Page 158
“…Maria Caroline…”
There is no documentation of Anarcha’s role on the Duncan plantation, but as described above (See “…the plantation’s doctor woman…,” above) documents reveal that Anarcha was a nurse both before and after her time on the Duncan plantation. Maria Caroline died in 1852—and it was occasionally the case that white doctors sought out cures from enslaved healers.
The Duncan genealogy chart was given to me by a member of the Duncan family.
“…devil’s shoestring…”
Narrative of Henry Lewis.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., Texas Narratives, Vol. 3, p. 13.
Henry Lewis
“…belladonna cure…”
Narrative of Hannah Mullins.
Rawick, G. P., Hillegas, J., & Lawrence, K. (1978). The American slave: A composite autobiography: supplement, series 2. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Pub, Vol. 7, Texas, p. 2878.
Hannah Mullins
“…life-everlasting cure…”
Narrative of Charles Hayes.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., Alabama Narratives, Vol. 1, pp. 174-75.
Charles Hayes
“…poke-root cure…”
Narrative of Patsy Moses.
Rawick, G. P., Hillegas, J., & Lawrence, K. (1978). The American slave: A composite autobiography: supplement, series 2. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Pub, Vol. 7, Texas, p. 2785.
Patsy Moses
“…took her away from Violet Hill.”
The documentation suggesting that Nathan Harris brought Anarcha along on his trip to the North in 1853 comes from accounts of a train accident that is detailed a few pages in the printed book. In addition, later documents reveal that in 1870 Anarcha lived in Virginia with a daughter named Delia. See “…named the girl Venia,” above.
“…atop the cow catcher…”
Narrative of Anne Broome.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., South Carolina Narratives, Vol. 1, p. 104.
Anne Broome
“…like the baby Moses…”
Narrative of John C. Brown.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., South Carolina Narratives, Vol. 1, p. 127.
John C. Brown
“…three quick whistles…”
Narrative of Jerry Moore.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., Texas Narratives, Vol. 3, p. 122.
Jerry Moore
“…a pot of boiling coffee…”
Narrative of Fannie Berry.
Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., Virginia Narratives, Vol. 1, pp. 1-2.
Fannie Berry
“The travelers…”
I am deriving those who traveled with Nathan Harris from accounts of the Norwalk train accident. Thomas Addis Emmet, Sims’s assistant in New York, went on to marry Harris’s sister-in-law, so the incident became part of his autobiography. Emmmet’s book, however, plays loose with many facts. Local newspaper reports sometimes suggest the scope of Harris’s party. What makes the most sense is that Harris traveled with his entire immediate family, and a couple of his wife’s siblings.
Emmet, T. A. (1911). Incidents of my life: Professional, literary, social; with services in the cause of Ireland. New York: Putnam, p. 158.
The Sumter Democrat (Livingston, AL), May 21, 1853, p. 2.
The Duncan genealogy chart was given to me by a member of the Duncan family.
