AtlasFamily.Org | The Blog

Requiem for Rachel | Slave Name Roll Project

2015-05-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Will, codicil, and inventory of slaves and property of William Lovett Balfour (1802-1857) of Bolivar, Claiborne, Madison, Yazoo, Warren Counties, MS and Carroll Parish, LA.

William Lovett Balfour
Source: The Issaqueena Genealogy and History Project

Answering the call to participate in the Slave Name Roll Project, we will continue to contribute records we have unearthed over the years in our research that mention the names of slaves.  Our team always documents all slave names, even if they are never determined as being members of our family or F.A.N. Club and we always post the information online, either through this blog, or through USGenWeb.  We have come across nearly 1,000 of them in just researching our family lines alone.  New posts contributed to the project be titled based on the ancestor we were looking for when we discovered the listing of the formerly enslaved.

Dr. William Lovett Balfour of North Carolina, Mississippi (Bolivar, Claiborne, Madison, Yazoo, Warren Counties), and Louisiana (Carroll Parish) was a wealthy planter in the Mississippi Delta. We have verified that he was the former slaveholder of Rachel Day Atlas, wife of King Atlas, Sr. Below is a transcription of his will, as transcribed in succession records, and a copy of his inventory of slaves residing in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana.

Mound Bluff Cemetery, Yazoo County, MS
Burial location of William Lovett Balfour

Succession Record, Book I, 1857 – 1859, Page 1, William L. Balfour

East Carroll Parish Clerk Of Court - 10th Judicial District Of Louisiana Courts

Written: April 17, 1857

Recorded: June 3, 1857

To the honorable the judge of the Tenth Judicial District Court of the State 

of Louisiana in for the Parish of Carroll; The petition of Horace G. Blackburn 

*Should be Blackman* and John W. Balfour who reide in the county of Madison in 

the State of Mississippi with respect shows that Dr. William L. Balfour who 

resided in the said county of Madison in the State of Mississippi departed 

this life on or about the 8th of May 1857 in the said county of Madison.  That 

on the 17th of April 1857, he made and published his last will and codicil 

thereto were duly proved probated and ordered to be executed by the Probate 

Court of the County of Madison of the state of Mississippi all of which will 

more fully appear by the certified transcript hereto annexed made a part of 

this petition marked “A”.  Your petitioners show that part of the succession 

of the said William L. Balfour consisting of a plantation and Negroes, mules, 

horses and other property is situated in the parish of Carroll, the state of 

Louisiana, which it is millpoing? To administer under the provisions of the 

said will under the provisions conferred upon your petitioners as the 

executors thereof, wherefore your petitioners pray that the said will probated 

as aforesaid may be ordered to be recorded and executed:  That an inventory 

may be ordered to be taken of the property situated in this state and that 

your petitioners have letter testamentary issued to them for general relief – 

Short and Parham, Attnys for Ptr

State of Louisiana, Parish of Carroll

Upon consideration of the foregoing petition and the transcript thereto 

annexed it is ordered that the will of the late William L. Balfour be recorded 

and execute.  That the said Horace G. Blackman and John W. Balfour be 

confirmed as executors of said will and that letters testamentary issue to 

them upon their giving bond and security conditioned according to the law.  It 

is further ordered that Sanders D. Oliver, Recorder and Ex-Officio Notary 

Public be appointed to take an inventory of the said succession lying in said 

parish of Carroll and to return the same to the clerk of said Tenth District 

Court.  Red and signed this 3rd day of June 1857. PW DeFrance Clk

The last will and testament of the William L. Balfour of the county of Madison 

and the State of Mississippi – 

First – I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses may be paid by my 

executors hereinafter mentioned:

Second – I will and direct that all the meat, meal, flour, corn and their 

provisions of every kind which shall be on my several plantations at the time 

of my deceased shall be appropriated to the use of the respective plantations 

and that the same shall not be inventoried by my executors or any account 

taken of it in settlement of my estate

Gravesite of William Lovett Balfour, Mound Bluff Cemetery

Third – I will and direct that my plantation in Madison County Mississippi on 

which I reside and my plantation in Yazoo County Mississippi and Carroll 

Parish Louisiana shall be carried on my executors until my youngest son Horace 

B. Balfour shall reach the age of twenty one years and the proceeds of these 

places after defraying the necessary expenses thereof shall be applied to the 

maintenance and education of my four sons vig: James, Joseph, Louis and Horace 

or so much thereof as may be necessary until they severally reach the age of 

twenty one years and when each one reaches his majority.  I will and direct my 

executors the survivors or survivor of them to pay to him fifteen thousand 

dollars in cash and twenty first rate Negroes, ten males and ten females all 

of whom shall be efficient hands.

Fourth – I will and bequeath unto my sister Eliza the sum of five hundred 

dollars per annum until my son Horace arrives at the age of twenty one years 

and then my executor are to pay her a sum of money which with the amounts 

already paid her will make the sum five thousand dollars.

Fifth – I will and devise unto my brother Charles all my interest in a tract 

of land in Sunflower County in the state of Mississippi which is now owned 

jointly by us in the proportion of two thirds to me and one third to him.

Sixth – I will and direct that my four sons above named shall have their homes 

at my daughter  Mrs. Mary Blackman, until they attain their majority.  I 

hereby direct my executors to deliver to my said daughter any two of my slaves 

that may selected to be held and possessed by her without hire or charge of 

any sort until my son Horace arrives at the age of twenty one years.

Seventh – I will and bequeath my gold watch to y son Horace and will and 

direct my executors to purchase one for each son Louis and Joe, above named.

Eighth – I will and bequeath my portraits and other pictures to my daughter 

Mrs. Mary Blackman.

Ninth – I will and direct my executors to pay my son Louis the sum of three 

thousand dollars when my son Horace attains his majority this is intended to 

cover and be in lien  of the thousand dollars which my mother in law and 

directed me to hold and pay to Louis.

Headstone of William Lovett Balfour, Mound Bluff Cemetery

Headstone of William Lovett Balfour, Mound Bluff Cemetery

Tenth – I will and bequeath to my son Horace a like sum of three thousand 

dollars when he reaches his majority in addition to the bequeath mentioned in 

3rd article.

Eleventh – It is my desire that year a plantation shall be commenced on my land in Bolivar County and I hereby direct my executors to in their discretion and good policy and direct that for this purpose some of the Negroes be taken from Madison and Yazoo Counties.

Twelfth – I will and direct my executors invest any of the proceeds of my 

plantations as they may deem judicious and wise and calculated to advance the 

purpose of this will and to also empower them to sell and dispose of any 

property by me owned not specifically devised for the purpose of carrying out 

the bequeaths herein contained or direction herein given.

View of the gravesite of William Lovett Balfour,

Mound Bluff Cemetery

Thirteenth – I will and direct that after the payment of the above mentioned 

legacies and the performance of the above directions and when my son Horace 

has reached the age twenty one years that then my executors or the survivors 

or survivor of then shall divide all the rest and residue of my property real 

and personal equally amongst all my children namely:  Mary Blackman, William 

S., John W. Charles R., James R., Joseph D., Louis G. and Horace B..

Fourteenth – If my son Horace B. shall die before he reaches his majority then 

it is my will that the legacies bequeath and directions made contingent upon 

his arriving at the age of manhood shall be all paid discharged and performed 

when the youngest of my youngest son should attain that age.

Fifteenth – I will and bequeath my excellent friend Mrs. Emma Balfour wife of 

Dr. WT Balfour of Vicksburg as a mark of my affectionate appreciation of her 

the sum of one thousand dollars to be paid by my executors without unnecessary 

delay.

Sixteenth – If my daughter Mr. and Dr. Blackman shall prefer to occupy my 

residence then I will and direct that they shall have the house Garden and 

Stables and free of any costs or charge whatever until the general 

distribution as herein provided for shall be made.

Seventeenth – As my grown children during their minority and allowance of 

pocket money, I desire that my minor children have a like indulgence.  I 

direct therefore my executors to allow each of them a sum not exceeding three 

hundred dollars which their receipt individually  to them is a sufficient 

voucher.

Eighteenth – I bequeath my old carriage horses called the William Balfour 

Carriage Horses to my sister Eliza. 

Lastly, I do hereby nominate and approve my son in law Horace G. Blackman, my 

son William and John executors of this my last will and testament in witness 

thereof.  I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of April AD, 

Eighteen Hundred and Fifty Seven.

William L. Balfour –Seal-

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said William L. Balfour as for 

his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence of each 

other have hereunto set and subscribe our names as witness hereto this 17th 

day of April AD 1857.  E. Mason, J. Roach, WH Lake.

Codicil of William L. Balfour Will

Whereas I William L. Balfour of County of Madison and the state of Mississippi 

have made and duly executed my last will and testament in writing bearing date 

17th day of April 1857.  Now I do hereby declare this present writing to has a 

codicil to my last will and direct the same to be annexed thereto and taken as 

a front thereof whereas I have heretofore given to my children that have 

attained their majority certain property some real and some personal to which 

I have made them no other title than that of more alleging possession.  Now I 

hereby confision? to my daughter Mary Blackman all that property of the giving 

tract of land situated in Yazoo County near Kibbley’s Ferry on Big Black and 

lying south or west of the road leading from said Ferry to Satartia? And now 

consisting of a part of the “hope on” plantation recently sold by my son in 

law to Henry Allen, this bind I have given to my said daughter and she and her 

husband Dr. Blackman put in possession of the same.  I also devise to Dr. HG 

Blackman my son in law a thousand acres of land or thereabouts which he bought 

of me in the year 1844 or 1845 formerly a part of the Gobsey tract and lying 

west of the road heading from Kibbley’s Ferry on Big Black to Yazoo City and 

north of the road heading from the same Ferry to Satartia? The said land was 

paid for by Dr. Blackman and never conveyed to him – I also devise to my 

daughter Mary all that tract of land in Madison County known as Sherwood Place 

now occupied by Dr. Blackman and adjoining my Homestead.  I also give and 

devise to my sons John and Charles the place respectively on which they at 

present reside in Madison County and to my daughter Mary and my sons William, 

John and Charles the personal property that I have heretofore put them in 

possession of and intended as a gift to them.  In witness thereof I have 

hereunto set my hand and seal this 30th day of April in the year of our Lord 

1857.

