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This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2002 Mar 02 @ 09:00UTC-8 : PST/AKDT
"A great 31 letter correspondence totaling 75pp. mostly 4to. covering the period 1852 through 1856, written between Susan M. Tate, her son Samuel McDowell Tate of Morgantown, N. C., and Oliver Hartley of Galveston Texas, concerning the hiring out of the Tate family slaves. Because of health reasons and possibly tensions with the community, mother Tate moved to Pennsylvania and was living there while corresponding with Samuel about the disposition of the slaves. Apparently, Samuel was elusive about his affairs and angered his mother about his hiring of the slaves to his cousin, Oliver Hartley. Mother Tate opens by writing Samuel concerning slave Harriett's hire to the Gaither family, in small part: ""à[July 12, 52]àYou write rather mysterious about Harriet...but I am going to write to Mrs. Gaither perhaps I may learn the secretà[Oct. 10, 52]àMrs. Gaither wrote meàshe spoke of [Harriett] having her child and how sorry she was of that she was going to have a familyàI care nothing about their mishaps, as for Harriett having the child it is nothing more than one would calculate...nine hundred dollars will not buy her from me. I do not want you to let Mary stay at Frees' you would do better to take her home under your own eye when they are hired for the next yearàHarriett's time is out the 20 of this monthà[Dec. 5, 52]àby the time I can appear genteelly at church I will be flat broke for pocket money. So you will not be unmindful of the balance of Harriett's hire. Tell me how much you have let Gaither's have Harriett for this year. You surprise me when you tell me Mary is in the family way. I hope you have removed her from John Frees' remember she is very young to have children and she should be where she will be taken care of for your own interest. I hope you will see that she is not neglected. I have no doubt she will make a more valuable negro than Harriettà[Apr. 28, 53]àYou have taken upon yourself the collection of Harriett's hire and I am very sure when the two years expire they will not be ready nor yet willing to pay sixty dollarsàMary has her child can she remain with Wister. This is a poor arrangement for a young girlà[June 22, 53]àHarriet's hire would help me out. I will enclose a note to Mrs. Gaither's that you will send to her forthwith and fail not to send me the balance due me on last years hireà[July 30, 53]àAs you have not been able to collect Harriett's hire. I did not want to draw on your individual meansà[I] will expect you to draw the hire from Gaither and on the 20th of October her time will expire for the second year...I think it will be advisable to remove her. They are bad payàI am sorry Harriett has lost her child. But as you have observed it is the first one that has died which has been borne oursà[Apr. 9, 55]àtell the negroes howdy for me and relieve them by telling them I will surely be there if life lasts [till] next fallà[May 2, 55]àare you still boarding there [his cousin's, Oliver Hartley's in Galveston]àHow is Harriett getting along doing their workà"". During the summer of 1855 Samuel left Harriett, Mary, and Jim with his cousin Oliver Hartley. Hartley tried his best to keep Samuel apprised of the situation: ""à[May 7, 55]àThe negroes are well, but in great trepidation at the present of staying here all summeràI would prefer not to have Mary and Jim here through the summer, unless you are going to risk their acclimation here with a view to their remaining here permanently. It has been impossible for either Jim or Mary to find work. We never had such a time in this respectà[Aug. 5, 55]àWhile we were endeavoring to obtain an opportunity of sending the servants as you request, the Yellow Fever has become epidemic in New OrleansàI have therefore concluded not to send themàunless you conclude to take the risk yourselfà"". Mother Tate did not care for Samuel's arrangement and let her feelings be known: ""à[Aug. 19, 55]àthe Texas tripàwas a poor one. I exceedingly regret those negroes were taken there and am uneasy all the time about them. Oliver wrote to his mother some time ago that Harriett was quite dissatisfiedà[Oct. 2, 55]àI cannot get over the Texas matter. I am glad to hear the negroes are well and will be satisfied when I hear you have got them home safelyà"". Oliver kept up the correspondence: ""à[Nov. 25, 55]àall that is wanted now is an opportunity to