CHAPTER 51
The Tracy Family History
Slavery
It is back to Albemarle County and another of the Meriwether
plantations; this time, Locust Grove.
In his will, the slave owner, “... he directed that the
families of his servants should not be separated, and expressed regret that
circumstances prevented their emancipation.”
A lot of our people owned a lot of slaves.
However, there were no more than a dozen plantations in Virginia that had more
than a hundred slaves.
"William Woods, the eldest son of Michael and Mary Woods: He
acquired a large estate in Albemarle and adjacent counties in Virginia and took
an active part in the Colonial Wars, holding the rank of Colonel. At one time,
he conveyed 60 Negroes and 7,200 acres of land to his cousin, Capt. McDowell."
The disposition of slaves is quite common in our people's
wills. In many of the wills, their slaves are listed simply as other properties;
to wit:
"State of South Carolina. In the name of God, Amen. I, James
Wallace, of Jacksonborough, in the State aforesaid, practitioner of Physics, (He
was a doctor. I suspect he was the doctor who went behind enemy lines at
Guilford Court House to attend the American wounded.) being sick and weak in
body, but of sound and disposing mind and memory, do make, ordain, constitute
and declare this to be and contain my last Will and Testament in manner and form
following: First, I will and devise that all my just debts and funeral expenses
be paid out of my ready money, and that the Balance thereof be divided equally
among my five Brothers named as follows, Gustavus Wallace, Michael Wallace,
William Wallace, Thomas Wallace and John Wallace, share and share alike. Also I
give and bequeath unto my five brothers aforesaid to be equally divided among
them all of my land and Negroes in the State of Virginia, my Kentucky lands, my
slaves in South Carolina named Jim, Minda, Little Jim, Abraham and a Female
infant Daughter of said Minda, as also my Bonds, Notes, and Book Debt. Also it
is my will and desire that my present crop of Rice be made up for the purpose of
discharging my Debts and funeral Expenses and that any balance which may arise
therefrom be equally divided among my five brothers aforesaid. And whereas I
lately purchased at Sheriff's sale a Negro man nam'd Stepney who is now in
possession of Mr. Joseph Morquiss and by him detained contrary to my consent it
is my express Will and desire that as soon as the said Negroe can be recovered,
he be sold as also my stock of Medicines and Instruments and stock of Horses,
Mares, Colts, Cattle, and the money arising from the Sales be equally divided
among my five brothers aforesaid."
The variables of slavery are unbelievable. At the end of his
will our cousin frees one of his slaves and then gives her slaves!.
"And whereas my Mulatto Woman Slave by the Name Diana has
served me with obedience and fidelity in consideration thereof I declare it to
be my Express Will and desire that after my Death she be thence forever free and
liberated from all servitude, and I give and bequeath unto her the said Diana to
her and her Heirs forever My two negro Men named Peter and July also all my
Household and Kitchen Furniture."
This one will tells us a lot about that "peculiar
institution."
Another of our cousins was appointed Justice of the Peace for
Madison County, Kentucky, in 1785. He was given "…full jurisdiction to try and
punish slaves for all penal and criminal offenses, including the infliction of
capital punishment."
“Mr. James Woods, Jr., was a tall man, and very erect. His
hair was iron gray, and his face smooth-shaven. He dressed with extreme
neatness. He usually carried a gold-headed cane. He had large iron works on the
Cumberland River, where he employed about 1,500 slaves, all of whom he owned, to
work out the iron, which was brought to Nashville. The firm in Nashville was
Woods, Yeatman & Co. Mr. James Woods died very suddenly at eighty-two years of
age.”
From early on, our people owned slaves, and from the
beginning, up to and through the Civil War, we were on both sides of the issue
of slavery, sometimes vehemently. Their stories are yet to come.
Blacks and the Revolutionary War
The information on the number of blacks, both freemen and
slaves, that took part in the Revolutionary War is contradictory. This is
because military rolls did not distinguish as to race. However, observations
that were written at the time give us a pretty accurate picture of the slaves in
the war.
In 1776, Slavery existed in all of the colonies, although
more than half were in Virginia and Maryland. 25% of all colonists owned slaves,
including the Quakers. Many historians believe that only a small percentage of
the armies had slave soldiers. However, eyewitnesses give us another story.
The British offered the slaves their freedom to join the
British army; a strong inducement. The Patriots countered by offering slaves
their freedom to join the American army. Freedom? Maybe, very iffy. (The offer
to let slaves join the American army was fought against by many; including George
Washington, who eventually changed his mind and wholeheartedly accepted their
servitude on a higher scale.)
3,000 free blacks and slaves served in just the Continental army alone.
They made up between 6% and 12% of George Washington's army. This
does not cover the militias. They were not always in segregated units. Many
militias were integrated. The Continental army was integrated.
Observers at the time
“...met with a detachment of the Rhode Island Regiment.... The majority of the
enlisted men were black or mulattos; but they ae strong robust, and those I saw
made a very good appearance.”
At Yorktown: “A quarter of them (The American army) are
Negroes, merry, confident and sturdy.”
The Rhode Island Regiment was a crack outfit: “...the most
neatly dressed, the best under arms, and the most precise in its maneuvers.”
“...no regiment is to be seen in which there are not Negroes
in abundance; and among them there are able bodied, strong and brave fellows.”
Time after time the slaves fought bravely for the Patriot
cause, most doing so without pay.
Why?
All know the story of the underground railway. This would
come years later. The purpose was to transport the runaway slaves to Canada.
There, in their new homes, they would be treated as equals, usually, with
respect and dignity. What is not known is that after the Emancipation
Proclamation, almost all of these former slaves returned to America.
Why?
This was their home. They were Americans.
The point I am making: Our people owned slaves and it is even
possible that they fought, side by side with their slaves, for this country's independence.
I have pondered the issue carefully and come to this
conclusion: Because they were our people, we can only assume that they were
kind to their slaves.
My family history web site has 79 chapters. If you would like to know more about the other chapters then go to my Home Page www.thetracyfamilyhistory.net
NOTE: There are two standard screen resolutions. The new one at 1024x768, and the old one at 800x600. If text and images interfere, overlap one another, it is probably because you are using the new one. Change to 800x600 and you should be alright.
