LCA Main Blog

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Honoring William Parsons, First USCT Soldier to Fall in Battle in SC

The first military action of the United States Colored Troops in South Carolina was an expedition organized by Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, commander of the 1st SC Infantry (later redesignated 33rd USCT). From January 23 to February 1, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry was on expedition from Beaufort up the St. Mary's River, which forms the boundary between Georgia and Florida.

The goal of the expedition was to surprise a Confederate encampment and capture much-needed lumber stores. Acting as guide on this expedition was Corporal Robert Sutton, who had made his escape to Union lines down that very river.

A skirmish developed as the 1st South Carolina was intercepted by a Confederate patrol from Captain Clark's cavalry before reaching the encampment. Private William Parsons of Company G, standing near Higginson, was killed instantly in the opening volley.

In his diary, Colonel Higginson recalls the expedition thus:

It was after midnight when we set off upon our excursion. I had about a hundred men, marching by the flank, with a small advanced guard, and also a few flankers, where the ground permitted. I put my Florida company at the head of the column and had by my side Captain Metcalf, an excellent officer, and Sergeant McIntyre, his first sergeant ... We plunged presently into the pine woods, whose resinous smell I can still remember.

All had gone smoothly as the troops made their way to the camp of the opposing troops; so smoothly, in fact, that Higginson was already imagining the troops springing from the woods, surprising the Confederate camp and forcing a surrender. Then suddenly:

There was a trampling of the feet of the advanced guard as they came confusedly to a halt, and almost at the same instant a more ominous sound, as of galloping horses in the path before us. The moonlight outside of the woods gave that dimness of atmosphere which is more bewildering than darkness, because the eyes cannot adapt themselves to it so well. Yet I fancied, and others aver, that they saw the leader of an approaching party mounted on a white horse and reigning up in the pathway; others, again, declare that he drew a pistol from the holster and took aim; others heard the words, "Charge in upon them! Surround them..." Perhaps at the first shot a man fell at my elbow [1].

The man who fell at Colonel Higginson's side was private William Parsons of Company G. Just 26 years old at the time of his death in battle, Parsons had enlisted at Port Royal, SC in January of 1863.

Born in Lowndes County, AL, Parsons listed his occupation as farmer at the time of his enlistment.

The 1st SC USCT were newly-formed when they made their first excursion up the St. Mary's, during which William Parsons was killed. The unit had received their charter and regimental colors just 24 days before.

So new was the regiment that at the time of his death in battle, William Parsons had not yet received his first pay [2].

Above: Detail from the Service Record of William Parsons, 33rd USCT. You may view the entire document on Fold3.

On this Memorial Day, we remember William Parsons of the 1st SC Infantry (later 33rd USCT), and honor the sacrifice he made in service to our country.

References Cited

[1] Higginson, Thomas Wentworth. 1962 Army Life in a Black Regiment. Reprint: Dungan Books. Digitized by Google Books, accessed 28 May 2012.

[2] "Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: Infantry Organizations, 31st through 35th," database online, Fold3 (www.fold3.com), accessed 28 May 2012, entry for William Parsons, 33rd USCT.

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New SC Resolution Will Recognize Importance of Freedmen's Community Mitchelville

A resolution introduced by South Carolina Representative Andy Patrick calls for South Carolina to officially recognize the importance of Mitchelville, a Freedmen's community built in 1862 on the Drayton family's Fish Haul Plantation in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

As the first self-governing community of freed former slaves in the nation, the site has great historical significance. The Mitchelville Preservation Project seeks to preserve the historic site and educate the public about the sacrifice, resilience and perseverance of the freedmen who established Mitchelville.

Today the new resolution was celebrated with a public event. Please enjoy the video below and read on for links to where you can learn more!

To learn more, please see the related story HHI unveils new Mitchelville displays.

Please also visit the Mitchelville Preservation Project website for more information.

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Back of the Big House - Slave Dwelling Project a Stop on Holly Springs, MS Pilgrimage Tour Tour

I met Jenifer Eggleston ten years ago when I started working for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. While she worked in the Washington, DC office, she came to Charleston, SC to fulfill a requirement of her duties. Right after Hurricane Katrina Jenifer was no longer employed with the National Trust but we both worked on matters of preservation in New Orleans. Last year, Jenifer contacted me with an idea that she had about me participating in the 74th Annual Holly Springs Pilgrimage Tour of Historic Homes which is an annual tour of the mansions in the town. Jenifer’s grand idea was to combine the pilgrimage with the Slave Dwelling Project and seek a funder that could help make it happen. Similar to the trip that I took to Missouri, the tentative date that we set for the trip to Mississippi was pending approval of the grant request. Like Missouri the proposal was approved through the state’s Humanities Council.

From the time that I tentatively put this event on my calendar, I was skeptical because the Mississippi history etched in my mind was not pleasant. Medger Evers, Emmitt Till, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner were all killed in the state of Mississippi in pursuit of their happiness. The movie Mississippi Burning as well as two books that I read recently Rising Tide by John M. Barry and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson did not paint a good picture of the treatment of African Americans in the state of Mississippi. I knew that in order for me to carry on with this assignment I had to get past those atrocities by thinking of them as history, Hollywood and books based on past accounts.

Mississippi Industrial College

On Thursday, April 12, 2012, my first scheduled task was to conduct a lecture on the Slave Dwelling Project at Rust, a Historically Black College located in Holly Springs. This would not be a problem because I had spoken on this subject at many colleges and universities before. The group was small but they got the same lecture that a larger group would have gotten. Something on that campus really bothered me. The buildings that were once Mississippi Industrial College from 1905 – 1982 which gave rise to Rust College are all being neglected. It bothered me so much that I insisted on going back the next day to take photographs.

That evening included an open reception at Montrose, the home of the Holly Spring Garden Club. A diverse crowd of influential people of Holly Springs were there and were treated to a presentation from me about the Slave Dwelling Project. They were treated to a bonus when Rhonda K. Peairs, Documentary Projects Coordinator of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation of the University of Mississippi in Oxford spoke to them.

Hugh Craft House Slave Quarters and Kitchen

My first stay was at the Hugh Craft House Slave Quarters and Kitchen which is owned by Jenifer Eggleston and her husband Chelius Carter. I would be alone in the quarters that night which had not occurred since my stay at Cliveden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Additionally, I slept in a bed which had not been done since my stay at Pleasant Hill Plantation in Missouri. The quarters was well researched which provided lots of information that could be used for its interpretation the next day. On three levels it included a basement which included a room for smoking meat; the first level included the kitchen and two separate living spaces; the third level was living space. Research revealed that Hugh Craft owned 9 slaves who serviced the current house that was built on the property in 1851.

Behind the Big House Tour

The next day the people participating in the pilgrimage started to show up for their tour of the dwelling. This was interesting because some people showed up thinking that they were going into the main house which was not the case. Early in the process, a few people - and I stress a few - excused themselves once they found out the subject matter was about slaves who occupied the dwellings behind the big house. Maybe the title “Behind the Big Tour” was a little misleading. Despite that most of the people showed up because of what the title implied and listened intently throughout the presentation and asked meaningful questions afterwards and expressed their appreciation that Holly Springs had taken such a bold step. I as well as my hosts was most impressed by all the African Americans that showed up for the tour. They especially expressed their appreciation for adding this element to the pilgrimage. The only one spirited debate came when one Caucasian female couldn’t accept that chattel slavery was a bad thing.

Rowan Oaks

Dinner that night included a bonus. Nearby Oxford, Mississippi was our destination. While there I visited Rowan Oak, also known as William Faulkner House. It is a primitive Greek Revival house built in the 1840s by Robert Sheegog. Faulkner purchased the house when it was in disrepair in the 1930s and did many of the renovations himself and lived there until 1962. The bonus was the fact that there is an intact slave dwelling on the property, moreover I got an invitation to spend a night there which will certainly happen in the future. No disrespect to Mr. Faulkner, but unfortunately, while conducting my perfunctory research on Rowan Oak, I have not yet come across any information that mentions the intact slave dwelling, which further justifies this project.

Burton Place

My second night stay would be at the slave dwelling located at Burton Place. The brick dwelling was behind the big house and to the right. It included a kitchen and two separate living spaces all on one level. For the second consecutive night, I slept in the dwelling alone and in a nice comfortable bed in the kitchen. I found the space to be over adorned knowing that anything that was not necessary for cooking would not be located in that space. Unlike the previous day, I was not provided with a lot of researched information on the past inhabitants of that space.

