from folder 220: Wills & Indentures

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Marango County Alab. January 14, 1859

?. F. J. Haywood Dear Sir, I arrived here on the last of December, but circumstance have presented my writing you at an earlier date. I found to my unexpectedly a number of sick negroes, and some of them have been dangerously so, there seemed to be prevailing at the time an influenza which was epi -demic, and nearly every one on the place was attacked with it more or less severe. In addi -tion to this there was two cases of Pneumonia, one of them among the boys who had just come up from Mobile. they proved to be very severe cases and I thought for a time neither could recover, but with the most unremitting attention and the assistance of a Physician they are now back in a fair way to recover. Much to my sup -prise on my reaching Mobile I was informed that one of the boys hired in the Turpentine business there had just died of Pneumonia, they had all enjoyed excellent health up to that time, and from what I could learn of the negroes he died from neglect; they say he was taken sick on tuesday, and that but little attention paid him until Sunday, when a Doctor was sent for

Last edit about 1 month ago by Nadasue
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woh pronounced the case a fatal one as soon as he examined it, and yet at this stage of the disease he bled him, and he died the tuesday following- this withh a small child 8 months old which died the first of Decr of bowel complaints constitutes the losses by death during the two years past. I shall not hire the boy to get turpentine any longer. I have been endeavoring to rent some land this year, but as yet I have not succeeded, if I can get none I shall have to hire out some of them in the neighborhood. Our crop is better than the preceeding one, though not a full one; the overseer says it was cuttoff 25 bales by a heavy rain that fell in the month of June. There will be between 170 & 175 bales, the whole of it is not yet packed out. I have sold only a small quantity and have an ideo of holding a while hoping the spring sales will be better. The fair prices for Cotton with average Crops have given a great impules to the value of property, and there is a perfect mania on the subject of land, negroes and mules. Although it has been only 12 months since there was a great financial crises in the country, yet property of this character is higher now than ever before known. I stated to you the seasons which induced ? to desire disposing of my interest here, and I now submit a proposation according to your requests. I makke a rough estimate as follows-

Last edit 2 days ago by DLee
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The negroes 46 in number at $40,000~
" Land at what it cost 20,900
" flock of mules, cattle, hogs & 25,000
Provisions, Corn, fodder &
farming utensils [faded 250]
$65,000
will be due Miss Huitons at the end of the year say between 4 & 5 thousand Dollars, unless the Crop should be unusually good this year, & in that case the balance will be still more seduced. I think it will be entirley safe to take 60, 000 Dollars as a surplus to divide, if no other losses occur during the presnt year - Then say you take
The lands at what it cost 20,900
Mules, Stock, provisions etc. 4,000
Cashor negroes for balance 5,100
$30,000
to be accurate it shows however something near as to what it may be before the property is cold. I think it would be advisable for you to buy that portion of the Negroes who have your women for wives, thre are six men situated in that way and one of lyour men has a wife with four children belonging to us jointly, they are mostly young and the women are now having children regularly & in a few years you wold be well stocked
Last edit 2 days ago by DLee
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whereas a separation of them might naturally interrupt and retard the increase which is no going on regularly. It would place you in debt 5 or 6 thousand dollars, but that could soon be paid from the crops, besides it would give you such additional force as to enable you to work 25 to 30 hands and I think you could safely calculate upon from 100 to 125 bales Cotton - with an annual increase as there will be young negroes added to the force every year. I have counted up the children now living born on the place from your women and I make 42 besides several which have died - Jenny has 15 children living, several of them grown -

That part of the land you may not be able to cultivate at present will be improved by lying idle. In the meantime you will have a place to send all your surplus negroes for If this proposal should meet your views, I would in order to carry it out and to put you to the least possible inconvenience, take charge of the plantation until Fabius gets through college, at a moderate compensation say 250 Dollars & my expenses paid when I may have to visit it - To employ an overseer, do all the correspondence, procure all new cessvans (?), supplies, and dispose of the crops

Last edit 2 days ago by SSC1982
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is a task I should be unwilling to perform for twice that compensation was it not for the purpose of effecting this division - For the short priced I am about from business at home I have to pay Mr. de ger $100 per annum. And besides the labor and time occupied in attending to this business my health and life is perilled every time I make a trip here. I have been fortunate thus far and I have cause to be thankful to an allwise Providence for the protection I have had during this series of years I have travelled on the same route - It was but a few days after I passed when the dreadful accident occurred in the Colombus and Macon Road, destroying so many lives - who knows bu t such a fate may await me. There are considerations of vital importance to me, whilst it does noyt affect them out of the reach of danger.

If you should not accept the arrange -ment proposed above, I then propose to sell the land and negroes together, there are par -ties here ready & willing to buy whenever a price is named, and I am of the opinion I could effect a more advantageous sale in that way, The largest part of my means are invested here & it is a matter of some importance to me to effect a sale whilst the property is at a high value -

Last edit 2 days ago by SSC1982
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