Whitlow Slaves-TN-1859-62

My Whitlow relatives of Hardin Co., TN, originally from South Carolina inherited an interest in the Slaves named below.  The owners who lived in South Carolina, may have been Whitlows, Mitchells, Hamiltons or Satterwhites.  These Slaves were last known living in Shelby Co., TN in the early 1860's.  A life estate interest in the slaves was owned by Mary Hamilton, b. VA, who died in Shelby Co., TN in 1860.  William Cornelius owned 3/5th interest and the life estate which he purchased from Hamilton and some of the Whitlows in ca 1859.

Following is some information from Hardin Co., TN records:

In 1859, Milton, Paskell, and Coleman Whitlow had sold their interest in said slaves for $1500 each, to William Cornelius of Shelby County, Tennessee.  Cornelius had also obtained the life estate interest of Mary Hamilton in said slaves.  Mary was also a resident of Shelby County as were the slaves who were  named as follows:

.....Sarah aged 37 and
.....Leah her infant daughter
.....Senda, 33
.....Marcella, 15
.....Virginia, 13
.....Thomas, 11
.....Jack, 9
.....Benetta, 8
.....Sylvea, 24
.....Prissey, 65
.....Adelia, 24
.....Lena, 24
.....Margaret, 40
.....Milly, 4

As stated above, 3/5 interest of said slaves was sold to Cornelius in 1859.  However, the other 2/5 interest could not be sold because the owners, 1/5 to Sarah, aged 17, and 1/5 to Granville, aged 13, and Walter Whitlow aged 11, were minors.  Milton was also the legal guardian of Granville and Walter, children of Granville Whitlow, Milton's brother, who died about 1849.  Milton spent about 3 years, 1859-62, trying to get the court to allow the sale of the slaves.  There was a willing buyer, an established price and testimony of witnesses, Whitlow neighbors, Josiah and Granville Alexander, as to the needs of the children.  However, the court would not allow the sale and the case was finally dropped.  Keep in mind that Abraham Lincoln issued his emancipation proclamation on September 22, 1962, and Hardin county was primarily in Union Hands at that time.  I suspect this might have had some weight on the court.

I hope this information might be helpful to someone tracing ancestors.
No sir names were given.  The most likely names used by these people after the Civil War was in order:  Hamilton, Saytterwhite, Mitchell, Cornelius, and perhaps Whitlow.  Anyone searching the Shelby Co., TN area for ancestors in the 1860-70 era, would want to check these names.

David

dcagle@centuryinter.net  (David Cagle)
605 Court Street
Savannah, TN 38372
Hardin County

Contributed by: kathryn.holland@gsa.gov
Author:  "David Cagle"  dcagle@centuryinter.net