WL Balfour – Seal-

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said WL Balfour as and for a 

codicil to his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his 

presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto 

set and subscribe our names as witnesses hereto this 30th day of April AD 

1857.  WA Lake, J. Roach, John Willis.

Inventory

State of Louisiana, Parish of Carroll
Succession Book I, Page 4, June 8, 1857
Estate of William L. Balfour of Madison County, MS
Samuel Bond and William Sutton, residents of Carroll Parish, LA – Appraisers
Sanders D. Oliver - Clerk

Item 1st – The following described slaves:

Sam,          aged about 30 years  appraised at 1300.00

Lydia Porter 25                 1050.00

Angeline 6 months         100.00

George Porter 28 years         1250.00

Emily         19                 950.00

Labe         28                 1200.00

Caroline 35                 700.00

Hannibald 45                 450.00

Nancy         45                 500.00

Matilda         14                 850.00

Henry Huddle 49                 200.00

Sarah Porter 22                 1000.00

Tom         4                 250.00

*Next Page*

Sally Ann aged about 6 mo. 100.00

Nick         65                 500.00

Caraline 45                 300.00

Milton         27                 1300.00

Ruben         40                 750.00

Eliza Broks 30                 600.00

Robert         12                 800.00

Julius         35                 700.00

Louis Bell 49                 550.00

Lydia Bell 45                 400.00

Rose         15                 900.00

Cain         40                 650.00

Sarah Brooks 42                 800.00

Little Louis 16                 1100.00

William         9                 700.00

Horace         7                 500.00

Richmond 5                 350.00

Lizett         3                 250.00

Infant         __                 100.00

Wash Sorter 26                 1300.00

Cleming         22                 1050.00 

Tom Talbert 23                 1000.00

Green         18                 1350.00

Shirley         45                 250.00

Bailey         ___                 600.00

Louisa Bailey 35                 600.00

Katey         13                 600.00

Priscilla 4                 300.00

Cornelius 2                 200.00

Billy         0 months         100.00

Jerry         43                 1100.00

Aimy         30                 850.00

Mary Jane 13                 900.00

Peter         38                 900.00

Harriett 35                 750.00

Cap         31                 1300.00

Wesley         32                 1050.00

Minerva         25                 500.00

Adison         3                 250.00

Minerva         2 months         100.00

George Brady 35                 200.00

Ike Gutty/Cutty 30                 300.00

Martha         23                 1000.00

Big Ann         35                 800.00

Dandridge 35                 1050.00

John Henry 14                 750.00

Dennis         8                 300.00

Lucinda         5                 300.00

Dick         36                 1000.00

Little Ann or Arm 37         800.00

Lavilia         9                 600.00

Andrew         10                 500.00

Harriett 3                 250.00

Fred         42                 900.00

*Next Page*

Mary Rogers aged about 35 years 200.00

Tom Monk 70                 500.00

Little Liza 70 *Idiot*         100.00

Charles Cotton 31                 1400.00

Susan         31                 800.00

Labe         7                 450.00

Clarrissa 10 months         100.00

Stephen         28 years         1300.00

John Young 28                 1300.00

Nelson         33                 1250.00

Felix         22                 1350.00

Mary Felix 22                 1000.00 

Amos         2 months         100.00

Ike Brown aged 30 years         900.00

Bash         28                 1350.00

Catharine  23                 1000.00

Prince         3 months         100.00

Mack         27 years         1350.00

Little Mary 23                 1000.00

Essick         42                 1000.00

Louisa Essick 34                 800.00

Isabella 10                 500.00

Joe         5                 350.00

Caroline 2                 200.00

Louisa         7                 100.00

Callis         56 years         500.00

Libey or Tibey 34                 1000.00

John Jacob 23                 1350.00

Dilly         18                 1000.00

Maria         14 months         100.00

Anica         16 years         1000.00

Little Henry 18                 1350.00

TOTAL: $69,350.00

Item 2nd – Land

Lots 71-75 in township 22 north range 13 east and lot 30 in township 21 north 

range 13 east in the aggregate of 1,203 acres; also north ½ of lot 77 in 

township 22 north range 13 east containing 86 36/100  acres; and south ½ of 

lot 76 and south ½ of lot 77 in township 22 north range 13 east containing 172 

45/100 acres; south ½ of lot 76 in township 22 north range 13 east containing 

85 75/100 acres; as purchased from John B. Byrne and wife; recorded in 

notarial book D folios 25,26, 27, 28, 29, 30.  Fractional section 81 in 

township 22 north, range 13 east containing 90 70/100 acres as purchased from 

Pamela A. Kerr and husband recorded in notarial book E folios 500 and 501 – 

altogether 1638 21/100 acres appraised at $65 per acre - $106,483.65

Recapitulation

Item 1st – Slaves appraised at $69,350.00
Item 2nd – Land appraised at $106,483.00
Item 3rd – Horses, mules, cattle (oxen and wagons) appraised at $5,247.00
TOTAL: $181,080.65

Requiem for Margaret - Slave Name Roll Project

2015-05-06T20:23:00.000-07:00

Documenting a progenitor of an affiliated line of the Atlas family of Lake Providence, East Carroll, Louisiana.

Clora Evans Atlas

In 2010, the AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research Team hit the jackpot during our yearly research trip. We were able to verify the last slaveholder of Clora Evans Atlas (Born between 1845-1865 at Belle Meade Plantation, Carroll Parish, LA, died July 5, 1928 in Lake Providence, East Carroll, LA), daughter in law of King Atlas, Sr., along with the previous slaveholders of her mother, Susan Russell Evans, and paternal grandparents, John Russell and Margaret Russell. For details on how this information was discovered, see this post, this post, and this post.

Answering the call to participate in the Slave Name Roll Project, we will continue to contribute records we have unearthed over the years in our research that mention the names of slaves. Our team always documents all slave names, even if they are never determined as being members of our family or F.A.N. Club and we always post the information online, either through this blog, or through USGenWeb. We have come across nearly 1,000 of them in just researching our family lines alone. New posts contributed to the project be titled based on the ancestor we were looking for when we discovered the listing of the formerly enslaved.

Background

Portion of the listing of slaves from number 3.

The names of the formerly enslaved, below, were discovered from five sources in Claiborne County and Yazoo County, Mississippi:

A January 19, 1837 sale of a 540 acre plantation from John Grissom and wife Margaret to Robert Frazer Moore and Joseph Nichols (Claiborne County Deed Book R, Pages 142-144);
A January 8, 1838 sale of the same 540 acre plantation and slaves from Robert Frazer Moore and his wife, Celeste Nichols Moore, and Joseph Nichols and his wife Elizabeth Louisiana Carney Nichols to William D. Bush (Claiborne County Deed Book R, Pages 219-222. Joseph and Elizabeth were the parents of Celeste.
A November 2, 1844 estate inventory for William D. Bush by estate administrators, his wife, Lucinda Maria Bush (nee Bullock, Brashears, Jacobs, Grace) and Richard Valentine (Claiborne County Probate Court (Labeled Orphan's Court) Book K, Page 397)).
A January 14, 1845 deed of trust transaction from Lucinda Maria Bush (nee Bullock, Brashears, Jacobs, Grace) and John Johnson on the same day Lucinda married Charles C. Jacobs of Missouri. (Yazoo County Deed Book N, Page 342)
A December 29, 1846 1/2 interest purchase by Levi Beard from Lucinda Maria Jacobs (nee Bullock, Brashears, Bush, Grace) (Yazoo County Deed Book O, Page 570)

The 1837 transaction does not note that slaves were included in the transaction or list the names of slaves, but the 1838 sale indicates that slaves were part of the transaction. Research efforts into whether or not the same slaves were transacted is continual.

Slave List

The table below notes the names of the slaves, their approximate age, and whether or not they were mentioned on the 1838 sale (number 2 above) and/or 1844 inventory (number 3 above), 1845 deed of trust (number 4) above, and 1846 1/2 interest sale (number 5 above).

Name of Slave	1838 Sale	1844 Inventory	1845 Deed of Trust	1846 1/2 Interest Sale
Harry, age 41 (born about 1796)	X
Pompey, age 39 (born about 1798)	X
Jacob, age 36 (born about 1801)	X
Jesse, age 16 (born about 1821), value $500, noted with children in 1846	X	X		X
John, age 34 (born about 1803), value $300	X	X	X	X
Nelson, age 22 (born about 1815)	X
Lizzy, age 23 (born about 1814) (could be Eliza from 1844 inventory)	X
Mary, age 20 (born about 1817)	X
Henry, age 25 (born about 1812)	X
Louisa, age 17 (born about 1820)	X
Margaret, age 22 (born about 1815)	X
Child of Margaret (born between 1832-1834) #1 - Caroline, value $150	X	X	X
Child of Margaret (born between 1832-1834) #2 - Susan/Susie, value $125	X	X	X
Matilda, age 27 (born about 1810)	X	X
Amy, age 39 (born about 1798), value $400; noted with multiple children in 1845 and 1846	X	X	X	X
Child of Amy, age 2 (born about 1835)	X		X	X
Hannah, age 44 (born about 1793), value $50	X	X
Clarissa, age 22 (born about 1815)	X
Nancy, age 39 (born about 1798)	X
Ann, age 12 (born about 1825)	X
Infant Child (born between 1836-1837)	X
Ann, age ?	X
Child of Ann, age ?	X
Isam, value $250		X
Alfred, value $200		X
Ben, value $150		X
Charlotte, value $50 - Likely Charlotte Jenkins from USCT Pension File of Louis Carson		X
China, value $300		X
Louise, value $475		X
Martha, value $200		X
Minerva, value $150		X
Fannie, value $75		X
Selina, value $50		X
Eliza, value $450 (could be Lizzy from 1837 sale)		X
Jim, value $150		X
Frances, value $100		X
Bob, value $450		X
Louis, value $200		X
Tod, value $50		X
Charles, value $600		X
Mase, value $350		X
Ishmael, value $500		X
Rachel, value $450		X
Sophy, value $350, noted with children in 1846		X	X	X
Henderson, value $300		X
Ellen, value $450		X
Maria, value $350		X
Suckey, value $50 (four children noted on the 1846 1/2 interest sale)		X	X	X
Luke, value $300		X
Harriet, value $500, noted with children in 1846		X		X
Bill, value $500		X
Sam, value $600		X
May and children, unknown value			X	X
Isham and children, unknown value				X

Additional Documentation

Claiborne County, MS Book R, Pages 219-222, Sale of 540 acre plantation from Robert F. and Celeste Moore and Joseph and Elizabeth Nichols to William Bush on January 8, 1838. Slave names noted above as 1838 Sale. Total number of slaves: 23, value: $23,800 (with corn, fodder, stock of horses, cattle, oxen and farming utensils), land value: $16,200. TOTAL: $40,000 delivered by David Bush. Plantation location was as follows: Caleb Jenkins land (east), Elijah Coleman land (south), Adolph Health land (southwest), John E. Hall land (west by waters called Widow's Creek). See the map above for the approximate current day location.