Burton Place, Holly Springs, MS

This worked in my favor because I could draw on all the knowledge that I gained by sleeping in 33 other slave dwellings prior to this one. There was one interpretive sign inside the dwelling that was quite telling, from the 1850 census, it listed eight slaves by gender and age only. I found it interesting that in 1850 they would only have a first name but even that was not put on a census form. That could be very frustrating for someone doing genealogical research.

The 1860 census revealed that the owner, Mary Malvina Shields obtained seventy-two additional slaves for a total of eighty. This increase in the number of slaves was an indication that she was a planter and was taking advantage of the cotton growing opportunities that existed. Throughout the day, a steady flow of people came through the dwelling to hear the interpretive presentation that I gave. Unlike the previous day, the participants had access to the mansion which worked out well because they all got a complete story. As time was winding down, I was feeling a bit dejected because no African Americans had come to the slave dwelling or the big house for that matter. Then it happened. One group of about twenty African Americans came to hear the presentation. The group listened intently and asked lots of questions after the presentation. The group leaders were local but the bulk of the group was from Ohio. The leaders stated that up until this point they never felt welcome at the pilgrimage and were thrilled that this year the Behind the Big House Tour was offered.

Prior to leaving Holly Spring, my host took me on a windshield tour of the other extant former slave dwellings. We looked for the telltale signs for slave dwellings, location, chimneys, windows, etc. For a relatively small town, I was surprised by the number that still exists. Some of the buildings have evolved into storage spaces, garages, pool houses or guest houses and some are just deteriorating.

Reflections on Holley Springs

The success of participating in the Holly Springs Pilgrimage made me think about other established house tours and pilgrimages. Years ago I would volunteer for the Preservation Society of Charleston, SC tour of homes. As I recall, all of the focus was on the mansions and not the outbuildings. For Holly Springs this was their 74th Annual Holly Springs Pilgrimage Tour of Historic Homes, I know that there are several other well established tour of historic homes in urban areas. Several of those homes in the north and south were built while slavery existed in those areas, therefore they may have outbuildings where slaves once lived. Additionally, one should not dismiss the possibility that they may have lived in the attics or basements of mansions. I now wonder how many other established house tours are willing to take the bold step that Holly Springs did and tell the stories of the slaves that lived in the outbuildings associated with the big house.

Since starting the Slave Dwelling Project in 2010, I have had several revelations. In seeking extant former slave dwellings sometimes they are hidden in plain view especially when we factor in urban slavery. Some property owners may own some of these structures and not know their history. Some may know the history but for various reasons choose not to make it known to others. I am often asked how many extant slave dwellings still exist. I respond that factoring in urban slavery makes placing a number on those dwellings difficult. It could be less of a challenge to answer that question if we had more places like Holly Springs, Mississippi that are willing to tell the whole story of their built environment.

Jenifer Eggleston's Reflections

When I first moved to Holly Springs, Mississippi in the fall of 2008, my husband who maintains a private practice in historic restoration gave me the cook’s tour of the town with its impressive collection of historic structures from several time periods. While Holly Springs has an inarguably inspiring architectural inventory, what spoke to me was the considerable number of buildings directly related to slavery. Many towns had lost much if not all of their slave-related structures but Holly Springs had maintained many of these rare surviving buildings.

That so many of Holly Springs’ vital, tangible links to the legacy of slavery had survived is primarily owed to their remaining in continuous use. Their original form had often obscured making it difficult to recognize them for their historic intent and value. In many cases, the original purpose of these culturally significant buildings was either forgotten, due to the passing of living memory or by design or a combination of both. Either way, it was clear that a significant part of the historic narrative was missing. While a number of the silent witnesses – the structures directly related to the slaves’ accommodations were extant--the stories of the people who lived and used these buildings was largely being forgotten. The personal histories of the “Big Houses” had been preserved but what of those personal lives “Behind the Big House?”

Doing what one does in down moments I was searching Facebook one night and stumbled across a former colleague and friend, Joseph McGill’s page. That’s when I learned of his inspiring work with the Slave Dwelling Project and thus began a conversation about how Holly Springs could highlight and interpret these rare surviving buildings by bringing Joseph to our community during our annual Pilgrimage Tour of Historic Homes. Thanks to his support of the idea and some last minute grant writing for a Mississippi Humanities Council grant this idea came alive last week from April 12th through 15th.

Joseph McGill for his part, spent an evening in two of the more intact slaves’ quarters and remained on site the following days to give visitors a first-hand interpretation of what life might have been like “Behind the Big House”. Most of our visitors were on the Pilgrimage tour and this was for many an unexpected view into another side of history, a much-needed addition of a missing historic narrative. Also, many came out just for the “Behind the Big House” tour, which was extremely encouraging for the continuation and development of this program.

Our local historic preservation nonprofit, Preserve Marshall County & Holly Springs, Inc. hopes to continue this initiative with a goal of not only researching but also documenting and advocating for the preservation of these irreplaceable historic resources. We will be sure to share our future work on this project with Joseph and look forward to hosting Joseph and the Slave Dwelling Project in the future.

Finding it difficult to end this posting I thought it would be best to share what two attendees at our Welcome Reception felt as reported by our local newspaper, The South Reporter. Local community supporter and tourism board chairman, Ralph Howard, “the dialogue is long overdue . . .and will help with the economy and tourism in the city” and artist, Randy Hayes ,“I just told him that I thought what he is doing is art . . . I thought the gathering more truly represented Holly Springs than any social event I can remember.”

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Healing Through Heritage

By Robin Foster

I just made it home from my first research trip as Co-Director of Lowcountry Africana.

I almost willingly succumbed to sleep, but after retiring, my mind kept wandering through the experiences over this past week. I left home with the purpose of serving and being of some use in the challenge of helping African Americans document ancestors.

Little did I know that I would run into documentation of my own family and meet people who actually knew and respected them. I discovered my great aunt, Virginia Vance Lemon and her husband, Rev. Isaiah Rip Lemon among the names in the 1940 Charleston City Directory while hunting. It always seems like a gift is always waiting to be discovered while helping someone else. I would have been satisfied on the first day of research, but other gifts awaited me.

I have always seen the great power of community in helping African Americans resolve problems and find healing. I am truly grateful for all that Drayton Hall does to include and connect to the descendants of former slaves. I am forever changed by the oral history and stories I heard this week. I realized that the stories do not have to be my own to feel fulfillment and healing.

This is so exciting to me because it means that those who have not been able to rediscover the stories of their ancestors for various reasons, may study the life of a person who perhaps lived in the same time period or location of an ancestor. I have resorted to researching contemporaries on many occasions, and I have found that experience very rewarding. I have also found clues which later led to documentation on my own ancestors.

My experiences this week revealed and instantaneously healed places within me that I did not know warranted intervention. I keep thinking about how much more free I will feel now. I am trying to ascertain how this will affect my decisions and interactions with others in the future. It will take much reflection yet to understand the crevices of my soul which are no longer marred by the heritage of slavery, but I wonder if any of that reflection is even necessary. I do know that I relish in the joy and the teardrops that fall like the first mist of refreshing rain. As my feelings swell within me, I realize that out of all the things that occurred this week, the over-arching theme was “Healing through heritage.”

It is so powerful to walk a plantation and to witness true friendship between the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners.

It is truly powerful to see them hug and hold hands.

It is truly powerful to walk among the graves of a sacred African American cemetery preserved in dignity.

It is truly powerful to see three generations of descendants of former slaves remaining true to their legacy and making a difference today in the community.

Fourth from Left: Rebecca Campbell and family clean the Johnson family plot at Lewis Christian Society Burial Ground, Charleston, SC; Sponsored by Preservation Society of Charleston

This thing we call “Heritage” encompasses our entire community. It did so long ago, and it must do so today to live on.

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Slave Dwelling Project Visits Seibels House and Lexington Museum

There have been times in this journey when it was wise to schedule slave dwelling stays back to back. My trips to Alabama, Missouri, and Texas are perfect examples of that. There has been one trip in South Carolina where that also applied; that was my stays at Laurelwood Plantation in Eastover, SC and the slave dwelling in Cheraw, SC. The stays at Siebels House Kitchen Dependency on Thursday, April 5 and the Lexington County Museum on Friday, April 6 would follow that same formula.

Outreach Discussions Renewed

Before I could participate in the events planned for the Seibels House Kitchen Dependency on the evening of Thursday, April 5, 2012, I had to take an interesting detour to Florence, SC earlier that morning. Because of the recommendation of a highly respected historian and friend, the TV show History Detectives contacted me about filming a scene for them describing the life of a female slave. My immediate response was yes but then they told me the location. It turned out to be the Hewn–Timber Cabins at Francis Marion University one of the two places that have denied me the opportunity for an overnight stay in its slave dwelling. After making this clear to the History Detective representative, we both concluded that I was still their man.

