Amanuensis Monday Found Love in the Slave Pen

Slave Pen
Alexandria, Virginia
Image courtesy of Library of Congress

This is a bitter sweet testimony from Jane Harris Burnett who found love in a slave trader's pen in Richmond, Virginia. She and her future husband Robert Burnett likely were frighten, sold from family, not knowing where they were going and concerned about the new owner. John Torrey purchased them in Natchez, maybe at the Forks of the Road Slave Market. I wonder if Torrey was looking for a couple or if one or both asked him to buy them both.

Deposition A of Jane Burnett
Federal Pension Case of Jane Burnett (Widow of soldier Robert Burnett)
March 23rd 1898
Union Church, Jefferson County, Miss
I and Robert Burnett were bought by Mr John Torrey a number of years before the war from the traders at Natchez, Miss; I had become acquainted with Robert at Richmond, Va., where the traders first had us. My name in Virginia had been Harris, but on Mr Torrey's plantation I went by the name of my new owner. I took up with Robert Burnett at the slave trader's yard at Richmond, Va., and lived with him as his wife until his death in April four or five years ago; I cannot give you the exact date of his death. We were never divorced. Robert Burnett died of dropsy of the heart, so Dr McLean who treated him in his last sickness told me. When the Yankees had taken Natchez, Robert Burnett left for that place and enlisted in Co. C, 58 USCT, in which he served three years. After his discharged he returned home.

General Affidavit of John Torrey
In the year of 1852 February I bought them in Natchez, Miss and they lived as man and wife until 1863 when he went in the war and after he returned in 1866.

Source: Federal Pension Records of Robert Burnett
Private Robert Burnett of 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry
Digging up the Past at a Richmond Jail

Many Rivers to Cross Flora's Mama Born in Africa

THE AFRICAN AMERICANS: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS
The Black Atlantic (1500-1800)- Episode 1

"Through stories of individuals caught in the transatlantic slave trade, we trace the emergence of plantation slavery in the American South."
PBS African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross

The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade took place across the Atlantic Ocean from the 16th through to the 19th centuries. The transatlantic slave trade was responsible for the forced migration of between 12 - 15 million people from Africa to the Western Hemisphere. The vast majority of slaves transported to the New World were Africans from the central and western parts of the continent, sold by Africans to European slave traders who then transported them to North and South America.

The slave trade not only led to the violent transportation overseas of millions of Africans but also to the deaths of many millions more. Nobody knows the total number of people who died during slave raiding and wars in Africa, during transportation and imprisonment, or in horrendous conditions during the Middle Passage, the voyage from Africa to the Americas.

The kidnapping of Africans occurred mainly in the region that now stretches from Senegal to Angola.

Major Slave Trading Regions of Africa

Getting my people to the last farm, plantation before they arrived in Mississippi has been my genealogical goal. I didn't put much thought of tracing them back to Africa, until I saw this 1880 census entry for Flora Culver; I then realized it was possible. The first time I saw this census, I starred at the screen, ran my finger across her name to the word Africa.

1880 Federal Census - Caseyville, Lincoln County, MS - Beat 5 - Page131
Flora Culver was 95 years old living in the household of farmer James A Decell
and his family. She was born in Virginia and both parents were born in AFRICA.

I have often wonder about Flora's mama. How old was she when she first arrived in America? Was she as young as the 10 year Priscilla mentioned in the first episode? Was she a teenager?

Prior to arriving in Mississippi, Flora was the slave of Malcolm "Saddler" McNeill of Robeson County, North Carolina. After the death of Malcolm McNeill in 1833, Flora was given to Malcolm's son John David McNeill. John left NC, for Mississippi, between 1836 and 1838, bringing his slaves with him including Flora and her three sons, Daniel, John, and Robert. Flora's daughters remained in North Carolina. John McNeill settled in Caseyville, MS, with his slaves.