Combined County Tax Rolls, 1839, Claiborne County, MS, line 77, Bush, Wm. D., 540 acres valued at $2,160, number of taxable slaves: 32. Total number of slaves: 32.

1840 US Census schedule for William D. Bush, Claiborne County, MS. Total number of slaves: 36.

Personal County Tax Rolls, 1844, Claiborne County, MS, line 41, Bush, Wm D., Total number of slaves: 42.

Claiborne County, MS Probate Court, Administrator Bond Book, 1840-1852, Pg 229, October 29, 1844 - Estate of Wm D Bush, Lucinda M. Bush and Richard Valentine made administrators over the estate for the bond of $15,000 by Wm. M. Randolph, probate judge. Ordered to make an inventory of the estate.

Claiborne County, MS Probate Court (Labeled Orphan's Court) Book K, Page 397, November 2, 1844: Inventory of the Estate of William D. Bush. Slave names noted above as 1844 Inventory. Total number of slaves: 38.

Yazoo County Mississippi, Circuit Clerk of Court, Deed Book N, Page 342, January 14, 1845. Charles C. Jacobs (of Missouri) and Lucinda Maria Bush; Bush owns lands in Hinds, Yazoo, and Warren Counties, also in Louisiana [Carroll/East Carroll Parish] and slaves: Sukey and children, Amy and children, John and children [Susan and Caroline], Sophia and children, May and children, total of 40. All estate and slaves sold to John Johnson of Yazoo County, MS in trust for $5; noted as marriage settlement.

Claiborne County, MS, Probate Court, Book D, Page 126, Estate of William D. Bush, May Term 1846. Lucinda M. and CC Jacobs, appointed administrix and administrator of estate.

Yazoo County, MS, Circuit Clerk of Court, Deed Book O, Page 570, Levi Beard to LM Jacobs, transaction date: December 29, 1846, filed February 22, 1847, half interest for the sum of $8,000 in township 9, range 2 west: north half of east half of south east quarter , west half, of southwest quarter, north half of east half of southwest quarter, east half of north east quarter, west half of northeast quarter of section 19; south half of east half of southwest quarter and east half of southeast quarter of section 18; west half of southeast quarter of section 18; slaves at plantation: Sukey and 4 children, Amy and children, Jess and children, John and children [Susan and Caroline], Isham and children, Harriett and children, Sophia and children, May or Mary and children, more than 40 slaves in all; and half moiety of all horses, mules and stock of every description, and farming utensils in Jacobs' possession.

1850 US Slave Schedules for Levi Beard, Carroll Parish, LA.

1860 US Slave Schedule for Levi Beard (listed as Peard), Carroll Parish, LA.

145 Years Later...We're STILL Using Our Political Voice

2015-02-03T12:50:00.001-08:00

Today marks 145 years since the 15th Amendment was ratified. The Atlas family has been demonstrating our political power ever since.

"I am a taxpayer. I want a voice in the government in which I live. I feel that is my constitutional right, and I just feel like it is my responsibility as a citizen to take whatever - if I can share it as a taxpayer and other reasons. I think I should vote." - Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. (pictured left, with his father, Louis Balfour Atlas, Sr.), September 27, 1960, US Civil Rights Commission Hearing, New Orleans, LA

Portion of Louisiana Voters "Citizenship Test"/Literacy Test
Source: Civil Rights Veterans Website

In 1864, they were considered 3/5ths of a person. Six years later, they had the ability to affect change just by marking their selections on a ballot.

Once the 15th Amendment was ratified 145 years ago (February 3, 1870), members of the Atlas family eagerly took advantage of their newfound rights. Our research team has found records where ancestors were registered voters as early as 1874. We also have found rare registers of voters as early as 1880 at the Registrar of Voters office in East Carroll, Louisiana.

1880 Poll Book, East Carroll, Louisiana
Source: East Carroll Registrar of Voters

Participation was by no means easy for the earliest generation. In an early election, the following was alleged:

"...by unlawful and violent conduct and threats, [they] intimidated the colored voters of said parish, and snatched their ballots from their hands as they approached the polls to vote, and forced them to take and vote other ballots than those they had and were going to vote, thereby wrongfully and fraudulently procuring, by force and intimidation, votes in his and your interest; which violent conduct was persisted in throughout said day at said poll, in violation of the freedom of election secured by law."

Letter from E. Fredric Morrow to Rev. Francis J. Atlas, Sr.

Once Jim Crow's wrath ensued, the family went an entire generation without voting despite the fact that family members were land owners, literate, and paid poll taxes. Enter literacy tests, economic disenfranchisement, and more. Eventually, a suit was filed and Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. was chosen to testify in front of the US Civil Rights Commission in 1960. Following his testimony, area merchants attempted to economically disenfranchise him from the area. Eventually, he reached out to the White House for help. 5 years later, President Lyndon Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act which turns 50 this year.

This year, as we celebrate 150 years since slavery was abolished, 145 years since African American men were given the right to vote, 50 years since the Voting Rights Act, we can stand tall knowing that our family has been casting ballots, or attempting to, for at least the last 140 years and more than 7 generations. That's something to hang your hat on smile emoticon

Finding Jesse Atlas

2014-10-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

It was February 2004. Lawrence Atlas, the oldest living descendant of King Atlas, Sr. (b. Bet 1809-1810, d. Bet 1891-1892) and the oldest living alumnus of Tuskegee (Institute) University, had died at the age of 97. Family, friends, and colleagues had gathered to say goodbye to this gentle and kind man. I thought I too had gathered to say goodbye to my grand uncle, but I later learned it was the beginning of a interesting genealogical journey.

Lawrence Atlas, circa 1940s.

In 1999, I had started AtlasFamily.Org and until 2004 or so, I had never really peered deeply into genealogy research. Soon, I was bit by the bug and trying to find out as much as I could about any and everyone who was related to the Atlas family. I was lucky to have a cousin and genealogist in the family, Marilyn E.P. White, who mentors me. In the words of my grandmother, she "had the good sense" to have a photographer and videographer at Uncle Lawrence's funeral services. At the time, it seemed odd, but being a decently seasoned researcher now, I am SO GLAD she did that. More on that later.

Memories of that Day Live On

Marilyn unearthed a treat for me, my mother, and grandmother before we left for the services. In her possession was an old scrapbook that included photos of Uncle Lawrence and his siblings, including my grandmother. These are, to date, the youngest photos I have ever seen of my grandmother, her siblings, and their nieces and nephews. Their childhood home burned in the 1950s and everything was lost, including the family bible. I was able to see Uncle Lawrence as a young man (the picture at left was one of the photos in that album). The photographer cousin Marilyn hired took this three generation photo of my grandmother, mother, and me going through the scrapbook.

Left to right: Grannie, Mom, and Me going through Uncle Lawrence's scrapbook. February 2004.

The services went on without a hitch. Presentations by CA legislators, resolutions, words from attendees. Then, we made our way to Holy Cross Cemetery. While there, a cousin, E.R.Z., took the time to introduce us to another person she believed to be a family member we had never met before.

Reconnecting the Family

This is the only photo taken with Leonard Atlas in it from Lawrence Atlas' funeral
in February 2004. Leonard is standing off center, second from the right.
On just this profile glance, one can see the striking
resemblance he bared to his second cousin Lawrence.

Through nothing short of genealogical serendipity, cousin E.R.Z. had encountered Leonard Atlas while she was at work based solely on his surname. Let's be honest, how many people do you know with the last name Atlas?!? As they talked, they discovered that they had a grandfather with the exact same name, William Atlas, and that their families were from the same town, Lake Providence, East Carroll, LA. E.R.Z. and Leonard kept in contact and later, she invited him to attend Uncle Lawrence's funeral.

Cousin E.R.Z. introduced us to Leonard while we were at the cemetery. At first, everyone was puzzled by the connection and at the time, no one could make heads or tails of it. Years later, I would discover that Leonard was also direct male descendant of King Atlas, Sr.. Leonard descended from King Sr.'s son William Steven Atlas, Sr. and Uncle Lawrence from King Sr.'s son, King Atlas, Jr. Leonard and Uncle Lawrence were SECOND COUSINS!

Lawrence Atlas, circa 1990s.

Defining a History for William Steven Atlas, Jr.

William Steven Atlas, Jr. was born between 1866-1875 in Carroll/East Carroll Parish, LA to Sarah Hewlett and William Steven Atlas, Sr.

William Jr. had a relationship with a woman named Dollie Peyton. To this union, the following child was born:

John Atlas (b. March 10, 1884, d. before 1940)

William Jr. next married Elnora Doan on February 14, 1900 in Madison Parish, LA (1). To this marriage, the following children were born:

Emma Atlas (b. August 1886, d. unknown)
William Steven Atlas, III (b. July 28, 1889, d. April 14, 1963)
Clara Atlas Farmer (b. Bet. 1891-1894, d. July 11, 1923)
Preston Atlas (b. January 20, 1895, d. April 21, 1925)
Elnora Atlas (b. Bet. 1897-1900, d. unknown)
Jesse Atlas (b. Bet. 1897-1902, d. March 16, 1927)

William Jr. then married Eliza Keyes. To this marriage, the following children were born:

Flossie Mae Atlas Lee (b. July 14, 1917, d. March 11, 1990
Rosie Lee Atlas (b. August 1919, d. unknown)
Leonard Atlas (b. April 11, 1922, d. October 15, 2010)
Jesse Atlas (b. May 30, 1925, d. ??????)