Upon arrival at the site in Florence, I discovered that the film crew was going to be late. The tardiness of the film crew provided a great opportunity for the property manager/interpreter to justifiably challenge my intent. After convincing him that I came in peace and meant him no harm, we got along admirably from that point forward. The filming of the scene went extremely well but I’ve been on sets enough to know that two hours of filming could mean zero to five or so minutes in the finished product. The piece is scheduled to air sometime this summer. The chance for a future overnight stay at this site looks promising.

A Sad Commentary

Operating on assumptions and not letting my host know exactly what time I would arrive, it was 4:00 pm when I reached the Seibels House Kitchen Dependency. The property appeared to be locked so from a distance I took pictures of the mansion and the kitchen dependency where I was to spend the night. I then went seeking a place to do some shopping for some snacks for the night stay.

While shopping, I got a call from Ruth Rambo who was scheduled to share the slave dwelling experience with me. Ruth told me that she was in the garden area of the house which came as surprise to me because I did not know that one could have unescorted access to the grounds of the mansion. I relayed to Ruth that once I finished my shopping, I would be there to meet her.

When I met her at the site, I told her about my hesitancy about entering the garden. When I stayed at Cliveden in Philadelphia an alarm sounded on the morning when I got up and made an attempt to go the bathroom. Through a phone conversation, the director of Civeden gave me a code to put into the system which did not work. He stated not to worry because he would call the alarm company to alert them to what was happening. My immediate thoughts went to the Rodney King incident so I stated to him that I would just sit there until he or another staff member got there to take charge of the situation. It was that thought and the current Trayvon Martin incident that convinced me to take all of my photographs of the site from a safe distance. A sad commentary, but true in my mind.

Seibels House

According to a promotional brochure, “Purportedly the oldest remaining building in Columbia, a portion of the Seibels House is believed to date to 1796. To the north of the building , attached by a covered breezeway, stands a circa-1830 kitchen house, believed to be the last building of its kind left in Columbia and one of only a very few structures in which enslaved African Americans lived and worked, separate from their owner’s residence. Various owners adapted the house to meet their needs, especially the Seibels family, who acquired the property in 1858. The building’s Colonial Revival style dates to a 1920s renovation designed by architect J Carroll Johnson. Historic Columbia Foundation received the property as a gift in 1988 and uses the building for its administrative headquarters and as rental property.”

The Lecture

Prior to the stay, a Slave Dwelling Project Lecture was scheduled. Two organizations that represented the media were there, which was a great testament because I know at some point in the future of this project, it will not excite the media as it is currently doing, but that will not make this project any less important. At the end of the lecture, I yielded two minutes to Ruth Rambo who would reveal her reason for spending the night. It was then that Ruth revealed that she was a descendant of a slave and slave owner which was news to me and did not go unnoticed because of the work that I am currently doing with the group Coming to the Table.

I also yielded 5 minutes to Robin Foster who is a genealogist and one of the publishers of my blog. I met Robin two years ago when the two of us sat on a panel together at Penn Center on St. Helena Island. The Slave Dwelling Project focuses on the places but it is Robin and others like her who constantly reminds me that it is the formerly enslaved people who are important. The turnout was great and diverse and lots of questions were asked during the question and answer period. I was most impressed that a child got the first and last question for the night.

After the lecture, I got to mingle with some of the audience while some of the others went for a tour of the kitchen dependency. When I finally, made my way to the kitchen dependency and the media left, one of the staff members alerted me that I had promised one of the audience members that she could spend the night with us, an error that had to be immediately corrected.

The Stay

In addition to me spending the night, Old Reliable, Terry James, Ruth Rambo and John Scherer, staff member of Historic Columbia Foundation would also share the experience. It was on a trip last year that John and I took to Richmond, VA to participate in the annual conference of the American Association of State and Local History (AASLH) that we devised the plan for what was happening that night. I recall meeting Ruth Rambo at a group meeting that I organized to see the movie Tuskegee Airmen. Ruth reminded me that I met her earlier at an event when I was representing my Civil War reenacting group, Company I, 54th Reenactment Regiment, but how can one forget a name like Ruth Rambo. The opportunity to share the slave dwelling experience is an open invitation pending the permission of the property owner. Ruth did all that was necessary to ensure that her spot was secured.

The conversation among the four of us was very rich. Before we fell asleep and after we woke up, we covered everything from the burning of Columbia during the Civil War; the great migration; the detail of the kitchen dependency; brick making, who snored the loudest; segregation, and lynchings . Ruth, Terry and John left while I utilized a computer in the office to do some quality writing for the project.

The Lexington Museum

The Lexington Museum came at this thing from a completely different angle. Most of the buildings including the two slave cabins were moved to the site from other locations. That would make this stay similar to the ones at Old Alabama Town in Montgomery, AL; Roper Mountain in Greenville, SC; and the Price House in Woodruff, SC. Unlike the previous night at the Seibels House Kitchen Dependency, this stay garnered very little fanfare, similar to previous stays at privately owned properties. When I toured the grounds with the site director and saw the slave cabins, I verified that I had been there previously performing living history in the capacity of a Civil War reenactor. The cabin was once used as an office so it had electricity but no lights, central heating and air and replicas of artifacts throughout.

"Deformed and Almost Worthless"

One impressive part of the building was one interpretive sign that listed the first names of the slaves who were once the property of the owner. The most haunting was one interpretive sign that listed the name of one female slave and categorized her as deformed and almost worthless.

I had a conversation with the gentleman that restored the cabin that I was going to sleep in that night. He expressed his fear of ghosts but that did not deter me. I was delivered a bonus when the site director introduced me to a museum neighbor who told me about a plantation that he owns in Fairfield County, SC that has a restored slave cabin. Long story short, Lemmon Hill Plantation in Winnsboro, SC will be on the 2013 calendar of the Slave Dwelling Project. A local newspaper reporter showed up for an interview and was not impressed by my Yankee hat that went with my Yankee uniform. William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops made an impact in this area during the Civil War.

During dinner at a local Bojangles’ that was located in walking distance from the museum, Old Reliable Terry James called to let me know that he would be there later that night. As darkness descended and a full moon revealed itself, I had quality time inside the cabin alone with my thoughts to do some quality writing about the project. I now realize that based on some of the inquiries that I have gotten thus far there is great potential for the expansion of the Slave Dwelling project in 2013. Ten thirty came and Terry James had not yet shown. Thoughts of the early days of the project and how I would sleep in the dwellings alone danced through my mind. I thought of that reporter who did not like my Yankee hat and the gentleman who restored the cabin when thirty minutes after I laid down, Terry rang my phone stating he was outside. After getting Terry settled into the cabin, there would be very little conversation, his history lesson would have to wait until the next morning.

The next morning Terry took full advantage of his skill as a professional photographer. According to its brochure, “The Lexington County Museum, founded in 1970, offers a rare and unforgettable experience – the chance to see and touch a way of life gone forever. Structure and furnishings focus on the early history of Lexington County and interpret the everyday lives of its residents from ca. 1770 until the momentous changes wrought by the Civil War. The Museum complex, located right off Highway 378, encompasses seven acres of property and features 36 historic buildings.” Terry was like a kid in a candy store taking intricate shots of each building. We both wagered that each of those buildings that were built prior to the Civil War was built using some type of slave labor. And then we parted, I headed home to my family, with Terry still taking pictures of buildings.

Commentary: Ruth Rambo

--- April 5, 2012, Seibels House (Kitchen), 1601 Richland Street, Columbia, S C

It’s 11:30 AM the next morning: grey, dank, and dreary. Yet my insides defy the environment; they refuse to reflect the mood of the weather, my insides are flying high. Even my body is behaving jubilantly. These old bones are not predicting rain although a thin layer of heavenly spit sits on my hair. My back shows no evidence of its night long encounter with a bare wooden floor as I had anticipated. The hard pine Cracker Barrel chair feels remarkably comfortable. I surely would have predicted otherwise. No chair no matter the level of padding would have been comfortable for the next few days or so I had forecasted. As instructed by Zora Neale Hurston’s Mom, I have ‘jumped at the sun.’ Didn’t ‘get there but at least I got off the ground.’

