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Tracing the origins of Richard Smothers
Sold as a slave, etched in history
In the pages of history, we find Richard Smothers, a soul documented through an 1840 Bill of Sale. This tale unfolds in Pinkneyville, Wilkinson County, Mississippi. Picture a young Richard, 22 years old, intertwined with the fates of five others—Andrew (25), Martha (20), Eliza (merely 4 months old), Creecy (18), and Fanny (18).
Their journey, etched in the exchange between Oliver P. Robinson and Charles E. Percy of Weyanoke, West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, is more than a transaction—it's a narrative of lives in motion. A price tag of $5,000 hung on their existence. Charles Percy, in his pursuit of humanity, paid $2,000 upfront, but the remainder, a lingering $3,000, bore witness to their shared destiny.
A certificate of mortgage became a token of indebtedness, tethering them to Robinson's benevolence. The Bank of Louisiana in St. Francisville echoed with the promise of redemption, cushioned by a 10% interest rate. Amidst the ink on the document lies the heartbeat of their stories, waiting to be heard beyond the cold words of a sale.
Unsolved Mysteries
The enigma of how Oliver P. Robinson acquired these six individuals is still unknown. Ongoing research endeavors strive to identify if they were purchased from someone else, inherited, bought at an auction or estate sale, or debt collateral from another transaction.
This article was written by Chris Smothers.