1828
Fredericksburg Virginia legal Superior Court Case – Slaves
52 page contemporary manuscript copy – 12-7/8 x 8
inches. Stitched. Last page loose with edge tears. Overall very good condition.
Seddon vs Green – Records and proceedings
Judge: Honorable William Browne, Superior Court of
Chancery for the Fredericksburg District
Thomas Seddon and Philip Alexander bill of complaint
against General Moses Green, Bernard Peyton (of Richmond, son in law of Green)
and Murray Forbes
A Complete copy of the record – teste – A. W.
Morton, C.C. [Clerk Council] – Records and proceedings
Judge: Honorable William Browne, Superior Court of Chancery for the
Fredericksburg District
Thomas Seddon and Philip Alexander bill of complaint against General
Moses Green, Bernard Peyton (of Richmond, son in law of Green) and
Murray Forbes
Thomas Seddon and Philip Alexander trading under the firm of Seddon and
Alexander
Moses Green of the county of Culpeper
March 1821 - $3,079.36 / note assigned by Daniel & George W. Ward –
deed of Trust conveyed to Murray Forbes a tract of land, 300 acres in
Culpeper and also slaves by name: Susan (14), Evelina (11), Gabriel (9),
Essea (8), Frederick (6), Julia (4) & Susanna (2). Abby (woman)
& Sally (woman)
Thomas Green, John T. Lomax (Fredericksburg), P. Echols (slave trader),
Moses Green: p. 25. ...he carried Sally & her children to
Fredericksburg to be sold, he carried Abby 7 others also. ... met with a
Mr. Echols a negro trader and agreed with him as to the price of Sally
& her three youngest children – Frederic, Julia & Susanna –
respondent got Mr. Stone and some other disinterested person to value
Abby & her children which they did – making it seventy dollars less
than Sally and her three – Mr. Echols agreed to take Abby & her
children at that price and thus the exchange was made. But Sally's
youngest child Susanna which was valued at $70. Was never taken from
respondent's possession, and has since been sold for $100 as stated in
the bill ... Moses Green ..... Susanna returned to my house and remained
in my possession until the spring of 1826 when she was sold for one
hundred dollars by the trustee Murray Forbes. The other three Sally,
Frederick and Julia were sent on some time after the sale from my house
to Col. Peyton in Richmond ... property.
"I think it was in December 1821 or January 1822 that Genl Moses Green
brought some negros to the Town of Fredericksburg for sale. At which
place I was then stationed for the purpose of purchasing that kind of
property for Joseph Echols of Lynchburg – I did purchase of said Green a
number of slaves, but it not being now in my power to refer to the
books of Joseph Echols ... I have no recollection whatever of Genl Green
having mentioned that Seddon & Alexander had a lien on the slaves,
and think it certain that he did not, as I always made it an invariable
rule never to make a purchase where there was the least doubt or dispute
as to the title ... I should have seen him [Seddon] on the subject, as
it was very easy for me to have done so, he then living in the
neighborhood of Fredericksburg and I had frequent transactions with him
in other matters ... I do not recollect that I bought any children from
Genl Green ... P. Echols (deposition of Peregrine Echols taken at the
Franklin Hotel in the Town of Lynchburg, 1827)
(Deposition of P. Echols taken at the tavern of James Young in the Town
of Fredericksburg, 1827)
"I consider Humphrey worth $400 to 4450. Sally about $300." Danl Ward
(Deposition of Horace Marshall taken at the tavern of James Young in
Fredericksburg .. 1827 ..)
Question by Plaintiff – Were you present when Genl Moses green ... sold
some negroes in this town to Mr. Echols – if so state what kind of
negroes they were and particularly whether there were not some women and
children and your idea of the value of the women? Answer; I was present
on that occasion there were two women and five or six children and one
man, all young and likely negroes, the price given by Echols was from
$1800. To $ 2100. ... Q. Was Mr. Echols stationed in Fredericksburg for
some time & how long engaged in the purchase of Negroes? Answer: Yes
for several years.
Testimony & interrogatories recorded by parties concerned.
Superior Court of Chancery held in the Town of Fredericksburg on the
19th day of May 1828. ... Peyton & Green to pay $879.+ by July next
or surrender the two negroes Frederick and Julia – to sell at public
auction to highest bidder for cash, having first advertised the time and
place of sale for five weeks in some newspaper printed in the Town of
Fredericksburg ...
A Complete copy of the record – teste – A. W. Morton, C.C. [Clerk
Council]
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