Browse Items (120 total)
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Letter to William Marshall Bullitt from Mildred Chenoweth Stites discussing Louisiana Taylor, February 27th, 1912.
A letter from Mildred Chenoweth Stites to her cousin, William Marshall Bullitt, dated February 27th, 1912. Mildred mentions that she had a photograph of a person formerly enslaved by the Bullitt family. The "Grandmammy" she describes is most likely Louisiana Taylor, and she states that Helen was five months old at the time of the photograph. The Filson Historical Society has this photograph in our collections, see "Photograph of Louisiana Taylor and Helen Stites, August 12th, 1879." -
Letter to William Marshall Bullitt from Mildred Chenoweth Stites discussing Louisiana Taylor, February 23rd, 1912.
A letter from Mildred Chenoweth Stites to her cousin, William Marshall Bullitt, dated February 23rd, 1912. Mildred signs the letter as "Cousin Nan." Mildred Chenoweth goes into great detail about what she remembers about growing up at Oxmoor plantation, including the farm work, her grandparents, William Christian Bullitt and Mildred Ann Bullitt, and the daily lives of the people they enslaved. She mentions Louisiana Taylor and Aunt Caroline, two women who were enslaved by the Bullitt family, and refers to Louisa as "Teush" or "Grandmammy." She also describes a wedding between people who were enslaved, and argues that many of the enslaved people at Oxmoor were "cared for" after the Civil War and Emancipation. -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred and Susan Bullitt concerning the people they enslave, November 17th, 1845.
In a letter from November 17th, 1845, Mildred Ann Bullitt and Susan Bullitt (at Oxmoor) write to John C. Bullitt (in Clarksville) that William Christian Bullitt "has determined...to make his negroes honest." She tells him of the enslaved people who were recently married at Oxmoor, and that Mrs. Philips lost "her most valuable negro" recently. -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred and Martha Bullitt concerning Caroline's escape from enslavement, November 18th, 1844.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt and Martha Bullitt (Louisville) to John C. Bullitt (Lexington), dated November 18th, 1844. Mildred writes on the health of enslaved people at Oxmoor, saying, "David looks wretchedly and suffers very much. The balance of our invalids are just so." Martha, in her portion of the letter, writes that "the only thing which varies the monotony of our life is occasionally a fuss with the negroes . . ." She writes that their father sent Henry Ballard "down the river about a week ago and today Caroline has absconded," at to which Martha wrote that she hoped she was caught because "she seemed perfectly desperate they say." -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt and Martha Bullitt describing Beck's wedding, December 20th, 1841.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt and Martha Bullitt (Oxmoor) to John C. Bullitt (Danville), dated December 20th, 1841. Martha writes that Becky, a woman enslaved by the Bullitt family, was to be married on the 27th and that they were busy making a wedding dress. She also mentions Louisa Taylor, labelled as mammy Teush, who could be Beck's mother. -
Letter to Thomas W. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt mentioning Frank and Beck, two people enslaved by the Bullitt family, March 23rd, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated March 23rd, 1861. In the letter, Mildred mentions Frank and Beck, two people who were enslaved by the Bullitt family. -
Letter to Thomas W. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt mentioning Jacob, a man enslaved by the Bullitt family, May 22nd, 1860.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated May 22nd, 1860. Mildred mentions Jacob sitting at the table and talking about the rain at Woodlawn. Jacob might have been enslaved by the Bullitt family, but it is unclear from this letter. -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt mentioning Lucinda, a woman enslaved by the Bullitt family, April 3rd, 1851.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, John C. Bullitt (Lynnford), dated April 3rd, 1851. Mildred mentions making Lucinda, a woman she enslaves, paint the porch. -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt mentioning the women she enslaves, April 1st, 1847.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, John C. Bullitt (Clarkesville, Tennessee), dated April 1st, 1847. Mildred mentions some of the women she enslaves, including Charity and Eliza, and their work in the kitchen. -
Letter to John C. Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt mentioning Betsy, a woman she enslaves, November 13th, 1846.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, John C. Bullitt (Clarkesville, Tennessee), dated November 13th, 1846. Mildred mentions Betsy and her work in the kitchen, and asks John to write a “special message to Cynthia.” -