I am driving home to Charleston after a sleep-in at the partially restored brick kitchen on the Seibels House, an urban plantation in Columbia S C. It is just one stop on Joe McGill’s National Trust for Historic Preservation Slave Dwelling Project. He is the project creator/coordinator and has slept in slave dwellings around the country on plantations from Texas to Connecticut. Terry James, photographer and civil war reenactor has accompanied Joe, also a reenactor as well as a Field Officer for the Trust, frequently on this mission to highlight the need for preservation of all the antebellum South relics. The party of four of slave dwellers also included John Scherrer, Director of Cultural Resources, Historic Columbia Foundation and me, an African American history dilettante with a lifetime interest in the American system of slavery.

Joe and Terry were already friends and enjoyed a close camaraderie. Both John and I had met Joe but didn’t have any common experience with him and didn’t know Terry at all. Thrown together in a very small space shifting positions or turning over had to be carefully choreographed. John observed that during Middle Passage the spaces were much tighter so movement was virtually impossible. My thoughts traveled from the slaves’ movement restrictions of a narrow space coupled with the inability to restrict normal bodily functions with resulting products. We had access to modern facilities for which I was most grateful. Terry had shackled his hands so when he turned over we heard the clanging of those chains in the night. It was a frightening and sobering reminder of physical and psychological elements of antebellum controls. On the lighter side when we awoke, John our host asked if we wanted coffee. The idea was heartily welcomed. So he left the historic kitchen and returned from the ‘Big House’ carrying a tray of juice, coffee and banana bread. We laughed at the role reversal. A possible descendant of slave owners serving the descendants of slaves.

Joe extends an open invitation to people interested in the topic of slavery to join him by sharing the lodging of a slave cabin overnight. The restoration of the fine plantation homes is a no brainer. Everyone both black and white; from the north and south wants to vicariously experience - if just for fifteen minutes- the life style and luxuries of a southern planter. Yet no one wants to explicitly experience the life style of an enslaved African. Well! Almost nobody.

Last night Joe had three takers: Terry James, John Scherrer, and me, the paternal great granddaughter of Lydia Rambo. Lydia was a slave born c. 1820 who married and was freed by her owner Lt. Gayle Rambo and has frequently informed and guided my life. She has been my personal symbol of strength and endurance. Throughout my life whenever I was feeling mentally defeated or physically ill, I’d conjure up a scenario where my great grandmother Lydia was similarly compelled to push herself to meet exceedingly high expectations…physical goals clearly more difficult to meet than the ones confronting me during my 20th-21st Century life. Just thinking of this slave woman’s survival achievement, has often given me the resolve to push through extreme fear and pain and ‘just do it’. The will to survive is strong. Although I never met her, my G grandmother taught me that.

Of course one cold night, no matter how uncomfortable, in a brick plantation kitchen/slave dwelling does not a slave experience replicate. What it did do is give me time and place and circumstance to think about the real life of a slave. It stimulated me to devote serious thought to America’s gritty public secret – an inhuman, inhumane system of trading in human flesh- slavery.

The questions flow…the questions with immediate and obvious answers and the numberless questions without probable answers.

The first is the most apparent to me: What would America be like today culturally, politically and economically had there been no talented, creative, abundant African slave labor? What unrecognized role did slavery play in the supremacy of America on the world stage? Who first envisioned slavery as the cost effective method of developing America’s north and south east corridor? Of working the land, of building the dwellings, of expanding the music, of raising the children?

Who were these slaves rendered 3/5th a person? Who were these slaves, the only major group of North American émigrés who did not willingly and purposefully seek the opportunities available on these shores? Yes! The Africans too were huddled masses yearning to breathe free. They were also the wretched refuse of a teeming shore. The Africans were homeless and tempest-tost. Yet here was no welcome for them….no lifted lamp….no open nor golden door.

Who were these enslaved Africans who endured a brutal lifestyle of work from ‘kin to kant’ (can see in the morning to can’t see at night) without becoming chronically depressed? How did any one of them escape becoming suicidal? Who were these slaves enduring lifetimes of hardship and deprivation yet had families, created communities, learned to talk through many languages, danced, laughed and sang. Who were these Africans who taught their children the many skills they had mastered - the most vital of all - how to survive and then manipulate the system without being beaten to death? Who were these slaves?

Who would I be, had I been a slave? Would I have been cheerful and chatty? What skills would I have developed? Would I have run away? Would I have tried to harm my owners? Who would I have been? And who am I now because my G G M, Lydia was chattel.

And why, over 300 years later, does America continue to deny their contribution and the contributions of their descendants?

Some of these questions might be answerable: others require a Sphinx. What is crystal clear is that this remarkable slave dwelling experience was intellectually provocative and stimulating. You should think about becoming a slave dweller.

Contact Joe McGill. You’ll become the better for it. I believe I did.

--- Ruth ‘Retired’ Rambo

Commentary: John Sherrer, Historic Columbia Association

On Thursday, April 5, 2012, history was made within the confines of a circa-1830 brick kitchen house, adjacent to one of Columbia, South Carolina’s most celebrated sites –the circa-1796 Seibels House, a landmark structure most often associated with distinguished architecture and verdant gardens. A cast of four, led by Joseph McGill, a field officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a Civil War 54th Regiment re-enactor, crafted an unprecedented Historic Columbia Foundation experienced by virtue of their respect for the power of preservation. As part of Mr. McGill’s on-going effort to heighten public appreciation of and preservation advocacy for sites associated with slavery, this experience was the 31st in his thus-far two-year endeavor. But, for all four of us it was our first shared encounter and one that profoundly affected me as a steward of this extraordinary structure.

Above: Terry James, Ruth Rambo and John Sherrer at Seibels House

Upon first inspection we all looked different – three men, one woman; three South Carolinians, one Ohioan; three black and one white. We shared space recently afforded by the installation of a partial floor within the building’s north chamber, a room determined by archaeology and corroborated through oral history, to have served as a laundry for the main house. Just to our south lay the uncovered floor of the south chamber, a room that during slavery and for generations after was busied by the efforts of cooks preparing meals of great variety. Overhead, bear rafters loomed where formerly a plastered and whitewashed ceiling shielded occupants of both rooms.

Following an evening program in which Mr. McGill shared his first thirty experiences with conducting sleepovers in spaces that once echoed with the sounds of enslaved laborers, we four gathered our modest supplies for the evening. A couple of camp stools and sleeping bags – the items of a veteran to such evenings. A rolled towel for a pillow and a thin and short blanket for myself, gathered hurriedly earlier in the morning but not without some thought – what should I bring that would grant me some measure of comfort meanwhile not stripping me of the essential elements of an evening spent in an unlit, unheated and unfurnished building? Just how comfortable should I make myself?

Thanks to the generosity of Terry James, a co-re-enactor and friend of Mr. McGill’s, I received the benefit of a padded moving blanket that would remove me slightly from the hard pine floor that met us all. True to previous outings, James produced a pair of manacles in which he slept the entire evening, as a physical reminder of the conditions experienced by slaves during the Middle Passage and here in America during sale on the auction block and when punished for various crimes or indiscretions. With each shift during the evening the individual links sang out a metallic clank.

Ruth Rambo, the fourth in our group, represented a reverse migration of sorts – relocating from Ohio to her present home of Charleston. Her presence was important for so many reasons, not the least of which was that this structure was once the realm of women, African-American women, from whose efforts key expectations each day during bondage were met for their owners. Her presence made me consider each task with greater appreciation and how work was divided between enslaved men and women. She also exuded a sage-like presence that was simultaneously disarming and intriguing.

An overcast evening with very low clouds reflected lights beaming throughout the downtown, casting a glow throughout the sky as if someone turned on a 15-watt bulb. Mist persisted where thunderstorms were forecast to have struck and the thermometer dropped considerably with the front that had moved in for the evening. With one of the building’s two doors remaining open until 4:00 a.m., I found sleep elusive. Every 20 minutes I changed positions after the pine floor had numbed hip and shoulder to the point of waking me up. Punctuating bouts of waking up was my contributions to a chorus of snoring among us that surely would have been quite a concert for the very few passersby that we had during the evening. When not met with the sound of trains and sirens, common during certain times of the later hours, I was struck by the quietude of the kitchen – the one place that Mr. McGill believed would have been, at times, a place of solitude for slaves whose daily actions were both driven and monitored by owners. On occasion the only sound discernible was the rustling of palmetto tree fronds in the adjacent garden and along Pickens Street.

The morning began much like the evening had left off – with conversations about history, race, slavery and preserving important sites such as the kitchen house. Most of the time I listened, eager to hear what these three persons felt, what their personal experiences had been and what the future might hold for the fields of history and historic preservation. Here and there I offered what I knew about Columbia history in general, the site specifically and what Historic Columbia Foundation had accomplished in recent years addressing a handful of topics, including that of slavery – ultimately the institution whose legacy brought us temporarily together on an evening before a peaceful Easter weekend full of reflection.

