Slaves Difficult To Sell On Stuart's Island, Home To Outlaw John Murrell for Sale

Slaves Difficult To Sell On Stuart's Island, Home To Outlaw John Murrell For Sale

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Slaves Difficult To Sell On Stuart's Island, Home To Outlaw John Murrell:
$595.00

Stuarts Island, Lake Chicot, Chicot County, Arkansas was notorious for having been a hideout of the deadly John Murrell band of outlaws who were involved with slave-kidnapping, robberies and other crimes.

Offering a one-page, ALS, 7 ¾ x 8 ½, Island, June 12, 1855, from Charles C. Stuart to Dr. Bell regarding a Negro Hire. Our writer was likely the son of Charles Calvin Stuart (1794-1846) and Cornelia Lee Turberville Stuart (1797-1883). Cornelia was the granddaughter of Richard Henry Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Stuart writes, “Yours of Dec reached me a few days since. If Mrs. J would have come to some conclusion sooner, I could have sold the Negroes but it could not be done for cash in this county. Times have become so hard that no man can or will invest though we all know the asking price for Negroes is higher under these circumstances. I have used the discretionary form you have given me, and hired them to Mr. Hoffman who will take good care of them and pay you punctually...”

The letter was likely written from Stuart’s Island, owned by the Stuarts and located on Old River Lake, also known as Lake Chicot, Chicot County, Arkansas. Several months after the date of this letter, in August 1855, Charles Jr. sued his mother regarding division of his father’s estate on Stuart’s Island, including he plantation and slaves.

Completely in ink manuscript on blue unlined paper. Paper notation under Stuart’s signature, “of Chantilly.” Several short splits along folds with no loss. Repaired with archival tape on the verso. Very good condition overall.

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