Letter to John C. Bullitt and Joshua Bullitt from Martha Bullitt includes mention of the hanging of Jim and Jack, two enslaved brothers, May 26th, 1840.
Item
Title
Letter to John C. Bullitt and Joshua Bullitt from Martha Bullitt includes mention of the hanging of Jim and Jack, two enslaved brothers, May 26th, 1840.
Description
A letter from Martha Bullitt (Louisville) to her brothers Joshua and John (Danville), dated May 26th, 1840. Martha Bullitt tells them about some enslaved people starting a hemp house fire, and that the evidence against them was strong enough "to have them hung; poor fellows." No names are explicitly mentioned, but research indicates these enslaved men were Jim and Jack, brothers. Jack's enslaver was named Mr. Hikes, and Jim's enslaver is unclear.
Creator
Source
Manuscript Collection, Bullitt Family Papers, The Filson Historical Society
Publisher
The Filson Historical Society, Special Collections
Date
Contributor
Johansen, Emma
Format
Language
Type
Identifier
Mss_A_B937c-0139_003
Collection
Citation
Martha B. Bullitt, “Letter to John C. Bullitt and Joshua Bullitt from Martha Bullitt includes mention of the hanging of Jim and Jack, two enslaved brothers, May 26th, 1840.,” The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects, accessed April 19, 2026, https://filsonhistorical.omeka.net/items/show/3253.
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