Source record · Freedmens Bureau

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

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

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands · 1865-era Freedmen's Bureau record · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration

20 observations5 claims touched8 transcribed2 images published

Read the record

The document and its words

The record

Handwritten Freedmen's Bureau ledger pages 8 and 9, listing formerly enslaved people by name, sex, age, color, occupation, residence and former owner.

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands · 1865 · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · Public domain (U.S. federal record)

What the record says

Working transcription, page 8-9. Column headings: Names | Sex | Age | Color | Occupation | Residence | Former Owner | Former Residence.

The H. G. D. Brown group opens at the foot of page 8, entered under the heading "H G D Brown". The first lines beneath it read:
Winnie | Female | 65 | Brown | Field Laborer | Lucky Hit | H G D Brown | Lucky Hit
Isaiah | Male | 45 | Brown | " | " | " | "
Jim Binkley | Male | 19 | Yellow | " | " | " | "

The group continues on pages 10-11. Entries above the Brown heading belong to other former owners (John Chance, James Foster, George S. Ashley, Cecil S. Johnson, John W. Ainsworth, Bryan Kethley) and are not transcribed here.

Transcribed as written, including spelling, abbreviation and error. Editorial additions appear in [brackets]; illegible words appear as [illegible].

2 images are attached to this record. Additional pages are listed in the provenance panel below.

What was drawn from it

Observations

BT-EVD-00043Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register identifies Laura by name.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsLaura Tolliver was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00146Placepp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard is associated in the register with the Lucky Hit plantation.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00147Enslavementpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
Partly supportsWas H. G. D. Brown the buyer of Hilliard in the 1856 sale?SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00148Occupationpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00397Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Bettie is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people, entered in the H. G. D. Brown group.
“Bettie”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00398Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Bettie's age is recorded as 28, consistent with a birth about 1837.
“Bettie | Female | 28”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00399Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Bettie. This is the record's own language, not the archive's.
“Yellow”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00400Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Bettie's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
“Field Laborer”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00401Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Bettie is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
“Former Owner: H G D Brown”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00402Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Bettie is associated in the register with Lucky Hit, given as both her residence and her former residence.
“Lucky Hit”
SupportsBettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
BT-EVD-00149Descriptionpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Hilliard. This is the record's own descriptive language of the period; it does not by itself establish parentage, ancestry, or identity.
“yellow”
Gives context toHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00150Agepp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard's age is recorded as approximately 45.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00151Sexpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard is recorded as male.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00152Named Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
Hilliard is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsHilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00044Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register records Laura as female.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
Not yet attached to a published claim.
BT-EVD-00045Register Entrypp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register records Laura as age 12.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsLaura Tolliver was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00046Complexion Descriptionpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register describes Laura using the historical color/complexion term "yellow". This is language used by the record-keeper to categorise perceived complexion. It is not a statement of parentage or ancestry.
“yellow”
Not yet attached to a published claim.
BT-EVD-00047Occupationpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register identifies Laura as a field laborer.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
Not yet attached to a published claim.
BT-EVD-00048Enslavementpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register identifies Laura as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsLaura Tolliver was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.SupportsLaura Tolliver was formerly enslaved on H. G. D. Brown's Lucky Hit plantation.
BT-EVD-00049Place Associationpp. 10-11, image 7 of 81
The register associates the former enslaver with Lucky Hit plantation.
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this observation yet.
SupportsLaura Tolliver was formerly enslaved on H. G. D. Brown's Lucky Hit plantation.

