TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS FROM BLACK CEMETERIES
IN BENTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
(Revised Edition with Maps)
Compiled by Jonathan K. T. Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 1995

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ENUMERATION OF BLACK PERSONS,
BENTON COUNTY, IN 1850

Below are given the names of slaveowners with a listing of their bondsfolk with their gender and age in the slave schedule of the 1850 U.S. Census, Benton County.

Pane 1 M. C. BARNETT 1 mulatto male, age 23 1 black male, age 19 JOHN JOHNSON 1 female black, age 40 1 male mulatto, age 12 1 female black, age 7 J. C. McDANIEL 1 female black, age 50 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 16 1 female black, age 15 1 male black, age 8 PRESLEY THORNTON 1 female black, age 50 1 male black, age 36 JAMES WHITE 1 female mulatto, age 32 1 male mulatto, age 15 1 female black, age 10 1 female mulatto, age 8 1 male mulatto, age 3 1 female mulatto, age 6 months 1 male mulatto, age 7 EDWARDS HATLEY 1 male black, age 22 BETHANY CAMP 1 male black, age 44 1 female black, age 16 1 male black, age 12 AMOS BRUCE 1 female black, age 60 1 male black, age 34 JAMES M. CAMP 1 male black, age 53 1 female black, age 46 1 female black, age 22 1 female mulatto, age 5 1 male black, age 4 1 female mulatto, age 2 THOMAS KING 1 female black, age 44 1 male black, age 19 SARAH BAGETT 1 male black, age 18 1 female black, age 15

A. J. BARNETT 1 female black, age 31 1 male black, age 24 1 female black, age 21 1 male mulatto, age 6 1 male mulatto, age 4 1 female black, age 1 1 male black, age one month 1 female black, age 55 J. W. MATLOCK 1 female black, age 9 MICHAEL FRY 1 female black, age 30 1 female black, age 5 JAMES WALKER 1 male black, age 14 1 male black, age 11 "idiot" 1 male mulatto, age 7 1 female mulatto, age 5 1 male black, age 3 1 male black, age 1 1 female mulatto, age 34 BENJAMIN HARRISON 1 female black, age 8 NANCY DAULTON 1 female black, age 16 JAS. SHERLEY 1 male black, age 16 1 male black, age 12 HENRY GOSSETT 1 female black, age 20 1 male black, age 10 1 male black, age 4 FRANCIS BABER 1 female black, age 37 1 male black, age 12 G. G. FLOWERS 1 female black, age 41 1 male mulatto, age 25 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 10 1 female black, age 4 CULLEN NOWELL 1 female black, age 20

 

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Page 1 continued JAMES WYLY 1 female black, age 47 1 male black, age 47 1 female black, age 45 1 male black, age 44 1 male black, age 35 1 male black, age 25 1 male black, age 24 1 female black, age 23 1 female mulatto, age 18 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 22 1 male black, age 18 1 male black, age 16 1 male black, age 14 1 female black, age 12 1 male black, age 12 1 male black, age 10 1 female black, age 8 1 male black, age 6 1 female black, age 5 1 male mulatto, age 4 1 male mulatto, age 2 1 male mulatto, age 5 months Page 2 WILLIAM HARVY CLARK 1 female black, age 18 1 female black, age 11 ARCH HEGGIE 1 female black, age 73 1 female black, age 38 1 male mulatto, age 8 1 male black, age 6 1 male black, age 4 1 male mulatto, age 2 ANDERSON LASHLEE 1 male black, age 60 1 female black, age 33 1 male mulatto, age 35 1 male black, age 33 1 female black, age 22 1 male black, age 22 1 male black, age 18 1 male black, age 5 1 male black, age 3 1 female black, age 2 1 female black, age 16 Z. BARKER 1 female mulatto, age 40 1 female black, age 30 1 female black, age 26 1 male black, age 26 1 male mulatto, age 20 1 female mulatto, age 17 1 female black, age 16 (continued next page)

Page 2 B. HINNANT 1 black female, age 41 1 male black, age 18 1 female black, age 14 1 male black, age 9 1 male black, age 8 1 female black, age 6 1 male black, age 1 STEPHEN WALKER 1 female black, age 12 ORRISON G. COMBS 1 female black, age 38 1 male black, age 30 1 female black, age 21 1 female black, age 17 1 male black, age 12 1 male black, age 9 1 male black, age 4 1 male black, age 4 1 male black, age one month THOMAS KEY 1 female black, age 11 DANIEL SETTLES 1 female black, age 21 DENNIS RUSHING 1 male black, age 27 W. C. PRUETT 1 male black, age 60 1 male black, age 35 1 female black, age 25 1 female black, age 14 1 female black, age 10 1 male black, age 9 1 female black, age 7 1 male black, age 4 CHARLES WILLIAMS 1 female black, age 34 1 male black, age 14 1 female mulatto, age 10 1 male mulatto, age 8 1 female mulatto, age 8 1 male black, age 4 WILLIS RUSHING 1 male black, age 40 1 male black, age 23 1 female black, age 21 1 male black, age 20 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 19 1 female black, age 17 1 female black, age 21 1 male black, age 7

