Fugitive slaves -- Virginia

Scope and Contents

Accounts dated February 13, March 11, and April 12, 1800 for newspaper advertisements and handbills purchased by Martha Washington from Ellis Price, printer of The Columbian Mirror and Alexandria Gazette. Items Martha purchased include 26 advertisements for a house to rent, an advertisement about the Mount Vernon fishery, 23 advertisements about the donkey Knight of Malta, and notice about the runaway slave Marcus.

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Betty writes that Harriot is very pleased with items Washington sent to her from Philadelphia--she is very deserving and takes care of her things--two valuable Negro hands have run away, probably to Philadelphia to be free, and Betty asks her brother's advice in the matter--her next year's crops will be negligible unless they can be returned. Autograph letter signed, 1 page.

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In this letter Lunds writes about trying to recover runaway negro from [Jennifer] Adams and rent from Adams along with affairs of other tenants, among other topics.

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A.L.S. Mount Vernon to Charlestown. John Augustine writes to his mother about Gabriel Johnson, an enslaved man who has run away. He suspects Gabriel has gone to Jefferson County, where Jane is. Autograph letter signed with integral address panel.

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Mount Vernon to Blakeley. Farm news; slave repeatedly running off; family matters.

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Autograph letter signed. Leesburg. N. Herbert, a cousin of John Augustine, writes about Alfred, an enslaved man who escaped from Mount Vernon and voluntarily surrendered himself to the Loudon County Jail in Leesburg. Herbert writes that slave traders Joseph Bruin of Alexandria and William Bale of Exeter were inquiring about Alfred but recommends that Augustine keep him.

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Some time ago a mulatto girl, body servant to Mrs. Washington, ran away--she was found in Portsmouth, N.H.--asks Bassett that since he is going to Portsmouth, would he take steps to send her back--a Frenchman enticed her away but has left her--if she causes no further trouble, she won't be punished--Washington doesn't wish him to do anything “unpleasant, or troublesome” to bring her back.

Scope and Contents Washington commiserates with Lewis over his runaway slave ("the loss of your Servant") -- this will become more frequent -- "I wish from my Soul that the Legislature of this State could see the policy of the gradual abolition of Slavery. It might prevt. much future mischief." -- writes about Lewis coming to make his home at Mt. Vernon -- Lewis will be treated as a member of the family, and not paid -- his duties will be to entertain guests and visitors after the Washington retires to bed or...

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The son of George Washington's sister, Lawrence Lewis authorizes Thomas Griggs to bring back a slave named Shadrach and his brother Arlington who ran away separately from Lewis' farm near Battletown.

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This edition of the newspaper contains a runaway slave notice published by George Washington for 4 slaves, Peros, Jack, Neptune, and Cupid.

Abstract

Plantation manager James Anderson places an advertisement in the Philadelphia Gazette and Universal Daily Advertiser, 30 May 1800, found on page 4. At the bottom of column 2 is a notice for Marcus, a runaway slave and household servant at Mount Vernon including a physical description. Marcus belonged to Martha Washington.