Last, William Jr. married Indice Rudolph on March 3, 1937 in Phillips, AR. (2) There were no known children born to this union.

Between 1919 and 1922, William Jr. left the northeast Louisiana area and migrated to Hornor or what is now West Helena, Phillips, Arkansas. He later died there on February 3, 1938 (2). Due to this migration, family members lost contact and thus had to be reunited nearly 1,800 miles away in California.

"Help me find my brother."

1930 US Census - William S. Atlas, Jr. and family including
Leonard Atlas (3)

Following the funeral, I was able to have several conversations with cousin Leonard about what he knew about our family history. One of the things he always told me was that he wanted me to help him find his brother Jesse. At first, I told Leonard that he had died in Chicago in 1927. He was adamant that I was wrong and that he didn't die at just two years of age.

He then relayed to me that he had a brother named Jesse who was younger than him, but was adopted by another family following the death of their mother during Jesse's childbirth. He knew his exact birth date. Aha, this would definitely be the reason why Jesse is not enumerated on the 1930 US Census (3, left) with Leonard and the rest of the family.

Leonard went on to say that Jesse had been adopted by Morris Sisson, the woman who had delivered him, and that he believed he may have taken her surname instead of the Atlas surname. From there, I searched the 1930 US Census for Jesse and found him listed as the adopted son of Morris and her husband, T.L. (4) I searched the SSDI over and over and had no viable leads. US Public Records, nada.

1930 US Census - Morris Sisson and family,
including Jesse Atlas (4)

Unfortunately, by the time the 1940 US Census was released, Leonard had passed away. I didn't forget my promise to him though. I found Jesse still living in Phillips County, AR, only this time, he was going by the surname Atlas and not Sisson.(5) He was 14 years old. This was the last record I found for Jessie.

Let's Take a Trip to Helena!

With no other leads online, the next logical step was to take a gander at microfilm or take a trip to Phillips County, AR to see if I could find anything on Jesse. Luckily, I now lived only two hours drive from there. So, in September 2014, I took a trip to see if I could successfully locate Jesse.

Downtown Helena, AR

Phillips County AR Marriage Index noting the
marriage of William Jr. to Indice Rudolph.

Inside the County Clerk's record room in
Phillips County, AR. There were a ton of books
available, but none that included any new
info on Jesse and his whereabouts.

Our team, even on individual trips, always
carries a set of blank forms to transcribe
information we find. This helps us save
on the cost of copies in the long run.

I started my search at the Phillips County courthouse and came up empty handed when it came to new information. There was nothing on Jesse at all when it came to marriages, deeds/conveyances, court cases...you name it, I asked about it and searched it with both clerks. I imagine that this is an issue with anyone who has family who were not land owners or firmly established in a community. On a positive note, I did see the actual marriage license instead of just an index record for William Jr.'s marriage to his last wife and was able to add that as a source to our database.

As with all other research trips, the next logical step is to head to the county library or a local genealogical or historical society to see if they have any information. The county clerk notified me of a local society and told me that they had done a fair amount of work on African American genealogy in the area. Next, I drove to Marvell, AR to visit the Tri-County Genealogical Society.

Tri-County Genealogical Society Building, Marvell, AR.

Inside the Tri-County Genealogical Society in Marvell, AR.

With the help of one of the members/volunteers named Ms. Carrie, I was able to locate a book of burials in the county entitled Phillips County Cemetery Transcriptions by Carla Robinson. This book held transcriptions of African American burials in the area from various sources but mostly African American funeral home records in the area and canvassing of African American cemeteries. While it contained a notation for William Jr., there was nothing for Jesse. Rats! Regardless, the book is an excellent resource for those researching African American genealogy in Phillips County.

Next, I headed to the county library to see if there was a glimmer of hope there. Again, absolutely nothing.

Coming Up Empty Handed Isn't the End of the Story

While I have to admit it was disappointing not to find anything on Jesse, the trip and my efforts weren't a lost cause.

In this world we live in, we often want things to happen quickly or without delay. I've learned in my years of genealogy that most of the time this doesn't happen. It can take years to get just a single fact or add a single name to a branch of a family tree. The negative part is not in all the time it took, but it's in the very act of NOT making the effort to find the information that lead to discovering that single name. Our team can now stand on the fact that we did make an effort to find Jesse, and while we didn't find him now, eventually we will. Hopefully this post will aid in our efforts.

Phillips County, AR public library.

Sources:

Madison Parish, LA Marriage Books, 1898-1900, Atlas, William to Elnora Doan, February 14, 1900. FHL Film # 311941.
"Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N9M3-1MH : accessed 09 Sep 2014), Will Atlas and India Rudolph, 03 Mar 1937; citing , Phillips, Arkansas, United States; FHL microfilm 1002891.
"Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VJRK-CFX : accessed 16 Sep 2014), William Atlas, 03 Feb 1938; derived from "Arkansas, Death Index, 1914-1950," index and images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); a multigenerational derivative citing Division of Vital Records, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950 (Arkansas: Arkansas Genealogical Society).
"United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XMGM-FM4 : accessed 01 Oct 2014), Leonard Atlas in household of Wm Atlas, Hornor, Phillips, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0013, sheet 3B, family 66, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 87.
"United States Census, 1930," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XMGM-SWQ : accessed 01 Oct 2014), Jesse Sisson in household of T L Sisson, Hornor, Phillips, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 0013, sheet 2A, family 35, NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 87.
"United States Census, 1940," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KQKG-FQZ : accessed 21 Jul 2014), Jessie Atlas in household of Liddel Cottrel, Hornor Township, Phillips, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 54-13, sheet 4A, family 2, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 160.

New CNN Digital Doc and Articles Feature Lake Providence, LA

2013-10-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

CNN released today a new series of pieces featuring Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana. The series addresses the income inequality in the area and notes that it is the county/parish in the United States with the highest gap between the rich and the poor.

Click here to view the video

Here are links to the affiliate pieces (all by John D. Sutter):

Free People of Color in East Carroll Parish

2013-04-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

The title of this posting may sound like a myth to anyone who is familiar with the history of African Americans in the East Carroll Parish area. Looking at statistics prior to the Emancipation Proclamation will prove this point:

1850 United States Federal Census, Carroll Parish, LA - 2,346 inhabitants on the free schedules, 6,443 inhabitants on the slave schedules

1860 United States Federal Census, Carroll Parish, LA - 4,144 inhabitants on the free schedules, 13,973 inhabitants on the slave schedules

It's amazing to consider just how much slaves outnumbered the free in this one parish in the state of Louisiana. On the other hand, it begs one to question whether or not there were any free African Americans living there before slavery ended.

On the 1850 US Census, there are 10 free people of color (listed as "Black" or "Mulatto") living in Carroll Parish. They are listed below, in family groups:

Clarissa Clark, living in the home of Nathanial Dady, a planter
Mary Murry/Murray, William Murry/Murray, Katherine Murry/Murray
Sally Wiley, Franklin Wiley, Minerva Wiley, Wiley Wiley, Mary Wiley, Bishop Wiley

On the 1860 US Census, there are 20 free people of color (listed as "Black" or "Mulatto") living in Carroll Parish. They are listed below, in family groups:

Calm (Last name not listed)
Gracy Drew, in the home of Savery Larch/Larche
Artilicia Grave
Swann Vinson, in the home of Daniel Vinson
Sally Wiley/Wily, Minerva Wiley/Wily, Mary Wiley/Wily, Bishop Wiley/Wily, Katy Wiley/Wily, Frank Wiley/Wily, Harry Shelton and Martha Hall
Mirando/Miranda Caddo, a servant to hotel keeper Jonathan Merritt
Cora Houston, Margaret Houston, Stokely Houston, Thomas Houston, John Houston, William Houston
Zilphy Smith

These lists, by no means, are all inclusive.

We're sure anyone researching this area would wonder where these families ended up. Did they stay in the area, despite the tense racial culture or did they go elsewhere? Are the descendants of these people even aware that their families were emancipated before slavery ended? There are many questions left to be answered.

Rev. Francis Joseph Atlas, Sr. and Frank Nervis, Sr. to be Honored on May 4

2013-04-08T15:46:00.000-07:00

Rev. John H. Scott
Photo credit: John H. Scott Memorial Fund

We are excited to learn of an upcoming event in Tallulah, LA which will be commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the release of Witness to the Truth: My Struggle for Human Rights in Louisiana by John H. Scott and Cleo Scott Brown.

If you have never heard of this book, and you do genealogy research in East Carroll Parish, head straight over to the AtlasFamily.Org aStore to order a copy. While A Place to Remember (1977) by Georgia Payne Durham Pinkston gives an awesome account of the history of Carroll/East Carroll Parish, we believe Witness is the ONLY book that details the history of African Americans in the parish at length.

On May 4, 2013, the John H. Scott Memorial fund will be celebrating the 10 year milestone by honoring members of a group of 26 who in 1962 were the first African Americans to register vote in the parish since 1878. (For a list of registered voters in East Carroll in 1878, click here)

The group of 26 people were:

Eric Armstrong, Francis Joseph Atlas, C. W. Baggett, Benjamin F. Blockwood, Rose P. Blockwood, James Brown, John H. Bunn, Charles Carson, Bragg Clay, Mary E. Cole, Freddie Green Sr., Lehman H. Griffin Jr., James L. Hadden, Gardenia Johnson, Mary E. Johnson, Percy Knighton, Adam Millikin Jr., Walter Henry Nash, Frank Nervis Sr., Alease J. Scott, Alfred Shoemaker, Henry O. Simmons, Laura Thompson, Fred Threats Jr., Nathan Weaver, and John H. Scott.

The last surviving member of the group is Adam Millikin, Jr.
Join the Rev. John H. Scott Memorial Fund and members of the Scott Family from throughout the country for the 10th Anniversary of the publication of Witness to the Truth. Participate in and enjoy a panel discussion, a presentation on North East Louisiana history, a fellowship and conversation with the author, Cleo Scott-Brown.

