Cedar Grove Plantation, Adams County, Mississippi

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Adams, Mississippi, United States
Surnames/tags: Sharpe Slavery Black_Heritage

Index of Plantations

Contents 1 History 1.1 Murder 1.2 Slaves 1.3 Census 2 Sources

History

In 1820 Absalom Sharpe purchased 253 acres from David Mitchell for $3787.50. He was instructed in the deed to lay off 1/2 acre for a cemetery as that was where John T. Mitchell was intered.^[1][2] This property came to be known as the Cedar Grove Plantation, and cemetery.^[3] The plantation encompassed about 900 acres by 1857.^[4]

Murder

After the death of plantation owner, Absalom Sharpe, the murder of the overseer, Duncan Skinner, took place at the edge of the plantation in 1857. Three of the enslaved of Cedar Grove were charged with his murder, and were hung on 11 Dec 1857:^[4]

• Henderson, a carriage driver
• Reuben, a carpenter
• Anderson, a field hand

Slaves

The enslaved of Cedar Grove were named in the probate inventory of Absalom Sharpe in 1851.^[5][6][7]

• Anderson, $650
• Betty, $700
• Mahala, girl, $400
• Clarissa, girl, $300
• Claborne, boy, $200
• Benjamin, $100
• Robert John, diseased eyes, worth nothing
• Betsey, $300
• Henderson, $800
• Lemuel, boy, $450
• Leonard, boy, $250
• Stewart, boy, $250
• Claiborne, $800
• Malinda, $700
• Sylvia, $700
• Susan Ann, girl, $100
• Rebecca, girl, $100
• Darcas, $600 (a house servant)
• Dicy, $600
• Walter, boy, $200
• Edward, boy, $150
• Caroline, girl, $100
• Evelina, $600
• Sally Ann, $700
• Amelia, girl, $350
• Allen Davis, boy, $250
• Laura, girl $100
• Armstead, $450
• Polly, $350
• Enoch, boy, $450
• Salena, girl, $400
• Ambrose, boy, $350
• Ellen, girl, $350
• Maria, girl, $350
• Jinah, girl, $250
• Horace, boy, $250
• Adam, boy, $200
• Huldah, girl, $150
• Gabrielle, boy, $100
• Nelson, $350
• Lydia, $250
• Milly, $700
• Martha Ann, $700
• Madison, boy, $250
• Charlotte, girl, $250
• Isabella, $700
• Amanda Jane, girl, $275
• Jacob, boy, $250
• Dian, $350
• Alfred, $700
• Eliza, girl, deformed, worth nothing
• Matilda, $550
• Frank, boy, $450
• Richard, boy, $400
• Jackson, boy, $300
• Nathan, boy, $250
• Wilson/Nelson, boy, $200
• Lucinda, girl, $150
• Abram, $500
• Mary Jane, woman, diseased, $50
• Vina, sickly, $200
• Thornton, boy, $350
• Austin, boy, $300
• Burrill, $700
• Jane, $650 (a cook)
• Cyrus, boy, $250
• Archy, boy, $200
• John, boy, $100
• Mack, $250
• Eady, $350
• Elizabeth, $600
• Louisa, girl, $350
• Sturt, boy, $250
• Frances, girl, $225
• Adeline, girl, $200
• Thomas, boy, $150
• Reuben, $750
• Margaret, girl, $300
• Alexander, boy, $200
• Ben, $800
• Emily, girl, $300
• Teddy, boy, $200
• Wash, boy, $450
• Minerva, girl, $300
• Levi, boy, $275
• Westly, boy, $450
• Jeff, boy, $300
• Dan, boy, $250
• Wyatt, $1000
• Rachel, $600
• Bill, boy, $350
• Roy, $650

Census

In 1830 the census showed 25 enslaved persons listed under Absalom Sharpe.^[8]

The 1840 census shows 82 enslaved persons listed under Absalom Sharpe.^[9]

In 1850 the census listed 86 enslaved persons under Absalom Sharpe.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Deed: "Deed records, 1780-1886; indexes, 1798-1899"
   Catalog: Deed records, 1780-1886; indexes, 1798-1899 Deed records, v. L-M 1820-1823
   Film number: 008201741 > image 91 of 634
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSLG-MSSN-P (accessed 11 June 2022)
   • 1 Jun 1820, Adams Co, MS Deed Bk L p.135
2. ↑ Deed: "Deed records, 1780-1886; indexes, 1798-1899"
   Catalog: Deed records, 1780-1886; indexes, 1798-1899 Deed records, v. L-M 1820-1823
   Film number: 008201741 > image 554 of 634
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSLG-MSM1-R (accessed 11 June 2022)
   • 1822, same deed, Deed Bk M p.351
3. ↑ National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form https://www.apps.mdah.ms.gov/nom/prop/2171.pdf
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Death of an Overseer Reopening a Murder Investigation from the Plantation South By Michael Wayne, the University of Toronto Michael Wayne Teaches History University College, Michael Wayne, the University of Toronto Michael Wayne Teaches History University College, 2001 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Death_of_an_Overseer/wPHhfK1NBqoC?hl=en&gbpv=1
   • p.9 plantation size
   • p.12 those charged for murder
   • p.36 the hanging carried out
5. ↑ Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930: "Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930"
   Catalog: Mississippi, Adams County probate records Inventories & appraisements v. 2,6 1818-1824,1839-1853
   Image path: Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930 > Adams > Inventories and appraisements 1818-1853 vol 2 and 6 > image 615 of 669
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-99Q8-P9S (accessed 10 June 2022)
   • 1851 inventory
6. ↑ Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930: "Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930"
   Catalog: Mississippi, Adams County probate records Probate packets 1805-1956 box 144-145
   Image path: Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930 > Adams > Probate packets 1805-1956 box 144-145 > image 616 of 1942
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89QX-SS75 (accessed 10 June 2022)
   • 1851 loose papers inventory
7. ↑ Probate real estate records, 1839-1908: "Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930"
   Catalog: Probate real estate records, 1839-1908 Real estate records v. 2-3 1850-1908
   Image path: Mississippi Probate Records, 1781-1930 > Adams > Real estate records 1850-1908 vol 2-3 > image 86 of 667
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89Q8-G1LH (accessed 11 June 2022)
   • Probate Real Estate Bk 2, p.101
8. ↑ United States Census, 1830: "United States Census, 1830"
   Image path: United States Census, 1830 > Mississippi > Adams > Not Stated > image 28 of 32; Citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYYM-9X1G (accessed 11 June 2022)
   • 1830 census Adams Co, MS
9. ↑ United States Census, 1840: "United States Census, 1840"
   Image path: United States Census, 1840 > Mississippi > Adams > Not Stated > image 14 of 28; Citing NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
   FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YBH-DFK (accessed 11 June 2022)
   • 1840 census Adams Co, MS
10. ↑ United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 : "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850"
    Image path: United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 > Mississippi > Adams > Adams county, part of > image 60 of 154; Citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
    FamilySearch Image: S3HT-66YL-KG (accessed 11 June 2022)
    • 1850 Slave Schedule Adams Co, MS, p.117-118