The State vs. the Dead Body of Harry

Date: 
May 13, 1822

Deceased

Harry
Sex: 
Male
Race: 
Black
Slave Status: 
Enslaved
Owner: 
Alexander Wilkinson
COD Category: 
Homicide
COD: 
Blunt Instrument
COD Inquest Finding: 

do say upon their oaths; So the Jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, Say that the aforesaid Negro man Harry (the servant of the said Alexander Wilinson) that he (Harry) came to his death by the means of and with the abuse that he received (on Sunday Last past being the twelth day of this instant (May))from his master Alexander Wilkinson and by his order, and not otherwise...

Coroner

Coroner: 
William Foley
Coroner Title: 
Coroner

Location

Inquest Location: 
at Alexander Wilkinsons
County: 
Laurens County, SC

Source

South Carolina Department of Archives & History
Columbia, SC
Inquest Images: 
Laurens_Cor_D5852_0236.jpg
Laurens_Cor_D5852_0237.jpg
Laurens_Cor_D5852_0238.jpg
Transcription: 

Jane Nobles on oath says that on the twelth of this instant (May) she saw the negro Harry tyed up under the wagon shed naked that she saw some person whiping [sic[ him is not sure whether it was Alex Wilkinson or not she saw no one before the negro and person who was whiping [sic] him; but Alex Wilkinson's little boy and him... before she saw the whiping [sic] had comenced; for she had turned back upon seeing the scene.

Get in touch

  • Department of History
    220 LeConte Hall, Baldwin Street
    University of Georgia
    Athens, GA 30602-1602
  • 706-542-2053
  • admin@ehistory.org

eHistory was founded at the University of Georgia in 2011 by historians Claudio Saunt and Stephen Berry

Learn More about eHistory

Supporters

+ American Council of Learned Societies
+ DigiLab, Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Georgia