American Historical Ephemera and Photography, Featuring African Americana

Stampless cover addressed to Dr. Lloyd Warfield of Lexington, Kentucky. 3 1/2 pp, 7 3/4 x 10 in. (creasing at folds, toning). Author's signature somewhat illegible, possibly Caleb Worley, who appears to be managing the plantation.

Detailed letter describing conditions on a Mississippi plantation, most notably the health and status of multiple enslaved persons. The letter begins noting the pervasive sickness affecting the enslaved workers: "...we have a great deal of sickness this Summer and several deaths Nig [?] Jenny, Austin, Yelton, & Lame Billie, the latter died recently, Dianna's & Levinia's youngest children I believe have been all the death that have taken place....we now have a great many sick nig Loudon, Elias, Big Charles, Little Charles, Easter, Ellen, Diana, Silla, & Levinia scarcely any of the above named have done much work since the first August...." The author continues detailing the fever and violent convulsions that are affecting the enslaved workers, who are not able to take care of themselves. With the assistance of a "Doctor Mainerd," the author has been administering medicine to the sick. The letter then relates details of the overseer "Perkins" and the story of "Ned," an enslaved man who the author describes as "the biggest rascal I have ever known." Ned, who made an attempted escape, was returned to the plantation and chained until morning. When the author went to the slave quarters where Ned was chained he "shamed him," then "in our presence he attempted to cut his throat with a pen knife." Later the author states that he has declined to keep Ned at any price.

The plantation on which Ned is enslaved appears to have been owned by partners from Lexington, Kentucky, Dr. Lloyd Warfield (1799-1872) and his brother-in-law Dr. Samuel Theobald (1790-1867), along with Caleb Worley (possibly early Mississippi settler and businessman ca 1773- ca 1850). A year after this letter was written, advertisements in the Vicksburg Tri-Weekly Sentinel (27 November 1838) and in the Lexington Union (1 December 1838) show that Warfield, Theobald, and Worley offered their Honey Island plantation for sale along with the 25 enslaved African Americans who resided there. Though the exact identity of "Ned" cannot be determined from this document, it is possible that the letter refers to Ned Rounds (b. ca 1825) who was born into slavery in Kentucky and was either sold or taken down South to Honey Island, Mississippi. After emancipation, Ned Rounds went on to become one of the largest landowners on Honey Island, and to serve as a banker for residents of the island.