For me, a native Columbian, this experience with three visitors whose roots lie in the town of Kingstree and the cities of Florence and Cincinnati struck a chord that will resonate for some time to come. I was for those brief few hours an ambassador of the city, an interpreter of the historic site and a watchful eye and an attentive ear for things that went bump in the night during their stay. Experiences come in many shapes, sizes and, in some cases, colors, but for me I recall an evening spent with kindred spirits interested in learning more about the past while preserving the tangible elements that make history accessible to contemporary citizens and visitors.

0

Descendants of Slaveholders, Descendants of Slaves Share Overnight Stay at Bush-Holley House, Greenwich, CT

Bush-Holley House

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Bush-Holley Historic Site in Greenwich, Connecticut was not the first northern stay for the Slave Dwelling Project, Cliveden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania holds that distinction. This was not the first time that I stayed in a dwelling in an urban setting, for I did that in Montgomery, Alabama; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lexington, Missouri; Wilmington, North Carolina, Anderson, South Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina. This was not the first time that I shared the experience with a Caucasian, for I have done that in Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, Maryland and South Carolina.

It might be the case that some of the Caucasians on some of those prior stays were the descendents of former slave owners, information for whatever reason they chose not to reveal and I chose not to ask. The stay at the Bush-Holley house was the first time that I knowingly shared the slave dwelling experience with the Caucasian descendants of slave owners and get this, one guest was the descendant of a slave and slave owner.

I can recall that when I became a Civil War reenactor 20 years ago, some Confederate reenactors would be quick to voluntarily reveal to me that their ancestors did not own slaves as if to justify to me and themselves that the Civil War was not about slavery. I have read and have a signed copy of the book titled Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball. None of that really resonated with me until I recently got involved with the group Coming to the Table.

The Coming to the Table story is about connecting people and the past to the present and future in a way that is relevant for our nation. Housed at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, CTTT was launched when people whose ancestors were connected through an enslaved/enslaver relationship realized they had a shared story that remained untold. Today, they and many others believe that the legacies and aftermath of slavery impact our nation in seen and unseen ways and they are committed to writing and telling a new story about our nation’s past and the promise of our collective future.

It was through this group that I was introduced to Grant Hayter-Menzies, Reverend David Pettee and Dionne Ford. They would all share the Slave Dwelling Project experience with me on the night of Friday, March 30, 2012. I met David and Dionne three weeks prior in Richmond, VA at the national conference of Coming to the Table. Grant, who was instrumental in making the stay happen, I only knew through telephone conversations, Facebook and emails.

According to its brochure, “the circa-1730 Bush Holley-House, a National Historic Landmark, is the centerpiece of the Greenwich Historical Society’s site on Cos Cob Harbor. Bush-Holley House is significant on multiple levels and has been preserved to feature many of the architectural elements added in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Today, the landscape and gardens of the historic buildings are restored to circa 1900, a visual statement that allows visitors to recognize many artworks created on site. Once you enter the house, you’ll find that your tour offers a glimpse into two distinct eras that tell a story of dramatic change over time.” In my opinion, this brochure nor the information that I came across on the website does not do the site justice for all that it is successfully doing to interpret its slave holding past.

Prior to the stay, staff at the Bush-Holley House arranged for a panel discussion on the subject of slavery in the north. In addition to the three people who would join me in the sleepover, the following people were also included on the panel; Dr. Allegra diBonaventura, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Yale University; and Dale Plummer, City Historian of Norwich and Chair of the Emancipation Proclamation Commemoration Committee. The discussion was given to a standing room only crowd with lots of questions asked afterwards. It was exciting to see a diverse audience there especially because I knew most of the African Americans who attended. My uncle was there who I had not seen in 21 years, he was accompanied by his daughter who, by my recollection, I was meeting for the first time. This mini family reunion was reminiscent of the first northern stop for the Slave Dwelling Project at Cliveden in Philadelphia, PA in 2011. There two aunts and my first cousin all of whom I had not seen for 20 years met me at Cliveden.

Trying to interact with all the people wanting attention after the panel discussion was a challenge but a good problem to have. I eventually ended up in the space where we were to spend the night. It was there that the reporters wanted their interviews.

Maneuvering in the space was a challenge. It was a space that was set up to be seen from an observation area. Allowing us to sleep there was the site’s curator worst nightmare and rightfully so. The space was filled with artifacts and replicas and materials that depicted a space lived in by enslaved people, therefore only Grant and I could sleep in that space. Allowing too many people in to that space could compromise its structural integrity, therefore David and Dionne had to share the space in the observation area. Luckily, we were only separated by 3 feet high plexiglass.

Of my 30 prior stays, this space could be compared to the Russell/Reinhard house and Winsor/Aull Greek Revival mansion both in Lexington, Missouri. The space which was originally separated from the house was eventually attached similar to the slave dwelling at Cliveden in Philadelphia, PA.

Once the reporters left, we all went outside to perform a libation ceremony to the ancestors. Interesting because although we were only four people, the place, our backgrounds, and our reasons for being there made for some heartwarming and tear jerking requests.

Once back inside the space, the publishers of my blog for the second consecutive time, made arrangements for me to communicate live with an audience through Facebook. The questions came fast and furious and I kept up as much as my blackberry would allow all the time being thankful that this project was compelling enough for people to want to engage in a live chat. It also proved that I must improve my capacity to communicate if I want to continue to offer an audience an opportunity to engage in live chats. What I took from that experiment is that the questions asked forced me to think more about the space and the people who occupied it, and for those who participated, I say thank you for reminding me that this project is not about Joseph McGill but about the enslaved people who occupied their assigned space in the Bush-Holley House and other places like it.

After the live chat, I engaged in conversation with Dionne, Grant and David. We talked about how the house was threatened with demolition when I-95 was proposed. With our collective knowledge of how interstates were planned, we concluded this area had to be an African American neighborhood. We talked about the challenges of ten enslaved people sharing a 25 by 20 feet space that also coupled as storage space. We talked about the pushy reporter who tried to provoke us into saying things we might regret once we calmed down. We talked about how the group Coming to the Table brought us all together for this occasion. We talked about genealogical research and my disdain for same and how I am thankful for people like the three of them who have the patience for research. We talked about the three of them being prolific writers and how I will be calling on them for inspiration for the writing I will eventually do for the Slave Dwelling Project. We talked about being the descendant of a slave owner and a slave as is the case of Dionne. And then there was sleep.

By 6:30 am everyone was awake. I was happy to learn that no one accused me of talking in my sleep, snoring yes, but not talking in my sleep. The libation ceremony, the pushy reporter, the live chat, sharing the space with descendants of slave owners, all had the potential of providing ingredients for an interesting sleep conversation. The group conversation did continue from the previous night when I blatantly asked David and Grant the question: “Do you feel like outcasts for revealing the history of the slave owning by your ancestors?” By the answer they both gave, it is apparent that both of these men have drawn a line in the sand and will not retreat despite what ridicule that might come their way. I guess that became clear to me when I was in Richmond three weeks ago with the group Coming to the Table because there were more people there like Grant and David. We all left the space as we came in, with a reporter coming to gather our thoughts about our overnight stay at the Bush-Holley House.

Reflections: Dionne Ford

About the Slave Dwelling Project

For more information, please contact Joseph McGill

2

The Door Is Open. Who Are You? Slave Dwelling Project Visits Friendfield Plantation

“The door is open! The door is open! Who are you? Who are you?" According to “Old Reliable” Terry James, those are the words I uttered as I slept in a slave dwelling at Friendfield Plantation on the night of March 23, 2012.

While my wife will easily explain that I often talk in my sleep, it is the words that I used on this particular occasion that are somewhat disturbing. Let me try to explain.

Point # 1.

The week prior to spending the night at Friendfield, I spent March 15 – 18 with the group Coming to the Table. The Coming to the Table story is about connecting people and the past to the present and future in a way that is relevant for our nation.

Housed at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peace building, CTTT was launched when people whose ancestors were connected through an enslaved/enslaver relationship realized they had a shared story that remained untold. Today, they and many others believe that the legacies and aftermath of slavery impact our nation in seen and unseen ways and they are committed to writing and telling a new story about our nation’s past and the promise of our collective future.

At this gathering, I was told that the ancestors are always with me whether I want their presence or not. At this gathering we engaged in a healing ritual where each individual called on their ancestors to forgive or be forgiven.

Point # 2.

While I was comfortable with leaving the door open as we slept, Terry James insisted that we not only close the door but lock it also. The two of us spent about three minutes trying to lock that door.