send the servants home. But I am sorry to say that there is no prospect of an opportunity occurring before next springàPerhaps you can send for them? Harriett has no idea of getting married and remaining here. She will not get married...Jim has been getting eight dollars a month for three months past. He could no doubt get more nowàMary has a child, a boy about four weeks oldà[Dec. 15, 55]àIf you want them...you had better come after them. Jim is getting 8.00 per month. I put him out in the summer when there was scarcely any thing to do. By the time this month's out I will try to get him better wages. Mary has been idle ever since you left. In the summer there was no work. In the fall she was too big to go out and her child is now about seven weeks old. We expect to put her out by the time the child is two months old. Harriett does not choose to stay here for the sake of getting marriedà"". Susan's patience was growing thin: ""à[Feb. 21, 56]àNow I want you to tell me why it is you have not sent or directed Oliver Hartly to send the negroes home...never will he say one word about the negroes. This I think strange of knowing I am here and would like so much to know how they are getting along. I hope you will not let them remain over another sickly season. I do not expect to live with Cara and have her furnish me a servant when I have of my own. Indeed I think you and Oliver are doing your business very privately. I have never got to know how much hire you get or anything relative to your arrangements with the Hartley's. Now I think I have done so long without a servant that I am quite as able to have one as Mrs. Hartleyà"". Without knowing of his Aunt's concern Oliver wrote Samuel: ""...Jim is still getting $8 per month. Mary is at present getting $15 per month as a wet nurse. It pleased her highly, or I should not have put her to that tradeà[Mar. 24, 56]àThis letter has a special objectàHarriett about a week ago communicated to me that if her master Sam was willing she would remain in this countryàwhile I was sitting alone in my parlor in stepped a gentleman called Stephen, dressed to kill, as black as the ace of spades, and requested my permission to wed Harriett. I answeredàthat I could not return a definite reply until I should favor her master. It presents a very sure mode of stopping off the further increase of the White raceàHarriett does not desire to return to N. Càfound on the difference between slave life here and in N. C. It is for you to say whether she shall remain or notàwill you give Mary or Jim any option as to their return. I have no intimation from either of themàIf you have any regard for Harriett's reputation you will reply to this immediatelyà"". Fully upset, Mother Tate laid down the law to her son: ""à[Mar. 27, 56]àwe will talk about the negroes you say if they are my servants and at my death to belong to you and William you will bring them home. Well you say you saw Major S. letter on that subject. If you cannot believe that you will not believe meàwho is to or has received the hire of those negroes since they have been in Texas?àWell now you understand the negroes are mine and you can have them brought or not as you choose and the hire to pay expensesà"". Hartley to his aunt in his defense: ""à[Apr. 19, 56]àCousin Sam had always talked and written as if Harriett might stay here or not, as she pleasedàHarriett once before wrote to him on the subject and his reply was that she might do as she pleased, but that if she got married she would have to stay here. He might have thought to frighten her off, but it has had a very contrary affect. She has had a taste of high negro life here, which is quite different from the same sphere in MorgantonàUnder the impression that she could do as she pleased in the matter, she has come to think she could not live in N. C. at all and that Texas is the greatest place in creation. Of course neither Cousin Sam or I ever dreamed that it would interfere with your wishes. As to hire, I pay Cousin Sam $100 a year for Harriett, and keep her in clothes and pay her Dr's. bills. Jim has been getting $8 per month for the last 7 months. Mary was not in condition to work until latelyàMary is quite a good house servant and would probably answer your purposesàI hope you will not be so cruel as to blight Harriett's prospectsà"". And to his Cousin Sam: ""à[June 4, 56]àIt is entirely uncertain when you when you will get the Darkies back unless you pack up and come after them yourselfàI had concluded