dennis slave families

Dennis Plantation: Negroes on the Dennis Place; Nov. 30, 1865

"The people are described by name, age, and fitness for farm labor (for example, "No. 1" was the best quality of farmhand). They are grouped in "families," although the nature of the kinship is not explicitly stated. The small size and constitution of most of these "families" suggests that most contain only fragments of what we would consider a nuclear family."
---David E. Paterson

Source: Michael Dennis' Letter to the Freemen's Bureau, November 30, 1865. Introduction by David E. Paterson. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gaearly/misc/freedmens_bureau.htm

NAME DESCRIPTION AGE FITNESS
Matt man 40 years of age No. 1
Matilda woman 45 years of age unsound
Van boy 18 years of age No. 1
Julia Ann girl 14 years of age No. 3
Eada girl 10 years of age
Dave boy 5 years of age
Jerry child 1 year of age
Family No 1 as above
Lucy woman 40 years of age unsound
Judy woman 18 years of age No. 2
William boy 16 years of age weakly
Sylvia girl 12 years of age
George boy 10 years of age
Family No. 2 as above
Mahala woman 35 years of age unsound
Monroe man 22 years of age No. 1
Lucy woman 20 years of age No. 2
Lucy's child girl 4 years of age  
Family No. 3 as above      
Henry man 55 years of age unsound
Nancy woman 45 years of age No. 2
Katy girl 12 years of age
Family No. 4 as above
Littleton man 45 years of age sore leg
Emeline woman 45 years of age unsound
Richard man 21 years of age No. 1
Milly Ann girl 17 years of age No. 2
Family No. 5 as above
Betsy woman 50 years of age
Patsy girl 13 years of age No. 3
Miles boy 10 years of age  
Amanda girl 7 years of age  
4 small children   5 years
3 years
18 months
8 mo's.		  
Family No. 6 as above      
Andrew man 35 years of age No. 1
Charity woman 28 years of age No. 2
Eddy boy 8 years of age
Family No. 7 as above
Henrietta woman 70 years of age unsound
Lou girl 18 years of age rheumatic
Margaret girl 10 years of age  
Bill boy 25 years of age No. 1
Rhoda woman 19 years of age No. 2
Family No. 8 as above      
Jim man 40 years of age No. 1
Martha woman 32 years of age No. 2
Lucinda girl 6 years of age
Sanford boy 4 years of age
Jim boy 2 months
Family No. 9 as above
Nick man 25 years of age No. 1
Harvey boy 18 years of age No. 1
Arnold boy 19 years of age No. 1
Josh man 28 years of age No. 1
Elbert man 62 years of age No. 2
Allen boy 14 years of age No. 3
Mary woman 20 years of age No. 2

(Several other children, whose names are forgotten, both in this and the other list.)