Flora was described as an "old woman" on the John McNeill's 1858 inventory listing of slaves, valued at $10. Based on the 1870 and 1880 census records, Flora was born between 1785-1790. Her first child was born in 1815. Going back one generation, 20 years, I estimate Flora's mama was born about 1770. Flora's mama was a child when she arrived in America.

Close your eyes, take yourself back to your child self. Try to imagine the horrific conditions, depravity, the loneliness. Take a moment to remember those young females who were forced immigrants to this county. Remember their strength.

Flora's mama is a direct ancestor of a set of my mother's 1st cousins.
African Americans- Many Rivers to Cross Bloggers
Images from Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Private John Culver of the 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry

Amanuensis Monday Virginia of Somerset Plantation

Aunt HARDENIA had charge of the milk house. Her grown daughter, Ann Liza, helped her- you know her – but there were other women to milk the cows. VIRGINIA, another of Aunt Hardenia’s daughters, a woman of about twenty was in training as a house servant. From Edwina Burnley Memoirs

Virginia was born between 1842-1855 per census records.

1870 - 25 yrs - born about 1845
1880 - 25 yrs - born about 1855
1900 - 50 yrs - born April 1850
1910 - 61 yrs - born about 1849
1920 - 78 yrs - born about 1842
1930 - 86 yrs - born about 1844

I think the Virginia mentioned in the memoir was the wife of John T Demyers, the brother of my 2nd great grandmother Alice Demyers Overton Usher. In the 1880 census for Copiah County, Mississippi, Hardenia Williams is in the household of her daughter's family. Virginia's death certificate confirms her mother's name was Ardenia Williams. Virginia died 17 Aug 1930, buried in the Lucky Hit Cemetery.

The Lucky Hit Plantation was a neighboring plantation to Somerset Plantation. Lucky Hit was owned by Hezekiah George David Brown who I believe was the slave owner of members of the Demyers family, including Virginia's husband John T Demyers. John died before Virginia, between 1909-1910.

Edwin Burnley owned (pink on map) Somerset Plantation. Per the 1860 Copiah County slave schedule, Burnley owned 60 slaves. Edwin's daughters, "Edwina Burnley and Bertha Burnley Ricketts, wrote the memoir describing their family and their childhood at Somerset plantation, near Hazlehurst, Copiah County, MS. Their father, Edwin Burnley (b. 1798), moved to Mississippi from Virginia in 1832 and married Maria Louisa Baxter (1820-1907) of Persippany, N.J., in 1852. The memoir describes plantation life, including many details about activities, relatives, neighbors, and slaves."

Edwina Burnley Memoirs
Map courtesy of Beverley Ballantine

Elizabeth Bryant's Sons James and Daniel McDaniel, Union Soldiers

James and Amanda McDaniel
Photograph Courtesy of James Scott
Elizabeth and her children lived on the farm of father and son, John and James McDaniel, near Meadville, Franklin County, Mississippi. They lived between two Union occupied towns, Natchez and Vicksburg. Once Elizabeth's family learned of the occupation of Natchez and they had the opportunity, several of them fled to Natchez.

Elizabeth was from Virginia, born about 1813, during the presidency of James Madison to parents whose names are unknown. When she was a young woman in her late teens, she was sold from the people, places and things familiar to her, purchased by John McDaniel about 1834. She was admired and respected by the people in her community. She worked the fields, helped with domestic chores and acquired the skills of midwifery.

Elizabeth's husband was on the farm of William Coleman, within walking distance, across county lines in Jefferson County. Coleman and McDaniel were long time friends as were their slaves. Neither family were large slave owning families. They slowly acquired slaves through births and an occasional purchase. By the Civil War, each family had enough slaves to put them in the planter's class, they had over 20 slaves. In 1860, the Coleman family owned 22 slaves, and John McDaniel owned 38 slaves. John's son, James McDaniel owned 22 slaves.

After the death of his first wife, John Bryant became the husband of Elizabeth, he was a decade older than Elizabeth. He was sickly with a hernia but he was a productive worker, good with the hoe. The couple was married by Elizabeth's owner John McDaniel, as he required a wedding ceremony for his slaves, and they celebrated their union with a wedding supper among the slaves.

