Slavery in the Jackson Purchase Area

Beale Family Papers

MS92-04 consists of correspondence, receipts, business transactions and legal documents related to the Beale family of Murray—enslavers, farmers, and merchants—from 1835 to 1901. The bulk of the collection is made up of receipts and invoices issued to or received by the Beale family from the 1850s to the 1880s. Included with the collection are documents associated with the tobacco industry in Calloway County and the traffic in enslaved individuals.

Letter from Elizabeth and Josephus Lassator. In it, they describe the sale of "a negro boy of a dark coper [sic] color between seven & eight years old" to A.J. Beal [sic]. December 18, 1858.

Letter from A.J. and M.J. Beale discussing the hiring of a "negro woman Rachel" from John Miller. Included are arrangements for her to be provided "the usual amount of clothing sheer stocking Blanket ... with all necessary medical aid." January 2, 1865.

Appeal from John Miller to A.J. Beal for "my man Dennis ... to marry your girl Matilda." Dated May 31, 1857.

Bill of sale from (?) to A.J. Beal for Matilda, "twenty three years old sound healthy and sensible and a slave for life." December 27, 1856.

Document from H. Harry(?) Russell and B.A. Wade to A.J. Beal. In it is a sale receipt for $1,700 for "a woman name Liza about thirty six years old," "a girl seven years old name Vandy(?)," and "a girl 4 years old name [sic] Melinda." "All dark coper collar [sic]" and "all sound sensible and healthy and slaves for life." April 23, 1860.

Document by (?) Koleman(?), "Guardian of Peggy Owen," containing bonds for various amounts. Mentioned is the sale of "a negro woman and her four children, Sharlett and her two children." November 23, 1842.

Jordan Beale to (?) Outland. Letter discusses prices for corn, pork, "negro men" & women, "cotton," etc. Beale also writes about members of the local community, including Rebecca, who had a "yellow or black child." January 8, 1835.

Receipt for medical expenses. Included are expenses for "tonic to negro," "med to negro," and "med to daughter." From Holt and Son to Jack Beale dating from July 1858 to July 28, 1859.

Sale of "our negrow [sic] full(?) of dark collar [sic] by the name of Mary aged about eleven years old" for $650. From James McKnight(?) to A.J. Beale. July 19, 1855.

Letter by D.V. Outland(?) and J.W. Russell "concerning a negro girl that A.J. Beale sold to Angeline Outland" that "(proved) to be unsound." July 21, 1865.

Certificate by E.L. McLain(?) and Angeline Outland certifying that A.J. Beale did not do "anything in any shape or form" wrong to the writer. Writer further claims that Beale has done more for them "than all Calloway County," and "in regard to the negro has bin said and don." December 9, 1865.

In a "statement of our settlement," some of the transactions are for "division of the negroes." Also noted is the value of an enslaved girl, Emeline, at $1,250. To A.J. Beale from H.C. Edwards(?). May 17, 1861.

Purchase Documents

MS10-30 consists of three legal documents relating to the sale of enslaved persons in Tennessee, two of which are are photocopies of the originals. These sales were made to Champion Terry of Henry County (1853), Redding Bonner of Warren County (1855), and Newton Young of Henry County (1859).

Bill of sale "for Thomas ... aged thirty nine years" by Champion Terry to Newton Young in Henry County, Tennessee in November, 1853.

Humphrey Lawrence Papers

MS10-62 consists of debit receipts and legal documents retained by Humphrey Lawrence of Trigg County, Kentucky from 1805 to 1881. The papers also contain land transactions, tax receipts and purchase agreements. Included are a receipt signed by Captain E. F. Lemon on February 27, 1865 for taking “ten bushels of corn for the use of government horses,” a claim signed on July 10, 1865 by Lawrence, who was seeking “adjustment” for two individuals he had enslaved who enlisted into United States Army and a hand written notice that he had taken an oath of allegiance at Fort Henry on November 4, 1862.