Bruin's Slave Jail

Scope and Contents Letter in the hand of Henry P. Hill, likely dictated by Gabriel Johnson from Bruin's Slave Jail in Alexandria. Gabriel tells his side of the story following an disagreement with Joseph McFarland, John Augustine's overseer at Mount Vernon. According to Gabriel, McFarland threatened to whip him, but Gabriel "told him that he could not whip me as I did not think any person but my master out to do it or at least to authorize it." McFarland tied Gabriel up, but he escaped. When he was recaptured,...

Scope and Contents Letter from Alexandria slave dealer Henry P. Hill of the firm Bruin and Hill writing to John Augustine Washington III about an enslaved man named Gabriel who has escaped from Mount Vernon and is being held at Bruin's Slave Jail. Hill writes, "your man Gabriel by strict measurement is five feet five and a half inches... He is likely and a very good man of his stature and if you are offered more than we priced him at I think if you will excuse a stranger for the expression of his opinion in...

Scope and Contents Letter from Alexandria slave dealer Joseph Bruin of the firm Bruin and Hill to John Augustine Washington III regarding an enslaved man named Gabriel who escaped from Mount Vernon and is now being held at Bruin's Slave Jail. Bruin writes, "I have to inform you of what I am willing to pay for your man now in my Jail we will give you $565 neat for him at this time if the prices should improve we are willing to pay what ever the prices may be but when you come down I am inclined to think we...

Scope and Contents Autograph letter signed. John Augustine's overseer, Joseph McFarland, writes that he has had "a great deal of difficulty" with the enslaved worker Gabriel Johnson and has had to put Gabriel in Bruin's Slave Jail in Alexandria.McFarland describes a scene in which Gabriel was "cursing & fighting" against some horses, and then began cursing McFarland when McFarland took the horse whip away from Gabriel. McFarland writes, "I put him with Mr. Bruen at 25 cts a day. Mr. Bruen...