The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects

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

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Mss_A_B937c-0139_003b.jpg
Mss_A_B937c-0139_003c.jpg

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.

Source

Manuscript Collection, Bullitt Family Papers, The Filson Historical Society

Publisher

The Filson Historical Society, Special Collections

Date

Contributor

Johansen, Emma

Language

Type

Identifier

Mss_A_B937c-0139_003

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 23, 2024, https://filsonhistorical.omeka.net/items/show/3253.