Point # 3.

The publishers of my blog came up with the idea of communicating live via Facebook with anyone who wanted to know about the experience at Friendfield. Before, I drifted off to sleep, I engaged in a real time chat using my Blackberry. One person asked the question about what the ancestors were saying, a question I totally avoided.

Sleeping in 29 former slave dwellings prior to Friendfield is my personal indication that I avoid attempts to channel or communicate with any of my ancestors or those who enslaved them. While some may think that connecting with the ancestors might be a good thing I strongly disagree. There was no doubt that they were all strong people individually and collectively for any resistance to the institution of slavery could be life ending.

I choose not to connect because I know that what the enslaved endured beyond the walls of the slave dwellings was a life of which no one should be subjected. To tap in to that life in any way would only provoke anger in me and I cannot continue the Slave Dwelling Project as an angry Black man. To that end, I still welcome anyone who wants to commemorate their ancestors in their own way to share the slave dwelling experience with me.

Now to the matter at hand. Since 2010 it was my desire to spend the night in a cabin at Friendfield Plantation, the obvious reason being its ancestral connection to First Lady Michelle Obama. First Lady Obama’s great-great grandfather Jim Robinson was enslaved there and lived there after emancipation until the 1940s. The anticipation of staying there was so great that I put it on the 2010 schedule only having to remove it because I did not go through the proper channels. As fate would have it, I met the owner, that and the assistance from an influential colleague got me in.

I always offer others the opportunity to share the experience of spending the night in a slave dwelling with me. With the exception of Terry James who has eight stays, I will get an occasional acceptance to my invitation. This was not the case with Friendfeild. Because of the historical significance of Friendfield, people were clamoring to share the experience. Unfortunately, I only could get permission for a total of four people to stay, however due to some unforeseen circumstances, it again came down to only Terry and me staying at Friendfield.

Through various means, I tried to make contact with First Lady Michelle Obama, to no avail. I imagined the Slave Dwelling Project being endorsed by the First Lady. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Ed Carter the property manager. Ed gave me a great tour of the cabins and the grounds and made some good suggestions of places to eat. He also made the restroom available in the nearby office building.

The Cabins

There are six extant slave cabins at Friendfield Plantation of various size and condition. I had the choice of two to spend the night. I fell in love with the first one that I saw but we took an obligatory look at two more. It was interesting that the year the cabin was built was inscribed on a brick very near the top of the chimney on the cabins that we explored. The date on the cabin I chose was 1849, it measured approximately 30 by 20 feet which is larger than most I’ve stayed in to date.

The cabins that I did not choose were more modern as people continued to live in them after emancipation. Seeing how the cabins were modernized with electricity made me think about the possibility of Jim Robinson, First Lady Michelle Obama’s great-great grandfather who continued to live at Friendfield long after Emancipation.

One cabin had a tin roof which made me think a lot about the house of wish I was raised in Kingstree, SC. Ed told me that some of the slave cabins were lost to an out of control grass fire, a situation that was similar to what happened at Goodwill Plantation near Columbia, SC. Ed showed me the spot in the slave village where the chapel used to be located, similar to Hobcaw Barony and Mansfield Plantations both in Georgetown County, SC.

The Grounds

Friendfield is currently privately owned and for sale, all 3000 plus acres can be yours for 20 million dollars. Though not originally that large in mass, the current owner combined bordering plantations to create what is now Friendfield. Two mansions are on the property. The grounds and the mansions are beautiful and well maintained with great potential for interpretation, tourism, hunting, bird watching, farming, etc.

It was the wide expanse of the former rice fields that captured my attention. It gave me a good indication of why at one point in Georgetown County’s history it grew more rice than any other place in the world. It also made me think of the slave labor necessary to grow rice. As we walked on the berm deeper into the rice field, I could physically see the engineering skills necessary to grow rice. As I saw evidence of alligators that crossed the berm, I thought about how they, snakes and mosquitoes would threaten the lives of the enslaved people. I also thought about where in Africa the enslaved came from. An educated guess would be that they came from a region in African that grew rice.

The Stay

“Old Reliable” Terry James showed up just as he said he would. The mosquitoes made both Terry and me think about the night we stayed at Mansfield Plantation which is also located in Georgetown County, SC. As soon as he arrived, we decided to leave the property seeking food. On our way back to the cabin, we encountered a snake which I did not hesitate to run over with my car. Ed Carter showed up to the cabin and met Terry and to check our safety and sanity. The three of us were pleasantly surprised that the mosquitoes were not active inside the cabin. Ed alerted me to a product called Thermacell which seemed to be working.

After Ed left, Terry began to check the cracks and crevices with his flash light for spiders, snakes or bats. I am certain that the Hopsewee Plantation, also in Georgetown County, SC was on his mind. At Hopsewee as Terry was closing the door to the cabin he saw that a snake had shed its skin right above the door. Terry’s action with the flash light is the very reason I like to get to each location no-later-than 5 PM so that I can conduct those type inspections during daylight.

We got the door to the cabin locked with great effort, Terry donned the slave shackles in preparation for sleep. It was not long after he laid down that he was out for the count. The publishers of my blog came up with the brilliant idea for me to communicate in real time via Facebook. To that end, I answered all questions as fast as my Blackberry would allow. I recall signing off around midnight. I recall waking up briefly during the night because it started to rain. The sound of the rain on the cypress shingled roof was quite soothing so going back to sleep was effortless.

The Departure

The next morning, Terry did not hesitate to tell me about my talking in my sleep. Ed showed up to make sure that we made it through the night. After packing our belongings and sealing up the cabin, I accompanied Terry on a personal tour of the grounds using the information that I gained from Ed on the previous day. Terry who is a professional photographer was thoroughly impressed and took lots of photographs. He was just as amazed as I was to see the vastness of the rice fields. Before we went our separate ways, we both had one more good laugh about me talking in my sleep.

The Door Is Open

We talked about the upcoming stay in Columbia, SC and the fact that several media representatives have expressed an interest in sharing the experience. That should be interesting because I know that different media outlets do not play well together.

Additionally, it has always been an open invitation for anyone to share the experience pending approval of the property owner. Terry can verify that with the exception of only one of his eight stays, it has been only the two of us staying in the cabins. So for those of you who talk a good game, “The door is open!” “Who are you?”

About the Slave Dwelling Project

For more information, please contact Joseph McGill

Drayton Research Update: Efforts to Emancipate Abigail, Mahala, Rebecca and Abba

In 1821, Rebecca Perry Drayton, widow of John Drayton of Drayton Hall, petitioned the House of Representatives, seeking permission to free three family slaves named Abigail, Mahala and Rebecca. Abigail was described as "an old family nurse ... now between eighty and ninety years old." The petition was denied [1].

In a petition to the Senate filed in 1827, Rebecca Drayton requested permission to emancipate a slave named Abba she had inherited twenty years earlier "from a very near connection" under the promise that Abba would be emancipated. This petition was denied as well [2].

Above: Legislative Notice, Petition of Rebecca Drayton, 1827 Date: 1827-12-01; Paper: South-Carolina State Gazette And Columbia Advertiser. With Kind Permission of GenealogyBank.com. This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004

The "very near connection" from which Rebecca received Abba may have been Tobias Bowles, husband of her daughter Susannah Drayton. Bowles willed to mother-in-law Rebecca Perry, in his will dated 13 Oct 1807 and proved 4 Nov 1808, the largest portion of his estate, "on condition that she, her Executors or Administrators do & shall within three months after my decease, in due form of Law, emancipate & set free my slaves named Harriett, Thursa, Bunfy, Auba & Kit & the issue of the females to be born after the date of this my will."

Bowles provided Rebecca Perry Drayton with sufficient means to accomplish his will: after special bequests were satisfied he left to her "all my bank shares, monies at interest, houses lands & slaves & the issue of the females to be born after the date of this my will [4]."

Rebecca Perry Drayton's Will

Thirteen years after she petitioned the Senate, Rebecca Perry Drayton accomplished by will what she could not accomplish by petition. In her will dated 10 May 1837 and proved 5 Oct 1840, Rebecca made provisions for slaves Abba, Mahala, Rebecca and Richard. Rebecca bequeathed a portion of her estate to trusted friend Francis Y. Porcher, that he might purchase a house for Abba and contribute to her living expenses:

Item, to my friend Francis Y. Porcher I give my servant Martha, for him to take care of and maintain for my sake. All the rest and residue of my estate I give to my Executor Dr. Francis Y Porcher on the following trusts that is to say my Gold Watch, wearing apparel and furniture, I desire him to keep or dispose of for the use of my faithful woman Abba, whom I have given to him by deed, so as to enable him to do justice to my intentions toward her, and to discharge in my place the debt of gratitude which her long and diligent service in my old age and sickness, has entitled her to. All the rest of my estate both real and personal, I desire him to sell at public or private sale as he may think fit, excepting Sam and Sophy, to whom I desire he should allow the privilege of choosing their owners.

