Fourth Generation Inclusive

Historical Documents of Genealogical Interest to Researchers of North Carolina's Free People of Color

Category: Kinfolk

June 6, 2014

In payment of Confederate taxes, no. 4.

Form of the estimate and assessment of agricultural products agreed upon by the assessor and tax-payer, and the value of the portion thereof to which the government is entitled, which is taxed in kind, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of “an Act to lay taxes for the common defence and carry on the government of the Confederate States,” said estimate and assessment to be made as soon as the crops are ready for market.

Rice — Quantity of gross crop. — 5 bush. Quality — #2. Tithe or one-tenth. — 1/2 bush. Value of one-tenth. — $2.00

Cured Fodder — Quantity of gross crop. — 700 lbs. Quality — #2. Tithe or one-tenth. —  70 lbs. Value of one-tenth. — $280

Ground peas — Quantity of gross crop. — 7 1/2 bush. Quality — #2. Tithe or one-tenth. — 3/4 bush. Value of one-tenth. — $4.50

I, Durant Dove of the County of Onslow and State of N.C. do swear that the above is a true statement and estimate of all the agricultural products produced by me during the year 1863, which are taxable by the provisions of the 11th section of the above stated act, including what may have been sold of consumed by me, and of the value of that portion of said crops to which the government is entitled. /s/ Durant X Dove

Sworn to and subscribed to before me the 28th day of November 1863, and I further certify that the above estimate and assessment has been agreed upon by said Dove and myself as a correct and true statement of the amount of his crops and the value of the portion to which the government is entitled. /s/ F. Thompson, Assessor.

The Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-1865 (NARA M346), often called the “Confederate Citizens File,” is a collection of 650,000 vouchers and other documents relating to goods furnished or services rendered to the Confederate government by private individuals and businesses.

The “Citizens File” was created by the Confederate Archives Division of the Adjutant General’s Office from records created or received by the Confederate War and Treasury Departments that were in the custody of the U.S. War Department. The Citizens File was created to aid in determining the legitimacy of compensation claims submitted for property losses allegedly inflicted by Union forces. The records were used by the Treasury and Justice Departments, Southern Claims Commission, Court of Claims, and congressional claims committees to determine whether the claimant had been loyal to the Union or had aided the Confederate government and thus not eligible for compensation.

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June 1, 2014

Jonah Williams.

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Jonah Williams, son of free woman of color Vicey Artis and her enslaved husband Solomon Williams, is buried in a now-overgrown cemetery near Eureka, Wayne County.

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September 30, 2013

Made good.

“Colter’s entire life has consisted of challenges accepted and made good on. He was born on January 8, 1910, in Noblesville, Indiana, a small farming town about forty miles east of Indianapolis. On both side of the family his ancestors were free blacks who had settled in Indiana several years before the Civil War. Colter possesses a ledger tracing his mother’s family back to Britton Bassett, the son of a black man and a white woman in North Carolina, who was granted his freedom in 1797 when he was twenty-one and given a horse, bridle and saddle, and one hundred dollars. In the 1830s Bassett moved his wife and children to Indiana, traveling by night and hiding by day in order to elude slave hunters.”

— from the introduction to Cyrus Colter‘s The Rivers of Eros (1991).

[Sidenote: Britton Bassett, as the son of a white woman, was born free, not set free. Perhaps 1797 marked the end of his involuntary apprenticeship. He had a son Britton, who also had a son Britton and another named Daniel. Britton and Daniel married daughters of Montreville and Anna J. Henderson Simmons, who were born free in North Carolina and migrated to Indiana by way of Ontario, Canada.]

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September 1, 2013

Richard Artis.

There had been a photograph of Adam Artis, cousin Daisy told me, but it had been stored with other things in a barn, and rain had ruined it. She recalled an image of a  brown-skinned man, or the suggestion of one anyway in the soft sepia and charcoal portraits of the day.

If no photograph of Adam exists, however, there is one of his youngest brother. His image, in fact, is the only one known of any of Vicey Artis and Solomon Williams’ children.

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Richard Artis was born in 1850 in Greene County, very near Wayne. He spent his youth out of sight of censustakers, but in 1873, he married Susanna Yelverton (also known as Susanna Hall, the daughter of free woman of color Nicey [or Caroline] Hall and a white Yelverton.) Their children included: Lucinda Artis Shearod, Emma Artis Reid, Ivory L. Artis, Loumiza Artis Grantham, Richard Artis Jr., Susan Artis Cooper, Jonah Artis, Charity Artis Coley, Frances Artis Newsome, John Henry Artis and Walter Clinton Artis.