Saturday, May 4, 2013 at 1pm
Tallulah/Madison Community Center
800 North Beech Street, Tallulah, LA 71282

There is no cost to attend this event.
This reception is sponsored by the John H. Scott Memorial Fund
and will follow this year's annual scholarship program.

East Carroll Parish African American Deaths - Banner Democrat - 1897

2013-02-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

The following African American deaths were reported in various issues of the East Carroll Banner Democrat during the year 1897:

The Banner-Democrat, January 16, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-01-16/ed-1/seq-3/

Aunt Julia Parks, colored, wife of Henry Parks, died on Tuesday [January 12, 1897] and was followed to her last resting place by a large cortege on Wednesday [January 13, 1897]. She was one of the old house servants of the late Gen. Ed. Sparrow [General Edward Sparrow] before the war, and was implicitly trusted by the family. The gold old time colored people are fast passing away with many regrets. Uncle Henry has the sympathy of his white friends in bereavement.

The Banner-Democrat, April 24, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-04-24/ed-1/seq-3/

Chess Cary, a colored man, raised in our town, died at the hospital in Vicksburg [Mississippi] last week.

The Banner-Democrat, May 17, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-05-15/ed-1/seq-3/

Last Saturday morning Mr. John Plttman shot and killed a negro by the name of George Boyd on the public road, on the Wilton front. It seems that the negro owed Mr. Plttman a supply account and was attempting to move off of Wilton down to Stein's without settling up before leaving. Mr. Pittman wrote Mr. Stein a note in reference to the matter and told him that if the negro would pay one half of his indebtedness he would relinquish him. To this he received no reply. The night before the killing, Boyd carried off a large portion of his effects in one of Mr. Stein's wagons through the back part of the plantation and next morning was returning for the balance, coming up the public road along the levee front, when he was met by Mr. Pittman. A short conversation took place between them, duriug which Mr. Pittman told Boyd that he did not intend to shoot him, but that he could not go on until he was paid. The negro replied that by G--d he was in the state read and nobody could stop him. Mr.Pittman caught the bridle of one of the front mules, and as he did so, Boyd raised his Winchester to fire; but before he could do so Mr. Pittman cocked his rifle and shot him in an instant, the ball entering near the thigh and coming out near the spine. He died in a few minutes. The only reason Mr. Pittman was not shot was due to the fact that the negro's gun was rusty and would not work rapidly. Although done in self defense, the affair is regretted very much by Mr. Pittman, who had no idea of his trouble with the darkey terminating so fatally.

The Banner-Democrat, May 29, 1897, Image 3http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-05-29/ed-1/seq-3/

Tom Wade, [Thomas Wade] a colored man who lived in town a few months ago, and who never recovered from the beating he received, died in the country on Saturday last. [May 22, 1897]

The Banner-Democrat, June 5, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-06-05/ed-1/seq-3/

Craps-seven or eleven, all for the amount of 5cts, has claimed another victim, and Willie Hall, a young colored boy, an innocent party, was to the unfortunate one.

There is a crap game run on the sly in town, and on Saturday night a week ago [May 29, 1897] it was in full blast, when a dispute arose between Jake Wright and Mat Douglass over a nickle. Wright slipped outside and secured half a brick and returning to the door let it fly, and instead of striking the person intended, Willie Hall received the terrible blow on his jaw bone. It knocked him down, but in few moments he recovered and after a little while went to his home, which is in the swamp. On Saturday last Doctor Bernard was called to see him and found him suffering with lock jaw and a very high fever. The Doctor had hardly returned to town before .he received word that he was dead. Wright was immediately placed in jail.

Everything possible should be done to break up this low vice of gambling and the persons running the games severely punished. But in the past it has been shown to be an impossibility to make a conviction-even white people being known to perjure themselves on the witness stand to save the guilty parties from a heavy find or the penitentiary. Let the next grand jury probe the matter thoroughly.

The Banner-Democrat, June 26, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-06-26/ed-1/seq-3/

Emanuel Baker after an illness of several weeks, passed away on Sunday night [June 20, 1897] and was laid to rest Monday evening. [June 21, 1897] Emanuel was one of our respected colored men, who was well thought of and trusted by the white people and who will be missed very much. He was a good man, and before the war was one of the trusted and confidential servants of the family of the late Gen. Sparrow [General Edward Sparrow]. Peace to the soul.

The Banner-Democrat, December 4, 1897, Image 3
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1897-12-04/ed-1/seq-3/

Aunt Louisa Burton, another one of our gold old colored people has passed over to the unknown beyond. The old lady was highly respected by the white people of our town and there were many regrets at her demise. Her funeral was largely attended on Saturday morning last. [November 27, 1897]

New East Carroll Parish Resources Section Launched at AtlasFamily.Org

2012-11-01T15:31:00.002-07:00

It's been a LONG time since we've blogged, but we had to make sure we announced that there is a new section of AtlasFamily.Org dedicated to those who are interested in researching their family in East Carroll Parish, LA. This information has been gathered over the last seven years by our research team as we've spent thousands of hours going through records online, at the parish courthouse, on microfilm, at the state archives, at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, UT and more. We're pretty sure that there is not another place online that you can go that will give you the amount of information we're giving you regarding what's available on your East Carroll ancestors.

Here's a listing of the pages that we've added to the site:

East Carroll Parish Basics and Maps - Info on the population there now, parish formation, maps, including links to maps of plantations there prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.
Genealogy Research in East Carroll Parish - Info on the number of documents and repositories that we've found online and offline for the parish.
East Carroll Parish Cemetery and Burial Records - Info on cemeteries, burial practices, grave marker lists, and virtual cemetery records. We recently added more than 100 pages worth of burial/gravemarker information for the parish.
Slavery and Reconstruction - Researching your enslaved ancestors or looking to hop over the brick wall? A list a resources and what's available.
Books and Blogs - Books and blogs we've located that focus on the parish.
Websites and Media - Websites for the city, police jury, media coverage, and more.

We will continue to update and add more as we get more information.

Researching in Caddo Parish, LA

2012-06-04T21:12:00.001-07:00

After a few days with family in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, the 2012 Research Trip began with research in Caddo Parish, LA. Our hope was to find information about William Steven Atlas, III and his family. This was our first visit to the Caddo Parish Courthouse and Clerk of Court and boy, was it high tech. Most of our research at courthouses before this point had us looking through actual indexes and deed books but the Caddo Parish Clerk has most of it records are digitized.

After a couple hours of searching, we came up with no new information on the William Steven Atlas, III line but did get some new information on Wesley Marshall, the adopted son of King Atlas, Jr. and son of Clora Evans Atlas.

Next, we headed to the Shreve Memorial Library. The Broadmoor branch of the library has a genealogy section which has been certified as a FamilySearch, Inc. Research Center. This time, we found some information in City Directories and were able to verify addresses for William Atlas, III in 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1942.

Our night was wrapped up with great times with family and good eating at Cotton's Fried Chicken in Minden, LA

All Freedom Ain’t Free | Slavery by Another Name

2012-03-06T16:54:00.001-08:00

This week, I’ve been catching up on all the programs that I recorded this past Black History Month. One of the programs was a documentary called Slavery by Another Name which aired on PBS. This documentary was based off of a PulitzerPrize winning book by Douglas Blackmon in which he details how slavery continued in the southern United States following the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13^th Amendment all the way up until World War II through prison labor. Click here to watch the documentary online.

The 13^th Amendment was the amendment that freed the enslaved in the United States, but if one reads closely, it didn’t abolish utilizing prisoners as slave labor.

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

The 13th Amendment
The Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Series 3. General Correspondence. 1837-1897. Congress, Wednesday, February 01, 1865 (Joint Resolution Submitting 13th Amendment to the States; signed by Abraham Lincoln and Congress). Accessed via http://memory.loc.gov/mss/mal/mal3/436/4361100/001.jpg

African Americans across the south were arrested for petty or nonexistent crimes just so they could be hired out through the county or the state to business owners who made ridiculous profits. This was often done during times of harvest so business owners could be ensured they’d have enough labor to tend to their crops.

"Convict Leasing - Initially, to save money on prison construction and later to actually generate revenue, Southern states and counties began leasing “convicts” to commercial enterprises. Within a few years states realized they could lease out their convicts to local planters or industrialists who would pay minimal rates for the workers and be responsible for their housing and feeding, thereby eliminating costs and increasing revenue. Soon, markets for convict laborers developed, with entrepreneurs buying and selling convict labor leases. From county courthouses and jails, men were leased to local plantations, lumber camps, factories and railroads. The convict lease system became highly profitable for the states."

Information obtained from http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/media/cms_page_media/128/Slavery%20by%20Another%20Name%20History%20Background_Final.pdf, page 2

I started thinking about the last time we went through criminal records while at the East Carroll Parish Courthouse in 2010. I remembered seeing arrests for some of our ancestors which made me think “Maybe they were just a troublemaker?” After watching the documentary, I figured I should revisit some of the information we found to see if it was possible for our ancestors to have experienced Slavery by Another Name.

Henry Atlas, son of William Steven Atlas, Sr., is noted more than once in The Banner Democrat newspaper and at least once on a US Census for being in jail or being arrested.

The Banner Democrat, October 28, 1893, Page 3
“The following cases have been disposed of by his honor Judge Montgomery at the present term of court: State of Louisiana vs. Henry Moore and Henry Atlas. Larceny; plead guilty and sentenced to the penitentiary for twelve months.”

Information from http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1893-10-28/ed-1/seq-3/

The Banner Democrat, November 2, 1895, Page 3
“The following cases have been disposed of by his honor Judge Montgomery at the present term of court: State vs Henry Atlass, carrying concealed weapons. Twenty days in jail."

Information from http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1895-11-02/ed-1/seq-3/

It’s very likely that Henry served his entire 12 month term, meaning that he got out of jail in October 1894. This means that he was out of jail about a year before going back on another charge.

One of the crimes listed for others in the November 2, 1895 paper include shooting craps which carried a fine $5.00 and court costs or a jail term of 15 days. In 1895, $5 is equivalent to $129.27 in the year 2010.

The Banner Democrat, June 25, 1898, Page 3
“The following cases have been disposed of by his honor Judge Montgomery at the present term of court: State vs Henry Atlass, carrying concealed weapons. Plead guilty and fined $10 and costs or 30 days in jail."