The final clause of Rebecca's will further defined her wishes concerning Sam and Sophy: "N.B. Sam and Sophy are to stay with Abba, unless they think proper to choose an owner."

Of the proceeds of the sale, she willed to niece Rebecca Giles $250. After this bequest was fulfilled, Francis Porcher was to use the proceeds of Rebecca's estate sale to purchase a small house and invest the remainder. The house was to be Abba's dwelling place for the remainder of her life.

Rebecca Drayton's will also included provisions for Mahala and Rebecca, perhaps the same Mahala and Rebecca she had requested permission to emancipate in 1821. After Abba's death the interest on the principle sum was to go towards living expenses of former slaves Rebecca, Richard and Mahala for as long as they lived. After their deaths Rebecca Perry Drayton bequeathed the principle sum to her great grandchildren on the condition that they not contest the will.

To further prevent challenges to her will she included the provision that "if my descendants or any of them shall dispute this will, on account of the arrangement made for the relief of the slaves therin mentioned, then I give the said house and capital of the fund so invested to the use of the said Francis Y. Porcher, discharged from any other trust forever." Francis Y. Porcher was appointed sole Administrator of Rebecca's estate [5].

View Rebecca Perry Drayton's Will Page 1, Page 2

Rebecca Perry Drayton's Estate

An inventory of Rebecca Perry Drayton's estate was made at her residence on Bull Street in Charleston on Oct 4, 1840 [16]. Here Abba's name is rendered "Abby." We also learn more about Mahala, Rebecca and Richard from the estate inventory. Enslaved ancestors listed in the estate were:

Sam, 40 years old, a carpenter

Jacob, a laborer, 20 years old, unsound

Jennett, 18 years old, servant

Abram, 50 years old, laborer

Lucy or Lucia, 35 years old, servant

Silla, 21 years old, servant

Sophie, 25 years old with her three children, viz Dolly, Josiah & Sarah

Martha, an old woman

Dye, 25 a cripple and her child an infant

Esaw, 23 years old, a laborer

Sarah, 40 years old, servant

Richard, 20, at carpenter's trade

Rebecca, 18 years old, servant

Mahala, 19 years old, servant

Abby, 50 years old, nurse

View Estate Inventory Page 1, Page 2

Were Rebecca Perry Drayton's Wishes Carried Out?

We know that, if Rebecca Perry Drayton's wishes were carried out, her Executor Francis Y. Porcher sold the bulk of her estate and used a portion of the proceeds to buy a small house for Abba to live in for the rest of her life.

If he carried out her wishes, he also invested the rest of the proceeds from the sale, and used the interest on the principle sum to contribute to Abba, Rebecca, Richard and Mahala's living expenses.

Question: Did Francis Y. Porcher sell Rebecca Drayton's estate? Did he disburse funds for Rebecca, Richard and Mahala?

An advertisement for the sale of Rebecca Drayton's house and servants appeared in the Charleston Courier in January of 1841.

Above: Detail from Advertisement for Sale of Rebecca Drayton's Estate, 1841 Date: 1841-1-13; Paper: Charleston Courier With Kind Permission of GenealogyBank.com This entire product and/or portions thereof are copyrighted by NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society. 2004 View Full Advertisement

The estate account return filed with the Charleston Probate Court reveals more about Francis Porcher's administration of Rebecca Perry Drayton's estate.

Here we see that Rebecca's house was rented until it was sold in 1841. We also see entries for the sale of Dye, Jacob, Jeannett and Scilla in February of 1841, and the sale of Lucia and Esaw in August of 1841:

Above: Detail from Estate Return, 1840-1842, Estate of Rebecca Perry Drayton [9]. View Full Record, Page 1, Page 2

We also see notations in October and November of 1841 for payments made "to Abba for negroes:"

Above: Detail from Estate Return, 1840-1842, Estate of Rebecca Perry Drayton [10]. View Full Record, Page 1, Page 2

Question: Can we find an African American named Abba or Abby living in the city of Charleston after 1840 (date of Rebecca's will), in a house owned by Francis Y. Porcher or the estate of Rebecca Perry Drayton?

The 1861 Census of the city of Charleston finds free person of color Abby Cripps residing on Hanover Street in a house owned by Francis Y. Porcher. Is Abby Cripps the same person as Abba [6]?

Above: Abby Cripps, 1861 Census of the City of Charleston Adapted from Charleston, SC City Council, Frederick A. Ford, compiler. 1861 Census of the City of Charleston, South Carolina: for the Year 1861, p. 100.

The 1860 Federal Census also shows Abby Cripps Living in Charleston, City ward 7. Her household members were [7]:

Name	Age	Gender	Occupation
Harriett Ross	50	F	Domestic
Susan Ross	20	F
Thomas Brown	24	F
Virginia Brown	17	F
Abbe Cripps	58	F

Above: Abby Cripps in the 1860 Federal Census Charleston, SC, City Ward 7

Abby Cripps died in Charleston on 22 Mar 1866, from pneumonia. Her place of residence was 27 Hanover Street. The attending physician was H. Baer. Abby was buried at the MachPelah Cemetery [8].

Above: Death Record for Abby Cripps, 1866. City of Charleston, SC Returns of Deaths, 1819-1873. Microfilm Available at Charleston County Public Library, South Carolina Room.

Above: Detail from Death Record for Abby Cripps, 1866 Left Side of Page

Above: Detail from Death Record for Abby Cripps, 1866 Right Side of Page

Question: Is Abby Cripps, shown in the records above, the same person as Abba or Abby referred to in Rebecca Perry Drayton's will and estate inventory?

This is a question for further research. Abby or Abba's age is listed as 50 in the estate inventory made in 1840. Abby Cripps is listed as 58 in the 1860 census, and 56 in the Charleston City Death record made in 1866. We must learn more about Abby Cripps before we can speculate.

Slaves Sold from Rebecca Perry Drayton's Estate

From the estate return above we learned that Dye, Jacob, Jeannette and Scilla were sold in February of 1841, and Lucia and Esaw were sold in August of the same year.

Question: Who purchased the enslaved ancestors sold from Rebecca Drayton's estate? Can we locate bills of sale?

To answer this question we can consult the South Carolina Department of Archives and History's Online Records Index [11]. Here we find only two abstracts of bills of sale from F.Y. Porcher, Executor of the estate of Rebecca Drayton.

Images of the bills of sale abstracted in the South Carolina Department of Archives and History's Online Index are within the free collection South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872 on Fold3.com.

Abstract: Porcher, F. Y., Exor. of Rebecca Drayton to R.E. Dereef, Bill of Sale for a Slave Named Dye and Her Child Dye [12] Record Image: View on Fold3.com [14]

Abstract: Porcher, F. Y., Exor of Rebecca Drayton to F. Stall, Bill of Sale for a Slave Named Jacob [13] Record Image: View on Fold3.com [15]

Questions for Further Research

We know that a slave named Auba belonged to Tobias Bowles, and in his will written in 1807, he bequeathed her to Rebecca Perry Drayton, widow of John Drayton at Drayton Hall, on the condition that Rebecca would emancipate her. We also know that Rebecca Drayton petitioned the Senate in 1827 for permission to emancipate a slave named Abba.

Question: Is Auba, referred to in Tobias Bowles' 1807 will, the same person as Abba, who Rebecca Drayton sought to emancipate in 1827?

Absent further documentary evidence we cannot say but it merits further investigation.

Join the Search

We continue to compile the Drayton family documents and will update this page as we learn more. If you have documents which shed light on these questions, we would love to hear from you! You can write to us at info@lowcountryafricana.com or use our Contact Form.

References Cited

[1] South Carolina. Department of Archives and History, "Records of the General Assembly." Drayton, Rebecca, and Other Inhabitants of Charleston, Petition and Supporting Statements Asking that Drayton be Permitted to Emancipate Three of Her Family Slaves, ca. 1821. Series S165015, Year ND00, Item 1876, Record 13. Abstract online at Digital Library of American Slavery, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

[2] South Carolina. Department of Archives and History, "Records of the General Assembly." Rebecca Drayton, Petition to House of Representatives, ca. 1827. Series S165015, Year ND00, Item 2831, Record 18. Abstract online at Digital Library of American Slavery, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

[4] FamilySearch.org. South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977 [database online]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA, FamilySearch.org, 2011. Original data: South Carolina. Department of Archives and History. South Carolina Probate Records, Columbia, SC, USA. Will of Tobias Bowles, Charleston, SC, 1808, Will Book 31 (1807-1818), p.105.