Letter concerning the health of Rachel and Diana, women enslaved by the Bullitt family, January 24th, 1845.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son John C. Bullitt (Lexington), dated January 24th, 1845. Mildred mentions Rachel and Diana, two women she enslaves, and their health. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt discussing previously enslaved people who have escaped from their former enslaver, January 11th, 1865.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) to her son, Thomas Wallace Bullitt (Fort Delaware), dated January 11th, 1865. Mildred writes that the people enslaved by John Jacob, an enslaver who neighbored the Bullitt family, had run away from enslavement. Mildred also mentions an abolition meeting held in Frankfort, Kentucky, which General Burbridge attended. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt discussing a girl who escaped enslavement, November 26th, 1864.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Fort Delaware), dated November 26th, 1864. Mildred mentions that Oldham Bright, the former overseer at the Oxmoor plantation, had bought an enslaved girl for $300 before she ran away. The girl is not named in the letter. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt discussing the remaining slaves at Oxmoor, September 4th, 1864.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Fort Delaware), dated September 4th, 1864. Mildred writes that the men enslaved by Mr. Dixon (possibly Senator Archibald Dixon, Susan Peachy Bullitt's husband) have either died or left the plantation. Mildred writes, "Mr. D's (Dixon) men are all gone, as well as ours. Tinah and 'your mammy' stick and say they'll hang on as do some others." It is unclear if Mildred is referring to the people she enslaved running away, being sent down to Cottonwood, or dying of disease. It is also unclear who "mammy" is. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt discussing the deaths of enslaved people, November 25th, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated November 25th, 1861. Mildred writes that so many enslaved people have died that "the whole place will be depopulated." She mentions George Washington and Lucinda, two people enslaved by the Bullitt family, by name. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt concerning moving the people they enslaved to Cottonwood, October 22nd, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated October 22nd, 1861. Mildred mentions Lucinda, a woman she enslaved, and her failing health. She also writes that the Bullitt family have decided to rent out Oxmoor and move the people they enslave to Cottonwood. Mildred writes that her husband, William Christian Bullitt, is "discouraged by the difficulty in managing them [enslaved people] to get any work done." -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt concerning the health of Lucinda, a woman she enslaved, October 7th, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated October 7th, 1861. Mildred mentions Lucinda, a woman she enslaved, and her illness. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt concerning the health of the people she enslaved, September 21st, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated September 21st, 1861. Mildred mentions the health of Lucinda, a woman enslaved by the Bullitt family, and thinks she will pass soon from illness. Mildred writes that "Uncle Bill looks as though he would outlive us all, black and white." -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt concerning abolitionists, February 20th, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated February 20th, 1861. Mildred writes that an enslaved person was "stolen by an abolitionist" near their Cottonwood farm in Henderson County. -
Letter to Thomas Walker Bullitt from Mildred Ann Bullitt concerning the abolitionist movement, January 18th, 1861.
A letter from Mildred Ann Bullitt (Oxmoor) to her son, Thomas Walker Bullitt (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), dated January 18th. Mildred claims that Mrs. Winchester heard a story from an enslaved child that Black enslaved people would be freed soon and "if white folks didn't run fast, the Black people would kill them all." Mildred also writes that, "There are so many persons here who say their servants tell them they won't have to work for them much longer, that when Lincoln takes his seat they'll all be free." Mildred then relates how she told the people she enslaves that no one has the power to free them except her. She claimed that Cassius Clay couldn't free them, and neither could Abraham Lincoln. She describes the people she enslaves as "humble and well behaved," as well as scared of the abolitionists. She claims that the people she enslaves don't want to be hired out to people in the North because "they require so much more work of them [enslaved people] than the southern people do." Mildred refers to the previous overseer at Oxmoor, Oldham Bright, as "unprincipled" and that he "did all he could to corrupt them [enslaved people]." Mildred mentions Tinah by name, in passing.