Information from http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88064237/1898-06-25/ed-1/seq-3/

Following his 20 day stint in late 1895, Henry appears to have averted jail for a period of a 18 months until he’s again convicted of carrying concealed weapons. This sentence carried a higher fine, which is approximately $258.54 in 2010. It would have been extremely difficult to pay the equivalent of $200 in fines back then. It would have just made more sense to serve the time instead or be forced to work the payment for the fine off if it was paid by a businessman, which was also risky.

"In many cases, defendants were found guilty of real or fabricated crimes and were fined for both the crime and additional court fees. When the men were unable to pay, a local businessman would step forward to pay the fines. The convict would then sign a contract agreeing to work for him without pay until the debt was paid off.

A second method involved a defendant who, when faced with the likelihood of a conviction and the threat of being sent to a far-off work camp, would “confess judgment,” essentially claiming responsibility before any trial occurred. A local businessman would step forward to act as “surety,” vouching for the future good behavior of the defendant, and forfeiting a bond that would pay for the crime. The judge would accept the bond, without ever rendering a verdict on the crime. The defendant would then sign a contract agreeing to work without pay until the surety bond was paid off."

Information obtained from http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/media/cms_page_media/128/Slavery%20by%20Another%20Name%20History%20Background_Final.pdf, page 3

1900 US Census, District 40, Ward 3, East Carroll Parish, LA, Line 13
Henry Atlas, prisoner, born May 1877, age 23, single, born in Louisiana, both parents born in Louisiana, retained for larceny, able to read and write.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Ward 3, East Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: 564; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 40; FHL microfilm: 1240564.

By the time Henry was 23 years old, he had been in jail at least 4 times. It’s possible that he did commit the crimes to be put there, but it’s also highly possible that he did not. Jim Crow was alive and well in Northeastern Louisiana and Henry’s imprisonment could have been one of those that fueled the cheap labor economy in the area. In fact, if you visit places in the southern US today you will still see prisoners as contracted labor.

Documenting stories like Henry’s are important. Why? Because even I, as a researcher, made an assumption about why an ancestor like Henry was in trouble and truth be told, I was probably wrong considering what was going on at the time. Every person in a family is valuable enough to be documented, even those that are considered bad seeds. If we don’t document them, we’re cutting off a branch of our tree and not being truthful about the family histories that we have been called to document. We might pass judgment now, but how do we know a future family historian won’t come along and stumble upon information that could clear the name of our bad seeds? Something to think about.

Days 9 and 10 | 24 Hours in Paris

2012-01-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

We were faced with quite a dilemma as Day 9 began. There had been miscommunication with the airlines regarding our group airline reservations. When initial travel arrangements were made, the summer schedule was in use and the time of our flight back to Paris was 11:59pm. We were now operating using the winter schedule which made the flight 12:04am the next day. This meant that there would be nearly 24 hours between our flight from Yaounde to Paris and our flight from Paris to Washington Dulles. I was excited. It meant that I’d get to spend almost a day in Paris, which is has been something that I always wanted to do. It was two trips in one.

Me and Regina took a stroll along Seme Beach before we left. This beach was adjacent to our hotel and had lush brown sand that was so self contained that it barely got on your shoes. This is a huge deviation from beach experiences I’ve had in the U.S. where you almost pack up all the sand on the beach with you as you leave.

There were many rocks and footprints strewn upon the sand as we headed to where the Seme River deposited into the Atlantic Ocean. The calmness of the area reminded me about my previous experience sitting on the shores of Bimbia. The water from the river was cold when compared to that of the Atlantic. It was almost as though the river was reflecting the sentiment of having to send it’s children (the enslaved) into that ocean.

Leaving Limbe became known as “the amazing race.” We were scheduled to travel through Douala which included a stop for lunch. On the way there, one of the buses broke down and all of it’s riders had to be distributed onto the other buses. As is customary in Cameroonian culture, we went to the house of a prince after we entered Douala to get our blessing to enter the area. There, a short libation ceremony was performed. When combined with the stop for sandwiches, this made the journey back to Yaounde rushed. It was a mad dash inside the hotel after we got to Yaounde.

Many in the group had taken smaller bags to Limbe and needed to repack in order to meet security requirements. There were bags strewn everywhere as everyone repacked and changed into clothes appropriate for the Parisian weather. Some had bought fabric and had clothing sewn and needed to facilitate fittings and pick up. The conference space we were located in looked like a wild market place.

During our closing program, we were given amazing paintings from local artists as gifts. Additionally, we were given ARP/Cameroonian flip flops, a towel, and t-shirt from CAC International. It was then time to head to the airport.

Following our flight from Yaounde to Paris, the delegation successfully navigated Charles de Gaulle Airport and dropped off our things at the hotel. A group of us took the Metro and headed into Paris proper to view the Effiel Tower and Notre Dame Church. The weather was extremely cold and a much of a deviation from what we had experienced in Africa the days prior. We enjoyed hot chocolate and meringues from a local cafe as we walked.

Me, at Seme Beach.

The trip had come to an end. ARP 2 was much different than ARP 1, but in good ways. My favorite portions of the trip were the land title ceremony, the trip to the North, especially our visit with the Lamidat, the late night dinner with music from The Richard Band, and our many laughs on the bus that we affectionately nicknamed “The Laugh Factory.”

I’m left with many questions though. Would there be an ARP 3, and would the ARK Jammers coordinate it? Is ARP 3 going to be geared toward another African nation? What will happen to Bimbia in the interim? I imagine that only time will answer these things.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Delegation members from the Tikar people with
Dr. Rick Kittles of African Ancestry (center)

Day 8 | A World Apart - Returning to Bimbia

2012-01-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

Day 8 signaled a return to the slave port Bimbia, which is near Limbe, formerly known as Victoria. I knew returning to the site would be an emotional experience, but I was unprepared for what we saw once we actually got there.

The ARP 2 visit to Bimbia included a slave trade re-enactment and purification ceremony. During the re-enactment, local dignitaries noted key areas of the port and the fact that an anthropological survey has concluded that dried bananas were used to feed the enslaved that were housed there before their transportation to other countries in Africa, South America, or the United States. Additionally, they said that they’d identified figures that state that as many as 30,000 people moved through Bimbia and were held in 7 different camps there. Avline Ava, president of ARK Jammers, gave an emotional speech about her emotions regarding what had taken place at the site.

I took time away from the re-enactment to go and sit by the the ocean. It was something that I wanted to do while at the site during the ARP 1. A couple of the other people from the delegation did the same. Amongst the silence and peacefulness around us, we talked about the feelings the port conjured up for each of us. It made me think about how the beautiful had been turned into the ugly. If you saw this beautiful site 400 years ago, you’d be almost sure you’d never see your family again. Here I am sitting at this site, and I can enjoy it and leave freely.

The purification ceremony began the day prior and included water from a creek that runs through the site. Local chiefs blessed the water and poured it on the hands of each member of the delegation. The purpose of the ceremony was to connect us to the ancestors so that we, ourselves, could be free from bondage.

It was very obvious. Bimbia had changed. There were wood chips and sawdust everywhere. Burned tree stumps abounded. It was brighter in presentation. I’m unsure whether I like that. I saw the seeds of development in the area, which was good, but it had me concerned. The previous state that the site was in was more evocative, in my opinion. The tunnel that the trees formed as you walked towards the Atlantic Ocean was gone and now open air was around you as you looked out towards it.

Following the visit to Bimbia, the delegation headed to eat with the local dignitaries in Limbe. The scene was reminiscent of the ARP 1, only it took place later in the program.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Day 7 | The Land Give

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

The day had finally come. It was more than a year in the making. Out of delegation of 87 participating in the ARP 2, there were more than 20 who were making a return trip, in part, to receive titles for 1/4 of an acre that was given during ARP 1.

The land, which is 5 acres and located in Kribi, was gifted to us by Nathan Simb, a business owner. Simb had saw coverage about ARP 1 on Cameroonian television and was moved to give the land, free of charge and expectation, to all ARP 1 participants, regardless of a DNA tie to Cameroon. The land ceremony was the first time that most of the ARP 1 participants were able to see their land. Founded in 1889, Kribi is located near the Gulf of Guinea which runs into the Atlantic Ocean. The original name of Kribi was Kiki Ribby which means little people.

The land ceremony was extremely touching. The minister who presided read Psalm 130 which detailed the Israelites journey. Choirs sang Cameroonian and negro spirituals, which included “We Are No Longer Afraid.” The mayor of Kribi II, Sabikanda Guy Emmanuel, and Eric Chinje of ARK Jammers also shared kind words about the land gift and ceremony. The people of Kribi were happy about the land gift and shared cheers, smiles, and hollers as Mayor Emmanuel and Eric spoke.

Next, each of us were called up one by one to receive our titles, by hand, from a notary public. We were also partnered with a host family from the area who would take us on a tour of our individual plots. I couldn’t believe the size of it. I could easily build three buildings at the site and have more than enough space for a front and backyard.

I had carried rocks from the land that my great grandfather, Louis Balfour Atlas, Sr., owned in Lake Providence, LA with me to Cameroon. As I walked my land, I placed those rocks in the soil. I wanted a piece of our family to return, and by placing the rocks, I felt like I did that. My great grandfather was one of the first land owners in our family and I am possibly among the first land owners in our family in Africa. He had only a sixth or seventh grade education. I am a college graduate. He wasn't able to vote, but paid poll taxes. I am active voter and voted in the first African American president. In four generations, we made significant strides. In seven generations, we returned back to our country of origin. Now, 10 generations descend from our progenitor who was taken from Cameroon.

Mr. Simb then invited everyone to his home for a excellent dinner. I had been waiting the whole trip to have shrimp since the country’s name means shrimp. I was not disappointed and took more than my share. *Laughs*

The dancers during the dinner were fantastic. One of the things we’ve seen for the first time during this ARP is a Cameroonian bottle dance where dancers balance bottles of beer on their heads. The first time we saw the dance was the previous night during the concert. We’d never seen a person balance four bottles on their head at one time. Dancers at the dinner did a similar routine.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Day 6 | The Spirit and a Musical Healing

2012-01-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

By this time during the ARP I, I was exhausted. The heat combined with mental and physical fatigue had begun to take their toll. This caused me to miss a church service at Pariosse EPC Djoungolo Berceau Prostestantine dans le Region de Yaounde. Members of the delegation who attended the ARP I service came back with wonderful words about it. I made sure that I didn't miss the service this year, and I'm so glad that I didn't.