[5] FamilySearch.org. South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977 [database online]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA, FamilySearch.org, 2011. Original data: South Carolina. Department of Archives and History. South Carolina Probate Records, Columbia, SC, USA. Will of Rebecca Drayton, Charleston, SC, 1840, Will Book 42 (1839-45), p. 185.

[6] Charleston, SC City Council, Frederick A. Ford, compiler. 1861 Census of the City of Charleston, South Carolina: for the Year 1861, p. 100. Published by Evans and Cogswell, Original from Princeton University, Digitized by Google Books 10 Oct 2008. Full-text available online at http://books.google.com/books? id=BGouAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0.

[7] Ancestry.com. "1860 United States Federal Census" [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1,438 rolls. Year: 1860; Census Place: Charleston Ward 7, Charleston, South Carolina; Roll M653_1216; Page: 470; Image: 572.

[8] City of Charleston, SC. "Returns of Deaths, 1819-1873." Microfilm Available at Charleston County Public Library, South Carolina Room. Death Record for Abby Cripps, 1866.

[9] and [10] FamilySearch.org. "South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977" [database online]. Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Charleston Returns Book B (1835-1841), page 51, Estate of Rebecca Perry Drayton, https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list#page=1&region=UNITED_STATES, accessed 10 Sept 2011.

[11] South Carolina. Department of Archives and History. On-Line Records Index. http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov.

[12] South Carolina. Department of Archives and History. On-Line Records Index. http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov. Abstract, Bill of Sale, F.Y. Porcher to R.E. Dereef, 2 Feb 1841, Series S213003, Bills of Sale, Vol. 5W (1839-1843), p. 276.

[13] South Carolina. Department of Archives and History. On-Line Records Index. http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov. Abstract, Bill of Sale, F.Y. Porcher to F. Stall, 8 Feb 1841, Series S213003, Bills of Sale, Vol. 5W (1839-1843), p. 278.

[14] Fold3.com. "South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872" [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Fold3.com, 2010. Original data: South Carolina. South Carolina Probate Records. Columbia, SC, USA: South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Bill of Sale, F.Y. Porcher to R.E. Dereef, 2 Feb 1841, Bills of Sale Vol. 5W (1839-1843), p. 276, http://www.fold3.com/image/#1|269368648, accessed 7 Mar 2012.

[15] Fold3.com. "South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872" [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Fold3.com, 2010. Original data: South Carolina. South Carolina Probate Records. Columbia, SC, USA: South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Bill of Sale, F.Y. Porcher to F. Stall, 8 Feb 1841, Bills of Sale Vol. 5W (1839-1843), p. 278, http://www.fold3.com/image/#1|269368650, accessed 7 Mar 2012.

[16] Fold3.com. South Carolina Estate Inventories and Bills of Sale, 1732-1872 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Fold3.com, 2010. Original data: South Carolina. South Carolina Probate Records. Columbia, SC, USA: South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Estate Inventory of Rebecca Perry Drayton, Inventories Book A (1839-1844), p. 107.

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Slave Dwelling Project 2012 Schedule

Slave Dwelling Project Founder Joseph McGill has set the itinerary of overnight cabin stays for 2012.  In addition to overnight stays in slave cabins in South Carolina, the Slave Dwelling Project will also visit Georgia, Connecticut, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.

In the video below, Joseph McGill discusses the Slave Dwelling Project and what inspires him to continue the project's work. Please scroll below the video to view the locations and dates for 2012 overnight stays!

Slave Dwelling Project 2012 Schedule

Date	Event
January 19	Lecture @ Claflin College, Orangeburg, SC
February 11	Lecture @ Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC
February 16 & 17	Stay & Lecture Price House, Spartanburg, SC
February 26	Lecture @ Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, N. Chas, SC
March 15 – 18	Coming to the Table, Richmond, VA
March 22	Lecture @ Williamsburg Co. Library, Kingstree, SC
March 23	Stay @ Friendfield Plantation, Georgetown, SC
March 30 – 31	Stay & Lecture @ Bush-Holley House, Greenwich, Conn
April 5	Stay @ Seibels House Kitchen House, Columbia, SC
April 6	Stay @ Lexington County Museum, Lexington, SC
April 12– 15	Stay & Lecture, Holly Springs, Mississippi
April 27 & 28	Stay & Lecture Sautee-Nacoochee, GA
June 22	Lecture & Stay Heyward Washington House, Chs. SC
October 5 & 6	Stay & Lecture Bacon’s Castle, Surry, Virginia
November 9 & 10	Stay@ Boone Hall Plantation, Mt. Pleasant, SC

About the Slave Dwelling Project

For more information, please contact Joseph McGill

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Slave Dwelling Project's First 2012 Stay: Price House, Spartanburg, SC

Nannie Jeffries, museum administrator of the Spartanburg County Historical Association, must be commended for being a visionary.

It was late 2010 when she first proposed that I spend a night in the slave cabin at the Price House. Back then the Slave Dwelling Project was in its infancy and even I had my doubts that the project would still be going on today.

Nannie was determined and she made it happen in a big way. She incorporated the project into her three day Black history month program titled Persistence & Perseverance: Standing on the Shoulders of Others.

Because of Nannies meticulous planning, I had the opportunity to survey the cabin prior to the time I was scheduled to stay. On this visit, the vastness of the cabin in comparison to some of the others I stayed in gave me the grandiose idea that many others would have the opportunity to join me for the experience.

The functional fire place gave me the fantasy of cooking in the cabin; that would be a first. With the exception of the cooking possibility, this had the potential to be similar to the experience I had at Evergreen Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana when 20 people joined me for the sleep over.

As planned, I arrived early on Thursday, February 17. I met Zac Cunningham the site director and care taker. Woodruff Elementary School students were scheduled to come to visit the site. Prior to their visit, I wanted to prepare the cabin by starting a fire in the fire place and laying out my Civil War uniform accouterment.

The 3rd, 4th and 5th graders arrived as planned and were separated for the cabin presentation accordingly. These “teachable moments” were similar to the one at the slave dwelling in Egypt, Texas when I had the opportunity to address a class that visited the slave dwelling there. This opportunity was more thorough because I am far more familiar with South Carolina’s history than I am with that of Texas. Two print media representatives were also present and stayed as long as the kids did.

After a nice lunch at a nice restaurant in Spartanburg that included the board chairman of the Spartanburg County Historical Association, it was my goal to get back to the cabin long before dark because of my plans to cook. Additionally, one of the media outlets from the morning event made plans to come back at 6:00 pm for some additional coverage. I planned to make beef stew from scratch so it had to be well on its way before dark. I had acquired all of the necessary ingredients and was confident that I could pull it off.

Once I got dinner going, I got a phone call from “old reliable” Terry James, fellow Civil War reenactor. Since Terry’s first slave dwelling stay at Brattonsville in McConnels, SC in November 2010, he has not missed a South Carolina stay since. He even stayed in the slave dwelling at Bellamy Mansion in Wilmington, NC. He has a total of six stays five of which he slept in shackles. Terry stated he was on his way. He and the photographer got there at the same time. After the photographer took several pictures, the writer showed up to obtain additional information for the piece she was writing.

After several hours of cooking, the beef stew was ready for consumption. I, Terry and Zac all had our share. No one complained we all even had seconds and more. That experience made me appreciate all that was necessary to cook a meal in a slave dwelling.

In anticipation of a TV camera crew showing up at 4:30 am, Terry and I turned in early. Terry again slept in the slave shackles. As scheduled, the TV crew showed up at the appointed time. We did a few live takes before I had to wash up and change clothes so that I could moderate the Black History Month symposium that was taking place at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg.

Related Articles and Videos

To learn more about Joseph McGill's visit to the Price House, please view the resources below:

Video: Man Spends Night at Price House Slave Cabin

From GoUpstate.com

Joseph McGill paid tribute to his African-American ancestors Thursday by spending the night in a slave cabin at the Price House near Woodruff ... MORE

From SCnow.com

Sleeping in Slave Cabin in Mancles No Picnic for Florence Man

Joseph McGill and Terry James paid tribute to their African-American ancestors recently by spending the night in a slave cabin at the Price House near Woodruff ... MORE

About the Price House

To learn more or visit the Price House, please visit their website.

About the Slave Dwelling Project