to send Mary & Jim with Col. ManlyàI would prefer that the darkies were back in N. CàYou say nothing about buying Harriett's 'lover'. If she were mine, I would rather then several hundred dollars, have her married to such a boy. He is a No. 1 black as spades, 22 years old. Harriett has behaved very well under her trial, and to make it easy I have told her that perhaps you would buy Stephenà"". Mother Tate writes her son again: ""à[June 6, 56]àwhat have you done with the negroesàI am yet of the opinion it will be well enough to let Harriett remain until I feel more decided in my mind, but Jim should [be] here by all means. They [the family she is staying with] have use for him all the time. I long for some good old Pennsylvania living it is a little too hard here for decent white folks. Cara is making Jim some aprons to have in readiness to wait on the table and all the time desiring his speedy arrivalàbe sure to let us know when to look for Jim and when you have written to Oliver about Harriettà"". Oliver writes back to Samuel: ""à[June 17, 56]àMary's child has been sick, but is getting well. I will send all the darkies if a good opportunity occurs. I had a chance to hire Jim to the U. S. for three months at $1.50 a day to go to the Sabine to tend [to some] masons building a light house...but was afraid to take the responsibility with so valuable a darkieà[July 30, 56]àMary has got wellàI have not been able to get her a place yet. Jim has just come in with some new clothes (pants and shirts) on which fit very well. I told him you wanted him sent home. He laughed and said he would like very well to go. Said I must tell you he was well and doing well. Manly left long ago and I do not know of an opportunity to send Jim. He is at Freeharts at $8 per month. Harriett is doing wellà[Dec. 26, 56]àOn the 23rd of November we sent Jim and Mary by Mr. Harwood of TexasàWe handed Mr. Harwood $60 to pay their expensesàHarriett and Emma are well & contentedà"". Both Samuel and Oliver were well established men in their states and successful businessmen. Additional content reflect this and gives a rare insight into the daily business of some of the South's antebellum aristocracy. Several other letters are included mentioning politics, slavery, and business deals. Near fine." 2416 A great 31 letter correspondence totaling 75pp. mostly 4to. covering the period 1852 through 1856, written between Susan M. Tate, her son Samuel McDowell Tate of Morgantown, N. C., and Oliver Hartley of Galveston Texas, concerning the hiring out of the Tate family slaves. Because of health reasons and possibly tensions with the community, mother Tate moved to Pennsylvania and was living there while corresponding with Samuel about the disposition of the slaves. Apparently, Samuel was elusive about his affairs and angered his mother about his hiring of the slaves to his cousin, Oliver Hartley. Mother Tate opens by writing Samuel concerning slave Harriett's hire to the Gaither family, in small part: ""à[July 12, 52]àYou write rather mysterious about Harriet...but I am going to write to Mrs. Gaither perhaps I may learn the secretà[Oct. 10, 52]àMrs. Gaither wrote meàshe spoke of [Harriett] having her child and how sorry she was of that she was going to have a familyàI care nothing about their mishaps, as for Harriett having the child it is nothing more than one would calculate...nine hundred dollars will not buy her from me. I do not want you to let Mary stay at Frees' you would do better to take her home under your own eye when they are hired for the next yearàHarriett's time is out the 20 of this monthà[Dec. 5, 52]àby the time I can appear genteelly at church I will be flat broke for pocket money. So you will not be unmindful of the balance of Harriett's hire. Tell me how much you have let Gaither's have Harriett for this year. You surprise me when you tell me Mary is in the family way. I hope you have removed her from John Frees' remember she is very young to have children and she should be where she will be taken care of for your own interest. I hope you will see that she is not neglected. I have no doubt she will make a more valuable negro than Harriettà[Apr. 28, 53]àYou have taken upon yourself the collection of Harriett's hire and I am very sure when the two years expire they will not be ready nor yet willing to pay sixty dollarsàMary has her child can she remain with Wister. This is a poor arrangement for a young girlà[June 22, 53]àHarriet's hire would help me out. I