Interesting New Book

An interesting new book was just published. Titled "The Nat Turner Insurrection Trials - A Mystic Chord Resonates Today", the work was written by attorney Walter L. Gordon III, and is available from Amazon.com for $13.99.

"Walter L. Gordon's A Mystic Chord Resonates Today: The Nat Turner Insurrection Trials is the first book by a legal scholar to examine the 50 trials of slaves and free blacks charged with insurrection. Of the 45 slaves tried, 15 were acquitted, an acquittal rate in excess of 30%. Of the 30 convicted slaves, nearly half were granted mercy. The Nat Turner insurrection was the crest of a wave of insurrections in Virginia between 1800 and 1831. After the Nat Turner insurrection trials there were no further slave insurrections in Virginia until John Brown's raid in 1859. In addition, it is the first book to compare the aftermath of the Nat Turner insurrection, the largest terrorist attack on American soil at that time, to 9/11, with an effort to draw lessons for today from the past. "

Although the book doesn't appear to mention Murfreesboro's role in the Nat Turner Story, it is an interesting account of the insurrection with special emphasis on the trials. For a detailed account of the events from Murfreesboro's point of view, consult Thomas Parramore's 2004 book "Murfreesboro, North Carolina and the Roots of Nat Turner’s Revolt".

Mary Ann Little and Her Four Mahogany Tables

An interesting Murfreesboro will:

In the Name of God Amen. I Mary Ann Little being of sound and perfect Mind and Memory do this 1st day of June 1812 Make and publish this My last will & Testament in Manner following that is to say - First I give and bequeath unto William P. Little one Mahogany Table (Tea) one Bed & Furniture & Floor Cloth likewise his own Picture. Secondly I give and Bequeath to William Blunt all the Household Furniture that I bought at the Sale of Sharp Blunt,
Three Lots in Murfreesboro one on the Main street and two Back Lots. His Mothers Picture and the eldest of My Bay Mares Fillys to him and His Heirs forever. Thirdly I give and bequeath unto George Blunt the following Negroes: Old Lamb, Aggy, James son of Aggy, Little Lamb, Riddick, Mary, Creasey, Martha, old Tim, Daphney, Liddey, Pompey son of Daphney, Chloe, Matilda, Hampton, young Will, Rhealy, Leving, Tempy, Harry & Simon. Also the tract of Land I bought of the Estate of Abram Porter. My Bay Mare & Colt & Two Mahogany Tables to Him and His Heirs forever. Fourthly I give and bequeath unto Jacob Blunt the following Negroes - Patty, Scott, Beck, Essex, Ephraigm & Exum also My other three Lots in Murfreesboro & My Bay Horse & one large Mahogany Table to him & His Heirs forever. .
Fifthly I give & bequeath unto Thomas P. Little all the rest of my Negroes after all My just debts shall be paid to him and his Heirs forever. Sixthly I give & bequeath unto George Little son of William P. Little the tract of Land whereon I now live to him and his Heirs forever.

My Will & desire is that the Negroes that I have given to George Blunt should be kept on the Plantation whereon I now live for the benefit of George Blunt until he shall arrive to Lawful age or dies.

Seventhly My will & desire is that all the residue of My Estate after the payment of all My just debts should be equally divided between my four grand daughters - Mary Ann Little, Lucy Little, Nancy Little & Cinthia Little to them and their Heirs foreverAnd hereby Make and ordain My Worthy Friends Timothy Ridley, William H. Murfree & My Son William P. Little Executors of this my Last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I the said Mary Ann Little have to this My Last will and Testament set My hand & Seal the day & year above written signed sealed published & declared by the sd Mary Ann Little, the testator as her last will & Testament in the presence of us who were present at the time of signing and sealing thereof Henry Wright & Isaac Langston.