EPC Djoungolo is a warm, welcoming congregation which features four choirs and at least one set of dancers. In addition to a rousing sermon on Psalm 30, one of the most significant parts of the service was when one of the choirs sang the U.S. National Anthem. Many were moved to tears and by the end of the service, nearly everyone agreed that it was a powerful and life changing.

Following lunch near our hotel, we were given some downtime. This was proceeded by the CamAm Healing Concert. Musical artists included local dancers, Regina Riberio, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jay Lou Ava, Noel Ekwabi, and South African jazz legend, Hugh Masekela. The concert during ARP I was excellent, but this concert has topped the list and probably won't be duplicated. Every single aspect of the concert was well planned and executed and all the performers were top tier. I found myself wanting to know the names of the songs performed so I could download them.

Like last year, our delegation was invited on stage towards the end of the show. One of the event sponsors gave us gift baskets with lotions from their company. We were all excited to receive them, but due to their weight and the amount of them, the cellophane wrap around them began to burst open. Timing exactly when a person's bag was going to burst open became a running joke in our group. It's going to be a beast to try to get them back home.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Denise Rolark Barnes and Dr. Lisa (Asili) Aubrey

Hugh Masekela

Regina Ribiero

Avline Ava and Sheryl Lee Ralph

Day 5 | Bonne Anne from Cameroon

2012-01-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

Day 5 began with a conference featuring experts on various topics, from linguistic patterns, to infrastructure to DNA. The program was as follows:

F. Bingono Bingono, Linguist - "Some Cultural Aspects: Traditional Communication (The Talking Drum)"
Jerome Minlend, CEO of CAC International - "How to Create a Business in Cameroon"
Jean-Emmaneul Pondi, Professor - "A Brief Historical, Political, and Geographical Presentation of Cameroon"
Rick Kittles, PhD, Co-Founder, African Ancestry, Inc - "The DNA Structure"
Dominic Ntube, PhD, Professor - "Synergy Between The Cameroon Diaspora in America and the Nation Builders in Cameroon: Wealth Creation"
Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, PhD - "Slave Trade in Cameroon"

Dr. Lisa (Asili) Aubrey, right

Highlights of the conference included:

Cameroon was never technically a colony.
Most Cameroonians speak two to three languages
Cameroon is 50% of Africa's GDP
Africans have more genetic diversity than any other group but yet have fewer letters to available to identify mtDNA and Y chromosomal haplogroups
15%, or 1 and 5, of the test results that African Ancestry gives have a result of Cameroon

Following the conference, the group headed over for lunch at U.S. Ambassador Robert Jackson's house including the ambassador and his staff. Since our last visit, a number of art pieces have been added to the home as part of an art exchange program created for U.S. Embassy's by President John F. Kennedy.

The evening was then capped off with a television taping for Cameroon TV (CTV) which featured members of the delegation and music. Noel Ekwabi and Jay Lou Ava were a couple of the performers. The group also made a stop at Noah Country Club for a late dinner to truly end the evening. The club is owned by Zacherie Noah, famed Cameroonian soccer star. Mr. Noah is the father of famed tennis star Yannick Noah and the grandfather of NBA player Joakim Noah. Although Yannick and Joakim were unable to join us, they sent warm text messages which were shared with the group.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Kevin Corley and Omaurou Chinmoun

F. Bingono Bingono, linguist

Barbara Jackson and US Ambassador Robert Jackson

Day 4 | Le Nord es Gorges

2011-12-30T19:20:00.001-08:00

Amazing natural beauty. Those three words accurately sum up Day 4’s events in the Northern Province and later Cameroon’s capital.

One of the most apparent differences between ARP I and ARP 2 is the fact that land travel has taken place far less frequently. The delegation traveled more than 800 miles by land at the end of ARP I while land travel did not start until Day 4 of ARP 2.

Following breakfast, the group headed to Gorges de Kola, an internationally known canyon. The rocky terrain by itself is a sight to behold, but once you learn that water covers the entire area during certain times of the year, it’s even more extraordinary. The site is a mile wide and is 60 feet deep in places. Members of the delegation wore their bravery hats and climbed down inside the gorge. I wanted to head down there myself, but I chose not to due to my camera equipment and well, I was sort of scared. LOL

Our next stop was to visit the Lamidat of the Gorges de Kola area. Unfortunately, our leaders had to apologize to the Lamidat because we couldn’t participate in the event that he had planned for us. Additionally, we arrived at prayer time. This was problematic considering that the area is heavily Muslim and stops whatever they are doing to pray.

After we made the stop at Lamidat’s, we had a formal lunch at the Tourist Hotel in Garoua. As we left, we were greeted by traditional dancers from the local area. We then headed for shopping at a local market. This was a big draw for attendees since we haven’t had an opportunity to go shopping during this trip. Many of the women bought distinctive feather fans. They reminded me of what the Mardi Gras Indians costumes look like in New Orleans.

Next, we took an hour flight back to Yaounde. It was nearly 11pm when we arrived, but we hadn’t had dinner yet. Our hosts took us to a wonderful restaurant where the Richard Band Eotele played music during our meal. I could not stop dancing. I was not the only one who felt this way. Their sound was so crisp. We were joined by South African Jazz Legend Hugh Masekela, who tore up the dance floor himself. We didn’t make it back to the Hilton Yaounde until after 2am, but it was so worth it. As tired as I was, I had a ball.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Safiya and Crystal with one of the fans purchased in
Garoua.

Hugh Masekela, far left, and Sheryl Lee Ralph (middle)

Day 3 | Lord, Ring That Chimin' Bell

2011-12-29T23:43:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of the ARP II started in song. Ysaye Barnwell of the Grammy award winning group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, lead the group in singing spirituals to commemorate our trip back to our ancestral homeland. There were lots of laughs around the circle when Ysaye broke us into sections. The warm up exercises had people, including me, challenged. 1...2...3...*clap*...5...6...and then singing the numbers in a particular key. We learned two songs, "We Are Almost Home" and "Sing to the Power of the Lord Come Down." We were also visited by a expert on local history who gave us information on the culture and people of the north along with information about slave trade there.

Next, we headed to visit the governor of the area. Members of the delegation gave him gifts, such as books and posters. The governor gave Ysaye some bound cotton as a gift.

From there, we headed to see La Mido, who is a cultural and political leader in the North. This visit reminded me a lot of our visit last year with the Sultan. Our visit started with introductions which then went into a surprise wedding between two members of our delegation, the McNairs, who are celebrating 30 years of marriage with this trip. La Mido and members of his tribe commemorated the vow renewal with a traditional ceremony, which included traditional food (sticky treats).

After a short visit to a museum of artifacts, there was a festival of sorts, a fantasia, which included dancers from 11 different tribes, horsemen (from the Sultan's area), and a comedian. Eric Chinje served as the MC for the event. It was extremely emotional for members of the delegation as they moved amongst the crowds of dancers to meet people from their native tribes. It reminded me of how I felt last year when we visited the two Bamileke chiefdoms.

Dr. Ysaye Barnwell teaches the delegation a song.

I wasn't sure what a fantasia was before the trip started. What I didn't know was that I had seen one last year when we visited the Sultan. A fantasia involves skilled horsemen who salute the a fon (chief) with their horse riding skills and raising of swords. It's like a dance and conversation all at the same time. Towards the end of our visit, we were able to ride the horses, who are said to be the best in the region. Eric made an announcement about our group being in the country to reconnect with our roots. The event was then closed out with our group singing "We Are Home" instead of "We Are Almost Home." The audience erupted with applause.

After a trip back to the hotel, we headed for a dinner and for a impromptu wedding reception for two couples celebrating their anniversary.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

Stefan Lockridge

Crystal meets members of the Massa/Hausa for the first time.

Day 2 | Prime Times and the Whole 9

2011-12-29T04:12:00.000-08:00

L to R, Callie Riser, Brigitte Tapp, Regina Jackson,
Wanda Lockridge, and Thomas Ava

Day 2 of the ARP II program began with a visit to His Excellency Prime Minister Philemon Yang. Members of the delegation shared where they were from, which tribes they were part of, and their excitement to meet him. Attendees also brought him gifts such as spices, items from their home towns, and books. H.E. Yang blessed the group with a bag which included a Cameroonian atlas and Cameroonian coffee.

H.E. Yang was joined by the Cameroonian Ministers of Communication, Health, and Tourism. A member of our delegation who works for a major HMO was able to ask the Minister of Health some questions. One of the things that the Minister told us was that HIV and malaria are the countries two biggest health issues. Infant and maternal mortality are also high, as 1 in 4 mothers dies during or following childbirth. One of the ways that the country is trying to combat the issue of malaria is by providing medication for all children ages 1 to 5. They also have distributed more than 8 million mosquito nets.

Sen. Vincent Hughes (PA), husband of Sheryl Lee Ralph, spoke about his desire to continue the connection between Cameroon and the United States. Oakland, CA Vice Mayor Desley Brooks also spoke about her elation about being part of the trip.

Following our visit with H.E. Yang, we boarded a Camair Co. flight to Garoua, which is in Northern Cameroon. This brought us to a new hotel location. Many of us began to watch the Cameroonian version of American Idol which included lots of different performers. My personal favorite was a man in red pants with red velvet leather shoes who had killer dance moves. LOL

After checking into our rooms, we headed to dinner which included a new group favorite, Schweppes Ginger drinks. It’s closer to ginger beer than ginger ale. Our dining experience also included a Soul Train line around the food buffet. We sat around talking for a while afterwards sharing our “how I met my spouse” stories.

The sound of crickets was resounding, almost a symphony to a person’s ears. It made it feel like we were camping although we were indoors. We were surprised very late in the evening by a power outage at our hotel. Luckily, it only lasted about 20 minutes.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

H.E. Philemon Yang, Prime Minister of Cameroon

Omaurou Chinmoun, First Secretary, Cameroonian
Embassy in the United States

PA State Senator Vincent Hughes

Avline Ava, president of ARK Jammers, Inc.