Richard Artis farmed in northern Wayne County all his life. He died 12 February 1923 in Great Swamp township of apoplexy and was buried the next day by the son of his sister, Zilpha Artis Wilson.

——

Photo courtesy of Teresa C. Artis.

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July 7, 2013

In payment of Confederate taxes, no. 1.

Form of the estimate and assessment of agricultural products agreed upon by the assessor and tax-payer, and the value of the portion thereof to which the government is entitled, which is taxed in kind, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 of “an Act to lay taxes for the common defence and carry on the government of the Confederate States,” said estimate and assessment to be made as soon as the crops are ready for market.

Adam Artis by wife

Cured Fodder     Quantity of gross crop. — 1500     Tithe or one-tenth. — 150     Value of one-tenth. — $4.50

I, Adam Artis of the County of Wayne and State of North Carolina do swear that the above is a true statement and estimate of all the agricultural products produced by me during the year 1863, which are taxable by the provisions of the 11th section of the above stated act, including what may have been sold of consumed by me, and of the value of that portion of said crops to which the government is entitled.   /s/ Adam X Artis

Sworn to and subscribed to before me the 3 day of December 1863, and I further certify that the above estimate and assessment has been agreed upon by said Adam Artis and myself as a correct and true statement of the amount of his crops and the value of the portion to which the government is entitled.  /s/ J.A. Lane, Assessor.

The Confederate Papers Relating to Citizens or Business Firms, 1861-1865 (NARA M346), often called the “Confederate Citizens File,” is a collection of 650,000 vouchers and other documents relating to goods furnished or services rendered to the Confederate government by private individuals and businesses.

The “Citizens File” was created by the Confederate Archives Division of the Adjutant General’s Office from records created or received by the Confederate War and Treasury Departments that were in the custody of the U.S. War Department. The Citizens File was created to aid in determining the legitimacy of compensation claims submitted for property losses allegedly inflicted by Union forces. The records were used by the Treasury and Justice Departments, Southern Claims Commission, Court of Claims, and congressional claims committees to determine whether the claimant had been loyal to the Union or had aided the Confederate government and thus not eligible for compensation.

[Sidenote: In 1863, Adam Artis was married to Frances Seaberry. They are my great-great-great-grandparents. — LYH]

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June 10, 2013

Circuit preacher.

Church Directory “Fremont Items” —

Rev. Jonah Williams of Wilson filled his regular appointment at Turners Swamp last Sunday.

The Blade, Wilson, 20 Nov 1897.

[Turner Swamp Primitive Baptist Church still meets in a small church north of Eureka, Wayne County. Descendants of several of Jonah Williams’ siblings are buried there. — LYH]

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June 5, 2013

Matthew Aldridge.

ImageMATTHEW ALDRIDGE was the son of Robert and Mary Eliza Balkcum Aldridge. He is buried in Elmwood cemetery, Goldsboro.

Photo taken by Lisa Y. Henderson, March 2013.

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June 4, 2013

Let Pig stay.

At the heart of Wayne County Superior Court proceedings stemming from the suit in J.F. Coley v. Tom Artis (1908) was a dispute over 30 acres of land.  Thomas “Tom Pig” Artis began renting the property in 1881 from W.J. Exum.  In 1892, Exum’s widow Mary sold it to Napoleon “Pole” Hagans.  In 1896, after Napoleon’s death, the land passed to his sons Henry and William S. Hagans, and in 1899 Henry sold his interest to his brother.  In 1908, William S. Hagans sold the 30 acres to J.F. Coley.  Coley filed suit when Tom Artis laid claim to it, arguing that Napoleon had sold it to him.  Tom claimed that the 800 lbs. of cotton he tendered to Napoleon Hagans (and later, his son William) was interest on a mortgage, but William Hagans and other witnesses maintained that the payment was rent. (Tom also testified that he rented the “Adam Artis place.”) William testified that his father was in feeble health in 1896 when he called him and his brother Henry together “under the cart shelter” to tell them he would not live long and did not know to whom the land would fall.  William testified that Pole asked them to let “Pig” stay on as long as he paid rent, and they promised to do so.  Tom Franks testified that “Pole was a first-rate business man.” Jonah Williams, Adam Artis’ brother, testified that he borrowed money from Napoleon to open a brickyard in the spring of 1893 and had preached his funeral.  He also noted that “Tom married my sister [Loumiza Artis].  He is not a member of my church.  I turned him out.  He is a Primitive Baptist.  I preached Napoleon Hagans’ funeral.”)  Jesse Artis, another of Adam Artis’ brothers, testified that he had worked on Napoleon’s property as a carpenter for 18 years and noted, “I don’t know that Tom and I are any kin, just by marriage.”   John Rountree testified that he was a tenant renting on thirds.  Simon Exum, Delilah Artis‘ husband, testified: “I am no kin to Tom [Artis] as far as I know, except by Adam.  His first wife was my wife’s sister.”  H.S. Reid testified that he was Tom Artis’ son-in-law.  The court found for Coley and against Artis.