will enclose a note to Mrs. Gaither's that you will send to her forthwith and fail not to send me the balance due me on last years hireà[July 30, 53]àAs you have not been able to collect Harriett's hire. I did not want to draw on your individual meansà[I] will expect you to draw the hire from Gaither and on the 20th of October her time will expire for the second year...I think it will be advisable to remove her. They are bad payàI am sorry Harriett has lost her child. But as you have observed it is the first one that has died which has been borne oursà[Apr. 9, 55]àtell the negroes howdy for me and relieve them by telling them I will surely be there if life lasts [till] next fallà[May 2, 55]àare you still boarding there [his cousin's, Oliver Hartley's in Galveston]àHow is Harriett getting along doing their workà"". During the summer of 1855 Samuel left Harriett, Mary, and Jim with his cousin Oliver Hartley. Hartley tried his best to keep Samuel apprised of the situation: ""à[May 7, 55]àThe negroes are well, but in great trepidation at the present of staying here all summeràI would prefer not to have Mary and Jim here through the summer, unless you are going to risk their acclimation here with a view to their remaining here permanently. It has been impossible for either Jim or Mary to find work. We never had such a time in this respectà[Aug. 5, 55]àWhile we were endeavoring to obtain an opportunity of sending the servants as you request, the Yellow Fever has become epidemic in New OrleansàI have therefore concluded not to send themàunless you conclude to take the risk yourselfà"". Mother Tate did not care for Samuel's arrangement and let her feelings be known: ""à[Aug. 19, 55]àthe Texas tripàwas a poor one. I exceedingly regret those negroes were taken there and am uneasy all the time about them. Oliver wrote to his mother some time ago that Harriett was quite dissatisfiedà[Oct. 2, 55]àI cannot get over the Texas matter. I am glad to hear the negroes are well and will be satisfied when I hear you have got them home safelyà"". Oliver kept up the correspondence: ""à[Nov. 25, 55]àall that is wanted now is an opportunity to send the servants home. But I am sorry to say that there is no prospect of an opportunity occurring before next springàPerhaps you can send for them? Harriett has no idea of getting married and remaining here. She will not get married...Jim has been getting eight dollars a month for three months past. He could no doubt get more nowàMary has a child, a boy about four weeks oldà[Dec. 15, 55]àIf you want them...you had better come after them. Jim is getting 8.00 per month. I put him out in the summer when there was scarcely any thing to do. By the time this month's out I will try to get him better wages. Mary has been idle ever since you left. In the summer there was no work. In the fall she was too big to go out and her child is now about seven weeks old. We expect to put her out by the time the child is two months old. Harriett does not choose to stay here for the sake of getting marriedà"". Susan's patience was growing thin: ""à[Feb. 21, 56]àNow I want you to tell me why it is you have not sent or directed Oliver Hartly to send the negroes home...never will he say one word about the negroes. This I think strange of knowing I am here and would like so much to know how they are getting along. I hope you will not let them remain over another sickly season. I do not expect to live with Cara and have her furnish me a servant when I have of my own. Indeed I think you and Oliver are doing your business very privately. I have never got to know how much hire you get or anything relative to your arrangements with the Hartley's. Now I think I have done so long without a servant that I am quite as able to have one as Mrs. Hartleyà"". Without knowing of his Aunt's concern Oliver wrote Samuel: ""...Jim is still getting $8 per month. Mary is at present getting $15 per month as a wet nurse. It pleased her highly, or I should not have put her to that tradeà[Mar. 24, 56]àThis letter has a special objectàHarriett about a week ago communicated to me that if her master Sam was willing she would remain in this countryàwhile I was sitting alone in my parlor in stepped a gentleman called Stephen, dressed to kill, as black as the ace of spades, and requested my permission to wed Harriett. I answeredàthat I could not return a definite reply until I should favor her master. It presents a very sure mode of stopping off the further increase of