Shirley,

I don't know if this will help you much, but I recently discovered a book by Louisiana legal historian, Judith Schafer, titled Becoming Free, Remaining Free. Although Schafer covers laws that affected the FB community in the 1850's, much of her discussion is based upon extensive research of court records and newspapers. You might try to contact her, as she may have some suggestions for further research.

jschafer@tulane.edu