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December 1, 1854 | Letter
Letter from Claudius Crozet Reporting the Condition of Work Under his Charge, December 1, 1854
Commenting on the unreliablity of Irish labor, Claudius Crozet recommends to the Board of Public Works that they hire black enslaved labor instead.
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December 28, 1854 | Letter
Letter from Claudius Crozet to the Virginia Board of Public Works, December 28, 1854
In one of his regular reports to the Board of Public Works, Claudius Crozet comments on the use of enslaved labor and the use of "time" that its employment enables. Because slaves were worked longer hours, often in gangs, and not paid by the hour, unlike whites, they could be transferred from one task to the next until their annual hire was renegotiated with the slaveholder.
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November 23, 1855 | Contract
Receipt for Purchase of a Slave
This 1855 receipt describes the purchase of a young female slave and her two children.
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December 1, 1856 | Annual report
The Mountain Top Track
This December 1, 1856 report details the high maintenance costs for track running through the Blue Ridge mountains.
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February 20, 1858 | Contract
Receipt for Purchase of a Slave
This receipt and letter describes the terms of sale for a slave in 1858.
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April 1, 1858 | Letter
This 1858 list shows the name, gender, color, and age of slaves sold, possibly for tax purposes.
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March 5, 1860 | Contract
Receipt for Sale of Slaves to the Mississippi Central Railroad Company, March 5, 1860
This March 5, 1860 receipt lists the names, ages, and purchase price of 21 slaves sold to the Mississippi Central Railroad.
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March 5, 1860 | Contract
Receipt for Sale of Slaves to the Mississippi Central Railroad Company, March 5, 1860 (#2)
This March 5, 1860 receipt lists the names, ages, and purchase price of 31 slaves "sold & delivered" to the Mississippi Central Railroad.
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October 3, 1860
Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Jennie Reed, October 3, 1860
In this letter from October 3, 1860, Samuel Reed writes to his wife informing her that he has returned from his trip into the South. He tells her the engineer who promised him and John R. Boyle work was mistaken about the time it would be available and they do not know yet whether they will get it. He describes the wealth present in Vicksburg, Mississippi and states that he found it "very comfortable to have all the help wanted about a place and to feel that they are stationary and will not leave if any fault is found with them." He describes the slaves as "contented and happy," noting that they are better dressed than the laboring classes of the North. He also notes that Stephen A. Douglas is to speak in Chicago "and there will be a gathering of the people that will make the black Republicans quil in their shoes."
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1861 | Photograph
Slave pen of Price, Birch & Co., Alexandria, VA: ca. 1860 - ca. 1865
A Matthew Brady image of the slave pen of Price, Birch & Co., Alexandria, Virginia.
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February 18, 1861 | Letter
Breif report on slave market in New Orleans
In this February 18, 1861 letter from A. J. Rux to E.H. Stokes, Rux briefly describes the state of the slave market in New Orleans.
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February 22, 1861 | Letter
Letter from A. J. Rux to E. H. Stokes, February 22, 1861
In this February 22, 1861 letter from A. J. Rux to E. H. Stokes, Rux describes the sale of a female slave named Harriett for $1,000. He confides to Stokes that he is "ashamed" of the low price he received, but notes that Harriett's "same old complaint" and break out attempts were so frustrating that "I sold her where I don't think we will ever hear from her again."
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June 24, 1862 | Letter
Telegram regarding travel of enslaved African Americans via railroad.
In this June 24, 1862 telegram between a Mr. Young and E. H. Stokes, Young informs Stokes that he has "sent you by train three (3) negroes," which cost $1,800.
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April 13, 1863
Letter from Cordelia L. Bailey to Jennie Reed, April 13, 1863
In this letter from April 13, 1863, Cordelia L. Bailey writes to Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing her anxieties about her enlisted son Walter. She states that he was in such poor condition upon returning from the South that she encouraged him to remain at home, even at the risk of being charged with desertion. Worry over his arrest prompted her to attempt to obtain his discharge. She also writes that because the government is employing all the domestics in sewing, soon "housekeepers will all be compelled to employ the Contrabands."
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September 12, 1863
Letter from Sally A. Kendrick to Jennie Reed, September 12, 1863
In this letter from September 12, 1863, Sally A. Kendrick writes to her friend Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing the recent death of her brother and the war. She speculates that the war will not end until slavery is abolished, but notes that she did not think so until after the fall of Fort Sumter. She states that she is no abolitionist, does not believe in "the equality of the races," and does not "want them here among us," but does "want to see them free and colonized some where." She shares several ideas regarding what should be done with the slaves after they are freed.
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May 3, 1864 | Letter
Letter from Samuel B. Reed to Wife and Family, May 3, 1864
In this letter from May 3, 1864, Samuel Reed writes to his wife and family describing his upcoming trip to Salt Lake City via the Overland Stage. He notes that in Atchison he has seen many runaway slaves from Missouri. This letter also includes Reed's instructions from Peter Dey in the Engineer's Office.
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August 2, 1865
Letter from Sally A. Kendrick to Jennie Reed, August 2, 1865
In this letter from August 2, 1865, Sally A. Kendrick writes to Jennie Reed, wife of Samuel Reed, discussing the war's end. She states that she is glad it ended "in the right way," with the abolishment of slavery. She also details her congregation's attempts to start a church hospital now that the military hospitals are all closed, and describes her work as a nurse during the war. Kendrick also notes that she has a nephew at Fort Laramie who is in charge of a company of former Rebels, and requests Mr. Reed make a visit if his work ever takes him out that far.
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September 11, 1865 | Annual report
Circular to the Bondholders and Creditors of the Southern Railroad Company, of the State of Mississippi
This September 11, 1865 circular reports on the condition and financial status of the Southern Railroad Company after the Civil War.
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1867 | Annual report
Report on the Condition and Prospects of the Southern Railroad of Mississippi
This report details the financial and material state of the Southern Railroad Company in 1867.
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1882 | Book
Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself
In this excerpt, Douglass relates the details of his dangerous escape from slavery. Traveling the railroad with borrowed papers, he flees to New York.
