You might also be able to find a record of his birth, because VA began keeping birth and death records on a county level in 1853 (continued until 1896, then stopped for 16 years and began again on a State Level in 1912)..and according to the index at the Library of VA there is a microfilm for Franklin County for Births 1853 to 1879 which is available on interlibrary loan. I can tell you that not all births and deaths for either black folk or white folk are recorded, but it might be worth the effort to take a look.

Selma