Description:

Slavery

A Tennessean Writes to a Mississippi Law Firm That He Sold a Negro Woman but now Needs a Lawyer because She Died 


Autograph Letter Signed “R.J. Foster,” 2p, 8” x 10”, front & verso. Nashville, Tennessee, April 17, 1856. With original 3¢ George Washington embossed stamped envelope, 5.5” x 3.25”. Clear blue “Nashville Tenn. Apr 18” postmark. Addressed by Foster to “Mess Miller & Kilpatrick / Attorneys at Law / Pontotoc, Miss.” Docketed at left. Fine condition.



Hugh R. Miller and William H. Kilpatrick became law partners in Pontotoc, Mississippi, in 1853. Miller had been a Mississippi State Representative (1841-1843) and Circuit Judge (1845-1853). In the Civil War, he commanded the Pontotoc Minute Men (Company G, 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment) from January 1861 until April 1862 and the 42nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment from May 1862 until July 3, 1863, when he was mortally wounded during the Battle of Gettysburg in Pickett’s Charge. Kilpatrick served as Captain, 9th Mississippi Infantry (“Corinth Rifles”) and, promoted to Major, commanded the 5th Battalion of the Army of Mobile in 1862.



In part, “In relation to the negro woman we sold Mr Lowry I fear I will not be enabled to have deposition taken and forwared [sic] to your court in time for your June term, from the fact that my Partner Mr J.W. Hitchings who purchased the woman is at this time in Texas and as the parties he purchased of is not known to me … We had the woman in hand about four months before we sold her to Lowry and during that time, she never complained of being sick one moment, and I have no doubt but we will be enabled to prove the woman to be sound. If you know a Lawyer at Crawfordsville I wish you to get him to investigate the soundness of the woman from the time we sold her to Lowry up to the time of her death, for I am fully satisfied that she was sound at the time we made the Sale … In relation to the negro man we only said to Lowry that he had worked at the carpentry trade, he had the man examined by a carpenter in this Town who said to him from what the man said him self he was of the opinion that he could do good work, but in our Bill of Sale to Lowry, we gave no guarantee that he was a carpenter we only gave a guarantee for soundness and tittle to the negroes…”


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