 

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Page 2 continued Z. BARKER 1 female black, age 14 1 female black, age 12 1 male black, age 10 1 female black, age 7 1 female black, age 3 1 female black, age 2 1 male black, age 1 NARCISSA McCARROLL 1 male black, age 55 1 female black, age 7 Page 3 WILLIAM LOVE 1 male black, age 48 1 female mulatto, age 25 1 male mulatto, age 7 1 female black, age 2 E PERKINS 1 male black, age 50 1 male black, age 19 1 female black, age 18 1 female mulatto, age 17 1 female mulatto, age 14 1 male black, age 1 THOMAS JONES 1 female black, age 27 1 male mulatto, age 8 1 male black, age 5 1 male black, age 3 JOHN PHIFER, JR. 1 female black, age 17 1 male black, age 18 1 male black, age one month W. D. WOODSON 1 male black, age 65 1 female mulatto, age 28 1 female mulatto, age 11 1 male mulatto, age S 1 male mulatto, age S 1 female mulatto, age 1 GEORGE FRANCISCO 1 female black, age 53 1 male black, age 30 1 male black, age 30 1 female mulatto, age 26 1 female black, age 24 1 male black, age 11 R. M. HAWLEY 1 male black, age 53 1 male black, age 45 1 female black, age 45

Page 3 ELISHA HERRON 1 male black, age 75 1 female black, age 75 1 female black, age 30 1 male black, age 10 1 female black, age 8 1 female black, age 6 1 male black, age 4 1 male black, age 3 1 male black, age 1 JOHN STAFFORD 1 female black, age 18 D. P. HUDSON 1 female black, age 20 1 female mulatto, age 2 IRIA LOVE 1 female black, age 18 1 male mulatto, age 10 1 female black, age 10 1 female mulatto, age one month J. H. WILLIAMS 1 female black, age 15 WILLIAM M. MCAULEY 1 female black, age 14 ICHABOD FARMER 1 male black, age 25 A. P. HALL 1 male black, age 28 1 male black, age 26 1 female black, age 25 1 male black, age 5 1 female black, age 2 J. M. PENICK 1 female black, age 46 DAVID BREWER 1 male black, age 60 R. P. RUSHING 1 female black, age 17 1 male black, age 8 JAMES McGILL 1 female black, age 17 JAMES K. NANCE female black, age 20 DANIEL L. SETTLES 1 female black, age 7 WILIE ARNOLD 1 female black, age 40 1 male black, age 10 1 male black, age 8 1 male black, age 8 1 female black, age 7

 

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Page 3 continued ROBERT RUSHING 1 female mulatto, age 35 1 male black, age 25 1 male black, age 23 1 male black, age 21 1 female mulatto, age 19 1 female black, age 15 1 female black, age 14 1 female black, age 14 1 male black, age 12 1 male mulatto, age 12 1 female black, age 7 1 female black, age 5 PAGE 4 JOHN BUCHANAN 1 female black, age 28 1 male black, age 3 D. A. ASKEW 1 female black, age 50 1 female black, age 20 1 female black, age 14 1 male black, age 12 1 female black, age 10 1 male black, age 7 EDWARD LINDSEY 1 male black, age 29 1 male black, age 20 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 20 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 4 1 female black, age 2 WILLIAM STOCKDALE 1 male black, age 19 1 male black, age 14 1 female black1age 11 1 male black, age 9 1 male black, age 6 LEWIS McDANIEL 1 male black, age 58 1 male black, age 28 1 male black, age 20 LEWIS HYER 1 male black, age 57 1 male black, age 40 1 male black. age 26 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 32 1 female black, age 20 1 female black, age 14 1 female black, age 8 1 female black, age 6 1 female black, age 4 1 male black, age 8 1 male black, age 2 1 female black, age 1

