eustatia plantation

SANKOFA'S PLANTATION DATABASE

Eustatia Plantation

*note: the majority of the information on this page is abstracted from Eustatia Plantation, MS, Account Book, 1861: Ohio Historical Center Archives Library. Vol 649

Location: Adams Co., MS; most likely near the Mississippi River, since overseer G.R. Clark notes several deliveries from steamships, one delivery from St. Louis; probably outside of Natchez
Constructed:

History:

Associated Surnames: Anderson, Brown, Blue, Bunkly, Butler, Campbell, Claiborn, Clark, Eustis, Gaines, Good, Goodson, Green, Hall, Hawley, Island, Jenifer/Jennifer/Jenfer, Jones, King, Kinny/Kinney, Odum, Reed, Thomas, Uslem/Ooslem/Uslum

Associated Free White Names

Mrs. Eustis: plantation mistress (owner)
John W. Butler: overseer; recorded entries in Eustatia Plantation Account book
George R. Clark: overseer; recorded entries in Eustatia Plantation Account book
Henry C. Eustis: overseer; recorded entries in Eustatia Plantation Account book
Q.F. Hawley: overseer; recorded entries in Eustatia Plantation Account book
Major Chatard: buyer and seller of goods, noted several times in account book
JR Langley: noted as borrowing hay from Eustatia (in account book)
Mr. William Brown: saw mill engineer
Mr. Borham: traded goods with Eustatia plantation
Dr. Duval: tended to many of the sick slaves

Associated Free Black Names

Sarah: female (wife?)

Associated Black Slave Names

1860 - 1861 slaves, listed by first name:

Abe

(Big) Amanda

(Little) Amanda

Amanda Campbell: married William Campbell(?)

Anderson: ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

(Old) Ann

Anica: cook, sick nurse

Arthor

Bazzel/Basil/Baswell: male, carried out several duties and ran many errands; made slave collars

Ben Reed: ran away the night of Tues., June 12, 1860; returned Sun., July 15, 1860; ran away Wed. Sept. 12, 1860; returned Fri. Oct. 5, 1860

Betsy Brown

Betsy Ooslem/Uslem: female; baby born Oct. 16, 1860

Bob Uslum

Body/Boddy: female

Borlea: meat curer

Caroline Uslum

Celest

Claiborn: ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

(Big) Clarissa Hall

(Little) Clarissa

Dick: ran away Thursday, June 15, 1860; returned Sunday, July 15, 1860; ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

Elijah: mending pipes along the saw mill

Eliza: house servant

Eliza Ann

Ellen

Frozen/Frozene: female; baby born Sept. 18, 1860

Green/Greene: ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; caught and returned Oct. 18, 1860

Harrison

Henney Jenifer: female; one baby (became ill and died June 4, 1860); married Jim Jenifer (?)

Jack Odum

Jackson: male; slave driver

Jim Jenifer: male, mending pipes along the saw mill, axe grinding

Jim King

Jim Kinny: ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

Jeff

Jenny

Jerry: ran away Sunday, July 8, 1860; returned Sunday, July 15, 1860

Jery: ran away Tuesday, June 12, 1860

Jo Claiborn

Jo Gaines

Joe Bunkly

Joe Eustis: ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

Joe Thomas

Joe Uslum

John

Kean Hall: male; mending and sharpening plows, blacksmith, foreman

Leah-Anne

Leige

Liddy

Lidely

Linsey/Lincy: female; died Mon. Nov. 5, 1860

Manervia

Margrate: female; baby born Oct. 20, 1860; house servant

Maria Anderson: house servant

(Old) Maria

Marrien

Mary Blue

Mary Green

Mary Jones

(Little) Mary

Matilda: female; baby born July 1860

Montgomery

Moses

Ned

Nelce

Nelson

Ned Brown

Patsy Ann: ran away Tues. Oct. 30, 1860; returned Sat. Nov. 3, 1860

(Little) Patsy

(Old) Peter: basket weaving; ran away Tues. Sept. 11, 1860; returned Fri. Oct. 5, 1860

(Little) Peter: waggoning; ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; returned Fri. Oct. 5, 1860

Phillip/Phill Good

Phillis: nurse

Polly

Richmond/Richman: ran away Fri. Sept. 7, 1860; returned Fri. Oct. 5, 1860; ran away Wed. Oct. 10, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 15, 1860

Roda/Rody: female; baby born Sept. 5, 1860

Rosetter

(Big) Sarah

(Little) Sarah

Sarah Goodson

Sarah Uslem

Spenser: ran away Oct. 16, 1860; returned night of Oct. 18, 1860

Stepney: ran away the night of Fri., June 22, 1860; returned Thurs. Aug. 12, 1860; ran away Sat. Sept. 29, 1860; caught and returned Oct. 18, 1860

Steven

Susan

(Old) Synay

Thomas/Tom: fixing/building wagon wheels and carts in his shop

Tom Island: carpenter

William Campbell: house servant, working on houses; ran away Thurs. Sept. 27, 1860; returned Mon. Oct. 1, 1860

Wilson

Description of Slave Labor

The work was generally split between the women and men.
Women's duties consisted of cleaning up land for planting, raking weeds, cleaning ditches, sewing seeds, and occasionally rolling logs
The men's chores usually consisted of rolling logs, hauling fire wood, shearing sheep, driving cattle, and working at the saw mill.
Duties shared between the men and women included planting corn, building picket fences, hoeing cotton, and picking cotton.

Runaways

After three slaves escaped from Eustatia Plantation, John W. Butler takes note of "slaves wanting to runway," suggesting that other slaves became inspired to claim their freedom. Unfortunately, the escape of Ben, Dick, and Jery made the overseer much more cautious. After days and sometimes weeks of being away, some of the slaves returned. Some were tracked down and caught.

Agriculture

Cotton
Corn: Although Eustatia was a cotton plantation, several transactions were noted in the account book where corn was sold.
Oats

Livestock

Cattle
Sheep

Description of Associated Architecture

Saw Mill: an engine-powered saw mill that was maintained by a Mr. William Brown
Overseer House
Waggoner's shop

Research Leads and Plantation Records

Eustatia Plantation, MS, Account Book, 1861: Ohio Historical Center Archives Library. Vol 649

Other People Researching This Plantation

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RESOURCES

The African American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920 (online): Eustatia Plantation, MS, Account Book. http://dbs.ohiohistory.org/africanam/det.cfm?ID=13902. The online source has images of the pages from the account book as well as a transcribed version.