John and Elizabeth had seven children, all born into slavery. Two of their sons would serve in the Union army. Both would enlist using the surname Mack, a name they knew their family would recognize.

JAMES "MACK" MCDANIEL also known as "Jim Mack," was the first of eight children born to John and Elizabeth. James would chose to use the McDaniel surname, passing the surname to his descendants. He was born about 1840 on John McDaniel's plantation. James' wife AMANDA was the slave of James McDaniel. Amanda was purchased in Natchez, MS, about 1856 or 1858. James and Amanda were married on the McDaniel Plantation according to Amanda, "three years before the War commenced."

James left the plantation in 1864 going to Natchez, MS, to join the United States Colored Troops, leaving behind his wife and two children. He enlisted with Company E, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry on September 05, 1864, the same day his brother Daniel enlisted. James was about 24 years old at enlistment. He was described as 5 feet 8 and a half inches tall. He was a stout, robust man with black hair and eyes. As with most of the men who served during the Civil War, James suffered measles, pneumonia, bronchitis, acute diarrhea, constipation, and fevers. He was discharged at Vicksburg, Warren County, MS, on April 30, 1866.

After returning home to his family, James and family moved to Malcolm Buie's place in 1866 where Amanda, James' wife, was the Buie's cook. James worked for Dr. Gray and he would visit Amanda on Sundays. Eventually, James purchased their own 120 acres of land near Union Church, Jefferson County.

James was diagnosed with kidney disease known as Brights Disease by Dr. J. J. McLean in 1868 or 1869, and Dr. Clark diagnosed him with diabetes in 1867 or 1868. James remained healthy looking and survived kidney disease much longer than Dr. McLean expected. James suffered with backaches, bladder and urination problems. Amanda would saturate his back with liniment and coal oil. He worked hard to provide for his family, hiring others to do the hard labor he could not do. At the time of his death, James was in the process of buying additional land. Special Examiner F. T. Dennis of the United States Pension Board copied this statement from Amanda's bible; "James McDaniel died May 02, 1887 aged 49 yrs, 10 months - sick 2 weeks, in bed 2 days." James died of Brights Disease.

James and Amanda had a total of 12 children, 10 children survived to adulthood. They were: Margaret b. 1863 , Ellen b. February 1865, Mary b. February 1868/1870, William b. December 1868, twins Reed and Luberta b. May 15, 1871, John b. May 05, 1872, Preston April 15, 1877, Cameron b. May 01, 1878, and Melvin b. September 01, 1880. Elizabeth Bryant, James' mother, was the midwife at the birth of each child.

Amanda and her eligible children received a pension for James' services.

James and Amanda's descendants are all over the United States and continue to use the surname McDaniel.

DANIEL "MACK" MCDANIEL was born about 1845 on John McDaniel's plantation. He lived in the same house with his mother. Daniel ran away from the McDaniel's plantation in 1864. He enlisted September 05, 1864, in Natchez, MS, with Company E, 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry.

He was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall with black hair and eyes and dark copper complexion. He was about 19 years of age when he enlisted.

Daniel sent money, a watch, and shoes home to help support his family. Too embarrassed to see John McDaniel when he came to Natchez for business, Daniel would send the gifts by his brother-in-law Israel Etta to give to McDaniel, and McDaniel would give the gifts to Elizabeth.

Daniel died February 06, 1865, of bronchitis and pneumonia following measles at a Natchez hospital. He did not leave a wife nor children. His mother applied for dependent mother pension which was approved.

Sources:
Civil War Federal Pension Records of Daniel Mack
Civil War Federal Pension Records of James Mack
Slave Schedule - 1860 Franklin County, MS
Slave Schedule - 1860 Jefferson County, MS

Links
Tombstone Tuesday - Elizabeth Bryant
Elizabeth Bryant's Will
Meeting and Researching with Art Thomas