Research object · BT-CLM-00403

Bettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.

Name: BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive
Creator: Amberly R. Carter-Mills
License: https://beforetill.com/terms

Corroborated· 6 sourcesNot yet reviewed

Research & Interpretation byAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

The Claim

The 1865 Freedmen's Bureau register of former slaves names Bettie, age 28, in the group of people freed from H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit plantation, Copiah County, Mississippi. She is named alongside Hilliard and Laura in consecutive lines.

Public Summary

A federal register written in 1865 names Bettie and records the man who had held her. It is the earliest record in this archive that carries her own name.

Evidence Reviewed

SupportsStrong
Bettie is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people, entered in the H. G. D. Brown group.
Bettie
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
SupportsStrong
Bettie's age is recorded as 28, consistent with a birth about 1837.
Bettie | Female | 28
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
SupportsStrong
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Bettie. This is the record's own language, not the archive's.
Yellow
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
SupportsStrong
Bettie's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
Field Laborer
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
SupportsStrong
Bettie is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
Former Owner: H G D Brown
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
SupportsStrong
Bettie is associated in the register with Lucky Hit, given as both her residence and her former residence.
Lucky Hit
Source: Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.

The Evidence Trail

Step 1 · Claim

Bettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.

Corroborated· 6 sources

BT-CLM-00403

Step 2 · Evidence & Source

Supports · Strong weight
Bettie is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people, entered in the H. G. D. Brown group.
“Bettie”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00397 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Supports · Strong weight
Bettie's age is recorded as 28, consistent with a birth about 1837.
“Bettie | Female | 28”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00398 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Supports · Strong weight
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Bettie. This is the record's own language, not the archive's.
“Yellow”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00399 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Supports · Strong weight
Bettie's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
“Field Laborer”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00400 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Supports · Strong weight
Bettie is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
“Former Owner: H G D Brown”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00401 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Supports · Strong weight
Bettie is associated in the register with Lucky Hit, given as both her residence and her former residence.
“Lucky Hit”
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81 · Digital Image
BT-EVD-00402 ← BT-SRC-00035
Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.

Step 3 · Conclusion

No conclusion has been published. This remains an open research question.

How the Evidence Sits Together

What supports the claim

Observations that carry the claim forward.

Bettie is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people, entered in the H. G. D. Brown group.
Bettie
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Bettie's age is recorded as 28, consistent with a birth about 1837.
Bettie | Female | 28
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Bettie. This is the record's own language, not the archive's.
Yellow
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Bettie's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
Field Laborer
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Bettie is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
Former Owner: H G D Brown
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.
Bettie is associated in the register with Lucky Hit, given as both her residence and her former residence.
Lucky Hit
Supports · Strong weight
Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation
A named entry in a contemporaneous federal register, reviewed against the original page image inside the archive.

What complicates or contradicts it

Kept in view rather than discarded.

Nothing in this column for this claim.

What only provides context

Consistent, but not identifying or probative on its own.

Nothing in this column for this claim.

Research Conclusion

No conclusion has been published for this claim. It remains an open research question.

Amberly's Research Notes

No research note has been published for this claim yet.

From the research notebook ofAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

What We Still Need to Find

No outstanding research question has been recorded.

Provenance, Access and Use

Source creator: Varies by record — see each source; Who made the original record.
Researcher of record: Amberly R. Carter-Mills — Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist; Located, transcribed, weighed and interpreted the evidence.
Publishing archive: BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive; Holds the object, its identifiers and its revision history.

Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation

BT-SRC-00035

Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.

Creator: Not recorded
Date created: Not recorded
Repository: FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
Collection: Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872
Record form: Digital Image
Source type: Freedmens Bureau
Accessed: Not recorded

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