Page 4 HENRY WILLIAMS 1 female black, age 45 1 female black, age 16 1 male black, age 11 JOHN McGLOHON 1 male black, age 43 1 female black, age 18 JOHN SMALLEY 1 female black, age 28 1 male black, age 14 NICHOLAS BREWER 1 male black, age 60 1 female black, age 42 B. WYNN 1 male black, age 53 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 20 1 male black, age 20 1 female black, age 15 AARON ASKEW 1 male black, age 19 1 female black, age 14 DREW A. ASKEW 1 male. black, age 63 1 female black, age 60 1 female black, age 44 1 female black, age 17 1 female black, age 16 1 female black, age 25 1 female black, age 12 1 male black, age 8 1 male black, age 4 1 male black, age 44 1 male black, age 6 months ROBERT T. RUSHING 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 16 1 male black, age 3 months Page 5 WILLIAM McCUTCHEN 1 female black, age 60 1 female black, age 22 1 male black, age 22 I. B. CARNES 1 female black, age 20 JAMES GORDON 1 female black, age 27 JAMES M. MOSES 1 female black, age 12 H. C. CAMP 1 female black, age 17 1 female black, age 2

 

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Page 5 M. L. TRAVIS 1 female black, age 23 1 female mulatto, age 15 1 female black, age 8 1 female black, age 4 H. M. BROWN 1 male black, age 50 1 female black, age 37 1 female black, age 22 1 male black, age 73 1 male black, age 9 1 female black, age 6 1 female black, age 6 1 male black, age 2 1 male black, age 1 J. G. SIMS 1 female black, age 35 1 female black, age 20 1 male black, age 4 1 male black, age 1

C. K. WYLY 1 female black, age 38 1 male black, age 36 1 male black, age 33 1 male black, age 29 1 female black, age 18 1 female black, age 18 1 male black, age 14 1 male black, age 13 1 female black, age 10 1 female black, age 8 1 female black, age 4 1 female black, age 2 1 male black, age 4 months 1 female black, age 6 months S. C. PAVATT 1 female black, age 65 J. J. RODGERS 1 male black, age 12 MATTH. MITCHELL 1 female black, age 28 1 female black, age 4 1 female black, age 2 1 female black, age 2

 

NOTE 1.
Of these slaveowners, one was an early settler of Benton County; his name was JAMES WHITE (July 27, 1789-April 6, 1879), who with his family settled near Morgan Creek in the southern part of the county. William Thomas Smith knew numerous ones of the family of this early pioneer, those who had known him and his second wife, ELIZABETH (MATLOCK) WHITE, well. In his 1922 book, FAMILY TREE BOOK he wrote of them (page 301), "When her husband had accumulated a sufficiency, still she spun and wove as work was her religion. Her handiwork was the admiration of all. To all of her children when they married, she gave ample bed spreads, quilts and bedding material to start in life and at home had many more. . . . She was a most devout Presbyterian and when her husband joined the church, she proffered to go with him to the Methodist, but he insisted that she remain with the church of her choice. All the slaves were very fond of her and did her bidding, some remaining after the war just as before the war until she died and left them. They were her friends and so fond of her that we now think it not amiss to mention them by name as they were when the war freed them. NIG, WINNIE, ANN, BOB, BABEZ, MARCUS, RUFUS, PRISS and BILL were the ones that got their freedom by the war, while to each of their children prior to that time these ancestors had given a negro. These good but not forgotten servants are perhaps all dead now, save Ann. Peace to their ashes! James White was somewhat different from his wife. We would not call him lazy but he thought his part in life could be best played by seeing that the negroes kept busy. . . . He was industrious and frugal but left details to others, seeing that everything kept moving. Then in idle moments he had a feast in reading. Our father told us he was a well read man. Books, in those days, were scarce articles and others tell us that he had more books than had others and that he was a great reader."

 

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NOTE 2.
CHRISTOPHER K. WYLY was a successful Camden merchant; cultivated several farm tracts. In December 1843 he bought CLAIBORNE, one of the Sarrett slaves for $875. (Benton County Deed Book B, page 11) In January 1847 he bought from the Anderson Lashlee estate, slaves GEORGE, JULIA and SOPHIA. (IBID., page 249) For Jane, one of the Hugh M. Brown slaves, he paid $527.50 in April 1849. (IBID., Deed Book C, page 17) Josiah T. Florence, a leading citizen of the county lost his slave, MILLY, to Wyly to pay a debt in March 1842. (IBID., Deed Book 1836-1843, pages 288, 358) He bought twenty-one year old WILLIS in May 1858 for $1100. (IBID., Deed Book F, page 297) Finally, he bought ANN, aged about thirty-five years and her two children, SARAH, aged about seven years and JANE, aged about thirteen years, in December 1859. (IBID., page 619)

 

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