[ENSLAVEMENT] 1839 letter ref. death of wealthy slave owner George Pollock and his holdings in NC.

Letter from Sherman Converse to his father Joshua Converse, Woburn, MA. Tuckahoe, NC, 30 October 1839.

2 pages, 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 in., bifolium. Addressed on terminal leaf to Mr. Joshua Converse, Woburn, Mass.

Sherman Converse writes to his father just after traveling to Tuckahoe, NC, providing a detailed description of his travels south from New York, which included "550 miles on railroad, 220 by steamboat, and 50 or 60 by stage." He had moved south to teach and was staying at the home at Owen "O.B." Cox Esq. He notes that there are "plenty of Negroes, cotton, corn, pork, sweet potatoes, pitch pine. Planters many of them have 200 acres of each cotton and corn and some 5,000." He states, "A Mr. Pollock lately died leaving over 2,000 negroes and about 40,000 acres of land and had in one year 115 children born on his plantation so says Mr. Cox...slaves average worth 800 Dollars each."

The young writer is referring to George Pollock, the largest slaveholder in North Carolina who purportedly owned over 3,000 slaves at the time of his death in the spring of 1839. Pollock was a cousin and intimate friend to Aaron Burr and attended Burr's famous trial.

Property from a 35-Year Collection from the Southern United States

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Folds, light toning and few small holes near folds, light spotting, some chipping.

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American Historical Ephemera & Photography, including African Americana

[ENSLAVEMENT] 1839 letter ref. death of wealthy slave owner George Pollock and his holdings in NC.

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