Page by page

Which page each quotation came from

Every quoted line filed under the page it was read from, with the citation for that page, so any reader can check the wording against the original.

pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81

20 quotations

No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register identifies Laura by name.
BT-EVD-00043
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard is associated in the register with the Lucky Hit plantation.
BT-EVD-00146
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00147
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
BT-EVD-00148
“Bettie”
Bettie is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people, entered in the H. G. D. Brown group.
BT-EVD-00397
“Bettie | Female | 28”
Bettie's age is recorded as 28, consistent with a birth about 1837.
BT-EVD-00398
“Yellow”
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Bettie. This is the record's own language, not the archive's.
BT-EVD-00399
“Field Laborer”
Bettie's occupation is recorded as field laborer.
BT-EVD-00400
“Former Owner: H G D Brown”
Bettie is recorded as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00401
“Lucky Hit”
Bettie is associated in the register with Lucky Hit, given as both her residence and her former residence.
BT-EVD-00402
“yellow”
The register records the historical complexion term "yellow" for Hilliard. This is the record's own descriptive language of the period; it does not by itself establish parentage, ancestry, or identity.
BT-EVD-00149
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard's age is recorded as approximately 45.
BT-EVD-00150
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard is recorded as male.
BT-EVD-00151
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
Hilliard is named in the 1865 register of formerly enslaved people.
BT-EVD-00152
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register records Laura as female.
BT-EVD-00044
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register records Laura as age 12.
BT-EVD-00045
“yellow”
The register describes Laura using the historical color/complexion term "yellow". This is language used by the record-keeper to categorise perceived complexion. It is not a statement of parentage or ancestry.
BT-EVD-00046
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register identifies Laura as a field laborer.
BT-EVD-00047
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register identifies Laura as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
BT-EVD-00048
No verbatim wording has been transcribed for this reading yet.
The register associates the former enslaver with Lucky Hit plantation.
BT-EVD-00049

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation; Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872; Mississippi; pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81; image image 7 of 81; FHL film NARA microfilm publication M1907; FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration; accessed 2021-10-15.

Where it lands

Claims this record bears on

Corroborated
Bettie was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown at Lucky Hit.
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.
Supports
Follow the evidence trail
Corroborated
Hilliard was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
A named federal record documents Hilliard's prior enslavement by H. G. D. Brown.
Supports · Gives context to
Follow the evidence trail
Corroborated
Laura Tolliver was formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown.
An 1865 Freedmen's Bureau register names Laura and identifies her as formerly enslaved by H. G. D. Brown. An unnamed eight-year-old female in Brown's 1860 slave schedule is consistent in age but cannot independently be identified as Laura.
Supports
Follow the evidence trail
Corroborated
Laura Tolliver was formerly enslaved on H. G. D. Brown's Lucky Hit plantation.
The 1865 Freedmen's Bureau register associates Laura's former enslaver with Lucky Hit plantation. The precise location of Lucky Hit has not been independently established and no coordinates are recorded.
Supports
Follow the evidence trail
Under Investigation
Was H. G. D. Brown the buyer of Hilliard in the 1856 sale?
Brown is a plausible buyer on later evidence. The sale record itself does not identify him.
Partly supports
Follow the evidence trail

Provenance and citation

How to cite this record

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: Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
Date created: 1865-era Freedmen's Bureau record
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: 2021-10-15

Access and use

Public domain (U.S. federal record). Both page images have been reviewed inside BEFORE TILL and are held with a working transcription.

BEFORE TILL publishes description, transcription and analysis. Reuse of the underlying record is governed by the holding repository. Cite this archive by its persistent identifier when quoting our reading of the record.

Full citation

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands; Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation; Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872; p. pp. 10-11; image image 7 of 81; FHL film NARA microfilm publication M1907; FamilySearch / NARA; Mississippi.

"Mississippi, Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872," office of the assistant commissioner, other records, roll 65, register of former slaves, pp. 10-11, image 7 of 81, FamilySearch.org; citing NARA microfilm publication M1907.

Persistent identifier

Cite this page

Carter-Mills, Amberly R. "Register of Formerly Enslaved People — H. G. D. Brown / Lucky Hit Plantation." BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive. Version not yet assigned. Object BT-SRC-00035. Accessed 2026-09-24. /source/BT-SRC-00035.

Attribution: Amberly R. Carter-Mills, Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist.

What changed

Revision history for this record

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