Confederate Payrolls, Henry County, Virginia

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Henry, Virginia, United States
Surnames/tags: Slavery US_Black_Heritage Virginia

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Combined Payrolls for Henry County, Virginia 2.1 Payroll 337 2.2 Payroll 791 2.3 Payroll 1291 3 Sources

Introduction

This page is part of a project to further organize the National Archive's recently digitized Confederate Slave Payrolls. See:

• Index to Confederate Slave Payrolls on WikiTree
• National Archives

Combined Payrolls for Henry County, Virginia

Transcription and Abstract notes: Name abbreviations have generally been spelled out, such as Samuel where the writing says Sam'l.

All payrolls below have been abstracted from tables. Names have been copied, but not payment roll numbers. See payroll image or owner profile for details not fully transcribed here.

In most of the payrolls below, the owners did not sign for themselves, but assigned an attorney to represent them; the attorneys signed on behalf of their clients and accepted payments for the hire of the enslaved laborers. Some payrolls have individual documents attached which authorize the attorneys and some do not. These sometimes yield extra information about the owner or enslaved laborer. Attorneys signing payrolls have been noted below.

All payrolls below acknowledge that J. B. Stanard, Captain, Corps of Engineers, paid certain Henry County, Virginia, slave owners for work performed by their slaves. The specific location and duration for each payroll is noted below.

Payroll 337

This payroll acknowledges work performed "on fortifications and other works for the public defense" at and near Richmond, Virginia, from October 1863 to May 1864.

The only owners signing for themselves on this payroll were P.W. Watkins (who was himself an attorney; he signed both for himself as a slave owner and also as an assigned attorney for another slave owner) and Peter Hairston Jr; all others had an attorney or agent sign on their behalf. Attorneys/agents signing this document included: Dr. William W. Morris, P.W. Watkins, Samuel Hairston, George Dillard, and Benjamin Barrow (who signed both as an attorney and as an agent).

• Owner: J.T. and E.R. Mitchell; Enslaved: Henry -- worked 69 days @ $20/month
• Owner: P.W. Watkins ; Enslaved: Ras -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month
• Owner: Thomas H. Watkins ; Enslaved: Jack -- worked 70 days in Jan/Feb/Mar 1864 @ $20/month
• Owner: Ruth D. [or S?] Hairston ; Enslaved: Nathan [name listed as Nat on payroll, Nathan in owner's note] -- worked 72 days in Nov/Dec 1862 [sic] and Jan/Feb 1864 @ $20/month. Note: Nathan's owner wrote in her note that "...all money due me for my man slave Nathan (Nat) by the Confederate S Gov for his [__?__] & for loss of said slave by capture of the enemy at Dispatch Station on the 7th Feb 1864."
• Owner: Peter Hairston, Jr ; Enslaved: Robert -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month
• Owner: Peter Hairston, Jr ; Enslaved: Robert -- worked 69 days in Mar/Apr/May 1864 @ $20/month
• Owner: Peter H. Dillard ; Enslaved: Moses -- worked 70 days in Jan/Feb/Mar 1864 @ $20/month
• Owner: P. Spencer ; Enslaved: Louis [spelled Lewis on payroll, and Louis on owner's note] -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month
• Owner: Lucy O. Arnold ; Enslaved: Simon -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month
• Owner: Z. Stultz ; Enslaved: Toby -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month
• Owner: Z. Stultz ; Enslaved: Bill -- worked 68 days in Oct/Nov/Dec 1863 @ $20/month

Payroll 791

This payroll acknowledges work performed on fortifications at and near Richmond, Virginia, from October to December 1863.

Several owners signed for themselves on this payroll. Attorneys signing included: John N. Zentmeyer[?] and Dr. William W. Morris

• Owner: John W. Smith ; Enslaved: Thornton -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: George Pannell ; Enslaved: Isham/Isom [spelled "Isham" on payroll and "Isom" on owner's note] -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: George Pannell ; Enslaved: George -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: George Dillard ; Enslaved: Leigh -- worked 41 days @ $20/month
• Owner: John O. Cowan ; Enslaved: Anderson -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: John C. Jones ; Enslaved: Simpson -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Joseph G. Plun[?] ; Enslaved: John -- worked 70 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Maria Waller ; Enslaved: Oliver -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Catherine Baker ; Enslaved: Tyler [may have been younger; owner's note calls him "my boy Tyler"] -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: John Prunty ; Enslaved: Henry -- worked 68 days @ $20/month

Payroll 1291

This payroll acknowledges work performed on fortifications and public works at and near Richmond, Virginia, from October to December 1863.

The only owners signing for themselves on this payroll were B.F. Gravely, L.C. Claiborne, and Samuel H. Hairston (who was himself an attorney and and signed both for himself and for others). Attorneys signing this payroll included: Walter R. Staples, John R. Dickinson, Samuel H. Hairston, Swinfield Stanley, William J. Salmon, and Samuel J. Mullins.

The power of attorney documents also included a document (included with the one for Sarah Hay) for slave owner George N. Deshazo and his slave, Peter, but these names were not found on this payroll.

• Owner: B.F. Gravely ; Enslaved: Washington -- worked 40 days @ $20/month
• Owner: B.F. Gravely ; Enslaved: Thompson -- worked 40 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Estate of W.R. Preston ; Enslaved: George -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Estate of W.R. Preston ; Enslaved: Leftwich -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: George W. Dickinson ; Enslaved: Peter -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Samuel H. Hairston ; Enslaved: Jacob -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Samuel H. Hairston ; Enslaved: Isaac -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Samuel H. Hairston ; Enslaved: Ben -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Ruth S. Hairston of Pittsylvania County ; Enslaved: Miles -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Charles W. Stockton ; Enslaved: Claiborne -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Jesse Wootton ; Enslaved: Bob -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Peter P. Penn ; Enslaved: George [he may have been younger, owner's note says "my Negro Boy George" -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Elizabeth Philpott ; Enslaved: Jerry -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: L.C. Claiborne ; Enslaved: Davy -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: L.C. Claiborne ; Enslaved: Abram -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: George Waller ; Enslaved: Davy -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Lucy D.W. Bullard ; Enslaved: William/Willie -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: James M. Smith ; Enslaved: Anderson -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Samuel J. Mullins ; Enslaved: Joe -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Lucie Abington ; Enslaved: Harden/Hardin [spelled "Harden" on payroll and "Hardin" on owner's note] -- worked 68 days @ $20/month
• Owner: Sarah Hay ; Enslaved: Dick -- worked 68 days @ $20/month

Sources

• Payroll 337: “Confederate Slave Payroll 337, Henry County, Virginia.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24488124.
• Payroll 791: “Confederate Slave Payroll 791, Henry County, Virginia.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24491350.
• Payroll 1291: “Confederate Slave Payroll 1291, Henry County, Virginia.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/34906846.
• Henry County, Virginia, Confederate Slave Payroll Transcriptions provided by Cheryl Cruise-394, September 2022, from the online images provided by NARA