Day 1 | Reconnection Ain’t Dead...It Lives in Cameroon

2011-12-27T23:52:00.000-08:00

Deborah Boddie, Esq. and Gina Paige

Fons from the Washington Metro area with
H.E. Foe Atangana (middle)

Monday, December 26 signaled the beginning of the next installment of the Ancestry Reconnection Program hosted by ARK Jammers, Inc. This program is the second one of it’s kind where a group from the African Diaspora has been invited back their country of origin, Cameroon, based solely upon their DNA. I participated in the first installment which took place from December 26, 2010 to January 5, 2011. Last year’s trip had 50 attendees while this year’s trip has nearly 90.

Me and Regina Jackson, a friend, fellow CamAmerican, and Bay Area native, were greeted with hugs and smiles from familiar faces and handshakes and greetings from lots of new ones as we arrived at Washington Dulles Airport. 20 of the 50 from last year’s trip will be returning. African Ancestry.Com’s co-founders Gina Paige and Rick Kittles, and United States Cameroon Embassy First Secretary, Omaurou Chinamoun, are also in attendance.

As the group headed to the security checkpoint, we were received by the Cameroonian Ambassador to the U.S., His Excellency, Joseph Foe Atangana, and chiefs (fons) that reside in the Washington metro area. They each gave the group their blessings for our journey and wished us well. The fons poured libations and also used a traditional broom to perform the ceremony.

Me and Regina had already logged four and a half hours of air travel in order to join the group at Washington Dulles. We then added an additional six hours of time as we traveled from Dulles to Paris (CDG). Despite a snafu with regard to boarding passes and luggage, our group of more than 80 successfully boarded our flight from Paris (CDG) and flew another six and a half hours to reach our final destination, Yaounde (NSI). In all, me and Regina logged more than 18 hours of air travel in the space of a day.

The minute we exited the plane we were met with hugs from members of the ARK Jammers and local media including photographer Claude Badaha, and Randy Joe Sa’ah of BBC News Africa. Each of us also shook hands with Paul McDermott, from the United States Citizen Services, Consular Section of the United States Embassy in Yaounde. Actress and philanthropist Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Sen. Vincent Hughes, were added to our delegation.

Fons local to Yaounde met us as we exited the airport. ARK Jammer, Eric Chinje, served as an interpreter during their blessing ceremony in which we were given a Cameroonian fruit to eat. This gesture takes place between Cameroonians and their visitors and is seen as a sign of good will. I have to admit that the fruit wasn’t what I expected, but I ate half of it. Oakland, CA Vice Mayor, Desley Brooks, served as the delegation’s representative and spoke on behalf of the group.

We were then lead outside to the sound of drummers and dancers. As a band played, I noticed that one of the saxophonists had on a shirt that said “Hip Hop ain’t dead...it lives in the west. Los Angeles.” I immediately smiled since I was showing my California roots by wearing Converse sneakers. (Listen to “California Love” by 2pac for his reference to wearing “Chucks not ballys.”) I need to find that t-shirt, especially since it was printed in Cameroonian colors.

Next, we boarded six buses to our hotel destination, Hilton Yaounde. It was 8pm local time. We saw a number of local eateries on Rue de Mben that had a lot of people outside and hoped the bus driver would let us out so we could go and hang out. One of the things a number of the returners long for is the ability to meet and converse with “regular people.” It feels like we’re a “doggie in the window” sometimes as we sit in our bus, detached somewhat from what life is like here. On the other hand, it may not necessarily be safe for a group of our size to be out with each individual doing their own thing. Our security detail is the same as it was during ARP 1.

At Hilton Yaounde, there was a conference held where attendees were given back their passports and yellow cards, and the ARP 1 participants were united with ARP 2 participants as buddies during the trip. Each of us shared a little about ourselves such as where we live and which tribe we are from. I have four buddies - two from California and two from Michigan. One of my buddies is a woman named Meredith that I have been in correspondence with and who had read this blog about last year’s trip. Dr. Kittles also spoke about his excitement about being part of ARP 2.

By this time, we were very hungry and tired. The 10 hour time difference had caught up to us. Once we were all assigned our rooms, many of us ate and headed straight to bed. There was lots planned for tomorrow and each of us needs to be well rested in order to enjoy it.

For more photos, please visit ns2 photography on Facebook.

African Ancestry's Dr. Rick Kittles

Jerome Minlend and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Eric Chinje and Avline Ava (center)

Heading Back to Cameroon | Ancestry Reconnection Program II

2011-12-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to report that I'll be representing the research team, again, during the next installment of the Ancestry Reconnection Program during December 2011! This year's trip is slated to be bigger and better than the last, which was awesome! I'll be going it solo (without my trusty sidekick Jean), but I'll be in the great company of our extended Cameroonian American family.

Among the list of activities includes:

A healing concert taking place at the Palais des Sports de Warda in Douala
A visit to the Extreme North Province
A street naming ceremony
Another reception with the US Ambassador to Cameroon, Robert Jackson
Meetings with Cameroonian Government Officials
Lots more shopping :)

I'll be blogging for the duration of the trip, so be sure to stay posted to the ARP II category on this blog. Or, to see both trips in their totality, stay posted through the Ancestry Reconnection Program Daily Posts category.

(c) 2011, AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Henry Smith | Slave of Shapley Owen

2011-10-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Just located is a lengthy piece written by Charles Goffe that was published in the East Carroll Banner Democrat on May 8, 1897. It's a profile (using the world loosely) of Henry Smith who was noted to be a loyal slave of Shapley Owen and his wife. For more on Shapley Owen, please see this previous post.

An Incident of Ante-Bellum Days With a Squeal After the War
May 8, 1897, East Carroll Banner Democrat

Lethia Faulkner | Former Slave of Keene and Constant

2011-09-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

From the Banner Democrat, published on June 1, 1895 is a profile on "An Aged Negro Woman" named Lethia Faulkner was a former slave of J.W. Keene and Col. E.W. Constant.

East Carroll Banner Democrat
June 1, 1895, Page 3
Source: Library of Congress

Details of Article

Lethia was purchased in 1853 by JW. Keene in the 2nd Ward of Carroll Parish, LA. Col. Constant notes her age as 115 (born about 1780). Said to be too old to work when originally purchased.

Further Research
A search of the 1880 US Census for East Carroll Parish, LA notes a Letha Folkner living in Ward 2, District 29 (line 9, page 577D). She is living in the same household of WB (William Bodien) Keene, noted as a merchant and planter. Her age is 90 years old (born about 1790), and her occupation is an "Old Family Servant." Her and both her parents have birth states of Virginia listed. Additional servants in the household are Hester Bynum, and Edward Singleton.
Year: 1880; Census Place: 2nd Ward, East Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: 453; Family History Film: 1254453; Page: 577D; Enumeration District: 29; Image: 0056. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. 1880 U.S. Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. All use is subject to the limited use license and other terms and conditions applicable to this site. Original data: Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

WB Keene was associated with the following plantations in the East Carroll Parish area: Atherton Plantation and Bellagio Plantation.

The 1870 US Census has Lethia listed in the 2nd Ward living at Guier Plantation (which could be Hollybrook Plantation, or Poverty Point Plantation) on line 32, page 177B. She is listed as Lefe Falkner.
Year: 1870; Census Place: Guier Plantation Ward 2, Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: M593_509; Page: 177B; Image: 358; Family History Library Film: 552008. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

(c) 2011, AtlasFamily.Org Genealogy Research

Oldest Man in Parish in 1901 Reportedly 105 Years Old

2011-08-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Anthony Owens, whose birthdate was speculated between 1794 and 1796, died Monday, February 11, 1901 in East Carroll Parish, LA. He was said to be the oldest man in parish at the time of his death, as per the local paper:

Source: East Carroll Banner Democrat, February 16, 1901, Image 3
Library of Congress Chronicling American Historic American Newspapers

A search of the prior year's census has a corroborating age.

1900 US Census, Ward 3, District 40, East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, Page 5B, Line 80, Dwelling Number 108, Family Number 112
Anthony Owens, head, black, male, born May 1794, age 106, widowed, birthplace: North Carolina, father's birthplace: North Carolina, mother's birthplace: North Carolina, a day laborer employed 8 months, cannot read or write, owns mortgaged home.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Ward 3, East Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: T623_ 564; Page: 5B; Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. Enumeration District: 40.

A search of the 1870 Census shows him living on Frellson Plantation, which was owned by JH Frellson. This time, the information provided is different:

1870 US Census, Frellson Plantation, Ward 2, Carroll Parish, Louisiana, Page 215A, Line 32, dwellinig number 862, family number 862
Anthony Owens, age 60, male, black, a farmer, born in Kentucky, could not read or write. Wife: Hannah Owens, Children: Julia Owens, Eli Owens.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Frellson Plantation Ward 2, Carroll, Louisiana; Roll: M593_509; Page: 215A; Image: 433; Family History Library Film: 552008. Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

It's pretty awesome that Mr. Owens lived in three different centuries. More amazing than that, he lived in two of those as a slave and two as a free man. I am hoping that one of his descendants Google's him and finds this post since it's an amazing story.

Since discovering this obituary for Anthony Owens, I have noticed a number of them for African Americans in the Banner Democrat. I'm hoping to find some for the Atlas family, or even other notable African Americans in the area.

Canon Hunter | Killed in Gun Accident, December 1901

2011-08-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

Canon Hunter, son of W.H. Hunter, was the innocent victim of an accidental shooting at the home of T.J. Powell during December 1901. Canon was the "house boy" for a Mrs. McRae, who was a neighbor of T.J. Powell.

In addition to Canon's death, another child, McFarland Long (son of Dr. W.E. Long) was injured but lived. A third child, Joe Powell, son of T.J. Powell, shot the gun in the incident but was unharmed. Below is a short obituary for Canon.

Source: East Carroll Parish, LA Banner Democrat, December 7, 1901, Image 2.
Library of Congress Chronicling America Historic American Newspapers

The event was covered by the Banner Democrat and can be read here, which is the same page as the obituary above.