[Sidenote: The Artises, Haganses and Reids were neighbors in the Eureka area of Wayne County for generations. Tom Artis’ mother Celia Artis and Henry S. Reid’s grandmother Rhoda Reid were the wealthiest free women of color in the county. Adam Artis married Napoleon Hagans’ half-sister Frances Seaberry. Adam’s sister Loumiza married Tom Artis. Henry S. Reid, son of Washington and Penninah Reid, married Tom Artis’ daughter. Henry’s first cousin Henry Reid, son of John and Mozana Hall Reid, married Adam Artis’ daughter Georgianna Artis. Adam Artis’ son William Marshall Artis and grandson Leslie Artis married Tom Artis’ neices, Etta and Minnie Diggs. And on and on. — LYH]

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May 23, 2013

I give as a legacy.

This Dec. the 28 1911

State of N.C. County of Wayne

I Adam T. Artis of aforesaid State and County being of sound mind considering the uncertainty of life I hereby constitute and declare this to be my last will and Testament.

Item 1. I hereby constitute and appoint my friend S.S. Strother to execute this my last will.

Item 2. My executor shall prepare a decent burial for my body suitable to the wishes of my relatives and friends and pay for the same out of the first money that comes into his hands together with all my just debts.

Item 3. For the love and affection I have for my wife Katie Artis I give and bequeath unto her about 18 acres [illegible] of the Thompson Tract of land as widow dower [illegible] life together with all appurtenances thereto, I also give and bequeath unto said wife Katie all of my Household and Kitchen furniture with all other personal property belonging unto me to have and to hold during her natural life.

Item 4. I give as a Legacy unto my son Pinkney Artis $100.00 One hundred Dollars.

Item 5. I give unto my son June Scott Artis Ten Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 6. I give unto my son Henry Artis Ten Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 7. I give unto my son Columbus Artis Ten Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 8. I give unto my son William Artis Five Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 9. I give unto my son Walter Artis Five Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 10. I give unto my daughter Josephine Artis Sherard Fifteen Dollars for her full share of my property.

Item 11. I give unto my son Robert Artis Five Dollars for his full share of my property.

Item 12. My executor shall sell the balance of my land after my death and pay over to my children the Items I have give to them and what is left shall be paid over to, in equal shares, Vicey Aldridge, Liza Everet, Augustus K. Artis, Georgana Reid, Mary Jane Artis, Emma D. Locus, Ida Reid, Lillie Thompson, Napoleon Artis, Haywood Artis, Addie Artis, Annie Artis, Alberta Artis, Jesse Artis, and at the death of my wife Katie the property I gave to her shall be equally divided between the 12 above named heirs, that are not limited.   Testator – Adam X Artis.

Witness W.F. Lewis, J.J. Coley, J.E. Exum

Proved 1 May 1919. Will Book 4, page 398. Office of Clerk of Superior Court, Wayne County Courthouse, Goldsboro.

[Sidenote: Adam Artis bought and sold hundreds of acres near present-day Eureka in northern Wayne County.  He outlived four wives (Winnie Coley, Lucinda Jones, Frances Seaberry, and Amanda Aldridge) and at least five of his children (Cain, Caroline, Adam jr., Emma, and Louetta). Son Noah is the only child not mentioned in his father’s will. Josephine A. Sherrod, Adam’s longest-lived child, died in 1988. –LYH]

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May 21, 2013

John & Delphia Taylor Locus.

ImageMARTIN JOHN LOCUS (1843-1926) and DELPHIA TAYLOR LOCUS (1850-1923). Martin was the son of Martin Locus and Eliza Brantley Locus of southeastern Nash and later western Wilson County. Delphia was the daughter of Dempsey Taylor and Eliza Pace Taylor of northern Nash County.

In the 1860 census of Winsteads, Nash County: Dempsey Taylor, 46, wife Liza, 44, and children Margaret A.W., 10, Delphia A., 10, Rildy A.R., 8, and Joel R., 6.

John Locus. Died 22 December 1926, Taylors, Wilson County. Colored. Widower. Farmer.  Age 83 years, 4 months, 19 days. Born Wilson County to unknown father and Eliza Locus of Nash County.  Buried family cemetery, Wilson County. Informant, John Locus Jr., Wilson County.

[Hat tip to Europe Ahmad Farmer.]

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