I Mary Ann Little being of perfect Mind & Memory do Make & ordain this to be a Codicil to My Last Will & Testament bearing the date of the first day of June anno Dom 1812, and to Make & Constitute a part thereof as Much as if it had been Contained in the Body of My said will : First the Land whereon I now live which in My will to which this is a Codicil is devised to George Little. I do hereby give unto the said George Little & Thomas P. Little sons of William P. Little to them and Their Heirs forever to be equally divided between them. It is however my desire & Will that the Negroes given to George Blunt should remain on & be kept on the plantation whereon I now live until the end of the year 1821 unless he should die previous to that time & my son William P. Little have one half the profit thereof as compensation for his Trouble as one of my Executors & that George Blunt have the other half. Secondly it is My Will & desire that my son William P. Little convey to George Blunt a tract of land lying near Granvill Court House containing four hundred acres More or Less adjoining the Land of the Heirs of Pomplorey Davis decd. Thirdly It is My Will & desire that My woman Aggy have the free use of her time during three years Next succeeding My Death as a compensation for her faithful services & that after the expiration of that time she is considered the property of George Blunt, as Expressed in My Will. Fourthly I give unto William Little, son of William P. Little a Negro Child named Moses, son of My woman Ruby Boon. Making my Will above mentioned. Lastly It is My Will & desire that My friend Doctor James Maney Act as one of the Executors of this My last Will & Testament with these heretofore Named in My Will signed sealed & acknowledged as a codicil to her Last Will & Testament by the Testatrix in presence of us - J.S. Baker, Lewis Gatling, This 25th Feby AD 1813.

I wonder what became of those four mahogany tables that were so important to Mary Ann Little ? As important (or more so) than the human lives she equally divided amongst her kin? Were the tables handed down from one generation of Littles to the next? Did they travel West as the country expanded? Are they in a museum, on display somewhere? Or perhaps they were lost over the centuries - to war, or natural disasters, or perhaps just benign neglect.

I wonder what became of them ....

"Love is just friendship - set on fire."

It's June - and that makes me think of weddings. (OK, actually June makes me lazy and sleepy and I spend a lot of time thinking about vacations at the beach. But since I wanted to post some historic Murfreesboro marriage notices, I decided to think about weddings instead.)

One of the most rewarding moments, during my time at the Murfreesboro Historical Association, was spent attending a local wedding. I've attended many weddings (and just between us - I'm not a big fan of weddings), but this one was unique.

A descendant of one of the Wheeler slaves had decided she wanted to get married at her "ancestral" home ... the John Wheeler House (one of MHA's house museums). I thought it was a brilliant idea and encouraged her by offering to help in any way I could.

Well, it turned out to be one of the hottest, most humid afternoons I can recall - without even the slightest summer breeze. There was absolutely no escape from the mid-day sun. (Oddly, the air conditioning in the house was also not working that afternoon.) But when the bride walked toward the Wheeler house, from the direction of the slave cabin, I forgot all about the heat. I sat there in stunned silence. Here we were, watching a wedding take place on the exact site where the bride's ancestors had been held in bondage.

The fact that this lovely June bride could overcome that painful shared history, and still appreciate the natural beauty of a site where her ancestors had suffered such oppression .... humbled me.

There was a good lesson to be learned that afternoon on the back porch of the Wheeler House. It's a shame that more MHA members were not present.



Some historic Murfreesboro marriage notices:

Near Murfreesboro, on the 27th ult. Mr. Augustus C. Moore, to Miss Mary Finney
(Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Gazette, March 12, 1813)

On the 27th ult. In Murfreesborough, N.C. Mr. Matthias B. Murfree, of Murfreesborough, Tenn. To Miss Mary Roberts, daughter of Benj. Roberts, Esq. decreased, of the former place.
(Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Gazette, June 21, 1816)

At Murfreesboro’, in this state, on the 13th ult. Mr. Benjamin B. Camp to Miss Mary Rea, daughter of Ww. Rea, Esq.
(Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Gazette, March 22, 1822)

In Washington City, on the 19th inst. John H. Wheeler, Esq., a member of our Legislature from Hertford county, to Miss Mary, only daughter of the Rev. O.B. Brown, of that city.
(Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Gazette, April 26, 1830)

In Murfreesboro’, by the Rev. James Dey, Mr. F.M. Capehart, to Miss Martha Cowper. (Raleigh Register, and North-Carolina Gazettte, November 11, 1830)