the White raceàHarriett does not desire to return to N. Càfound on the difference between slave life here and in N. C. It is for you to say whether she shall remain or notàwill you give Mary or Jim any option as to their return. I have no intimation from either of themàIf you have any regard for Harriett's reputation you will reply to this immediatelyà"". Fully upset, Mother Tate laid down the law to her son: ""à[Mar. 27, 56]àwe will talk about the negroes you say if they are my servants and at my death to belong to you and William you will bring them home. Well you say you saw Major S. letter on that subject. If you cannot believe that you will not believe meàwho is to or has received the hire of those negroes since they have been in Texas?àWell now you understand the negroes are mine and you can have them brought or not as you choose and the hire to pay expensesà"". Hartley to his aunt in his defense: ""à[Apr. 19, 56]àCousin Sam had always talked and written as if Harriett might stay here or not, as she pleasedàHarriett once before wrote to him on the subject and his reply was that she might do as she pleased, but that if she got married she would have to stay here. He might have thought to frighten her off, but it has had a very contrary affect. She has had a taste of high negro life here, which is quite different from the same sphere in MorgantonàUnder the impression that she could do as she pleased in the matter, she has come to think she could not live in N. C. at all and that Texas is the greatest place in creation. Of course neither Cousin Sam or I ever dreamed that it would interfere with your wishes. As to hire, I pay Cousin Sam $100 a year for Harriett, and keep her in clothes and pay her Dr's. bills. Jim has been getting $8 per month for the last 7 months. Mary was not in condition to work until latelyàMary is quite a good house servant and would probably answer your purposesàI hope you will not be so cruel as to blight Harriett's prospectsà"". And to his Cousin Sam: ""à[June 4, 56]àIt is entirely uncertain when you when you will get the Darkies back unless you pack up and come after them yourselfàI had concluded to send Mary & Jim with Col. ManlyàI would prefer that the darkies were back in N. CàYou say nothing about buying Harriett's 'lover'. If she were mine, I would rather then several hundred dollars, have her married to such a boy. He is a No. 1 black as spades, 22 years old. Harriett has behaved very well under her trial, and to make it easy I have told her that perhaps you would buy Stephenà"". Mother Tate writes her son again: ""à[June 6, 56]àwhat have you done with the negroesàI am yet of the opinion it will be well enough to let Harriett remain until I feel more decided in my mind, but Jim should [be] here by all means. They [the family she is staying with] have use for him all the time. I long for some good old Pennsylvania living it is a little too hard here for decent white folks. Cara is making Jim some aprons to have in readiness to wait on the table and all the time desiring his speedy arrivalàbe sure to let us know when to look for Jim and when you have written to Oliver about Harriettà"". Oliver writes back to Samuel: ""à[June 17, 56]àMary's child has been sick, but is getting well. I will send all the darkies if a good opportunity occurs. I had a chance to hire Jim to the U. S. for three months at $1.50 a day to go to the Sabine to tend [to some] masons building a light house...but was afraid to take the responsibility with so valuable a darkieà[July 30, 56]àMary has got wellàI have not been able to get her a place yet. Jim has just come in with some new clothes (pants and shirts) on which fit very well. I told him you wanted him sent home. He laughed and said he would like very well to go. Said I must tell you he was well and doing well. Manly left long ago and I do not know of an opportunity to send Jim. He is at Freeharts at $8 per month. Harriett is doing wellà[Dec. 26, 56]àOn the 23rd of November we sent Jim and Mary by Mr. Harwood of TexasàWe handed Mr. Harwood $60 to pay their expensesàHarriett and Emma are well & contentedà"". Both Samuel and Oliver were well established men in their states and successful businessmen. Additional content reflect this and gives a rare insight into the daily business of some of the South's antebellum aristocracy. Several other letters are included mentioning politics, slavery, and business deals. Near fine.
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