At Philadelphia, on Thursday morning, the 8th inst. By the Rev. Mr. Furness, Col. John H. Wheeler, Superintendent of the U.S. Mint, at Charlotte, in this State, to Ellen, daughter of Thomas Sully, Esq. Of Philadelphia.
(Fayetteville Observer, November 14, 1838)

At Murfreesboro’, on the 14th inst. By the Rev. Chas. E. Disbow, Mr. John Kimberly, of New York City, to Miss Carolina Amelia, only daughter of Tristam Capehart, Esq. Of the former place.
(Raleigh Regsiter, and North-Carolina Gazette, July 29, 1842)

On the 19th inst., in the Methodist Episcopal Church, by the Rev. B. Devaney, Dr. Thos. N. Myrick to Miss Julia R. Eldest daughter of John W. Southall, Esq., all of Murfreesboro’, N.C.
(The Weekly Raleigh Register, and North Carolina Gazette, January 05, 1848)

RUN AWAY BOB

A few years ago I stumbled on this very early newspaper advertisement for a runaway slave. Although mis-identified as "Hartford County, North Carolina", it was clearly meant to read "Hertford County, North Carolina".

I sent the transcript to Alice Eley Jones, a native Murfreesboro historian who was working on a book about African-American tradesmen in North Carolina. Alice included it as part of the introduction to her book.

I think it's worth repeating:

April 16, 1767. RUN AWAY from the subscriber, near Williamsburg, last Saturday night, a Negro fellow named BOB, about 5 feet 7 inches high, about 26 years of age, was burnt when young, by which he has a scar on the wrist of his right hand, the thumb of his left hand burnt off, and the hand turns in; had on a double breasted dark coloured frieze jacket and yellow cotton breeches. He was lately brought home from Hartford [Hertford] County in North Carolina, where he has been harbored for three years past by one Van Pelt, who lives on Chinkopin creek; he passed for a free man, by the name of Edward or Edmund Tamar, and has got a wife there. He is an extraordinary sawyer, a tolerable good carpenter and currier, pretends to make shoes, and is a very good sailor. He has been gone for eight years, a part of which time he lived in Charlestown, South Carolina. He can read and write; and, as he is a very artful fellow, will probably forge a pass. All masters of vessels are hereby cautioned from carrying him out of the colony, and any person from employing him. Whoever apprehends the said fellow, and conveys him to me, shall have 3 [pounds] reward, if taken in this colony; if in North Carolina, 5 [pounds], and if in any other province, 10[pounds]

William Trebell

The Virginia Gazette. Williamsburg [Va.]
Printed by Alexander Purdie and John Dixon.

It's a fascinating document, listing the many skills "Bob" (Edward/Edmund Tamar) possessed, a description of his clothes, and it points out that many slaves had their own names (including surnames).

With a little online digging I was able to "flesh out" some of the references.

The custom ports with their large warehouses were King's Landings. Van Pelts' on Chinquapin Creek was such a landing. It had been established by John and Jacob Van Pelt, New York Dutchmen, who began visiting Carolina around 1722. They were mariner-merchants. They bought 100 acres of land in Chinquapin Neck. John was master of the Sloop "John and Mary", built in New York 1732. This sloop was owned by John Van Pelt and Paul Richards, New York merchants. The second customs' warehouse in the vicinity of the Wiccacon River was on the Wiccacon and Catherine Creek near the present town of Harrellsville. There was a short lived settlement, four miles above Murfree's Landing on the Meherrin River that was called Pitch Landing, later known as Princeton. Afterwards, Van Pelts' on the Chinquapin Creek was called Pitch Landing and that name identifies the spot today.

And some specific information about the Van Pelts:

Captain John Van Pelt (1691-1748), his brothers, and his sons settled in this area beginning in the 1720s and 1730s. Today, this land would be found east of Bethlehem as you approach Chinkapin Bridge. His descendants gradually moved northeast of this area toward Wiccacon Creek. When they first settled in this area it was part of Bertie County until Hertford County was formed in 1759.

Captain John Van Pelt died in 1748, so "Bob" (Edward/Edmund Tamar) was more likely harbored in Hertford County by one of his sons (John or Daniel).