Page 261

“…arrived in March 1857.”

The Bowling Green farm book indicates that Anarcha arrived on March 12, 1857. The date is confirmed by a letter from William G. Maury to William L. Maury, January 30, 1857. Anarcha has only one child at this point, so I am assuming that she would have been trusted with the care of William L. Maury’s two older daughters. It would make sense that William L. Maury would be sending his daughters home, as the Civil War was already looming, and he was likely already contemplating resigning from the Navy to join the fledgling navy of the Confederate States.

Also, it would seem likely that Anarcha stayed for a time at the home of the Whites—James T. White would in a few years’ time buy Old Mansion from the Maurys, and the house would remain in the White family for many years. I have omitted this period from Anarcha’s story as an unnecessary complication.

From William G. Maury’s farm book, in the possession of Steve Nicklin, a former owner of Old Mansion.

The Maury letter is held in the Maury Family Collection at the Special Collections department of Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“…two months later…”

Ann Fontaine Maury gave birth two months after Anarcha returned to Old Mansion.

This document is in the possession of Steve Nicklin, a former owner of Old Mansion in Bowling Green, Virginia.

“The pain lasted twenty-eight hours.”

From a letter describing a cousin who is considering taking chloroform to ease her birth pains, several months after Nan gave birth. The letter does not make it 100% clear where the birth took place, but I am assuming that the Maurys would not have purchased Anarcha as a nurse for her skills in childbirth, and then arranged to have Nan give birth when she was in New York, instead. It is a bit more speculative to suggest that John Francis traveled to Old Mansion to attend to the birth, but it is clear that he had been the family physician for many years.

Transcribed letter from Ann Maury to “Cousin,” January 28, 1858, held in the Maury Family Collection at the Special Collections department of Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“She wasn’t ever the same thereafter…”

Transcribed letter from Ann Maury to “Cousin,” January 28, 1858, held in the Maury Family Collection at the Special Collections department of Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Two other women…”

Transcribed letter from Ann Maury to “Cousin,” January 28, 1858, held in the Maury Family Collection at the Special Collections department of Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“…Mrs. Bainbridge…”

Transcribed letter from Ann Maury to “Cousin,” January 28, 1858, held in the Maury Family Collection at the Special Collections department of Alderman Library at the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“…she was pregnant again.”

Ann Fontaine Maury was pregnant again seven months after her first birth. She gave birth to her second child in October 1860.

This document is in the possession of Steve Nicklin, a former owner of Old Mansion in Bowling Green, Virginia.

“Louisa’s baby lived…”

See “…Maury needed the money,” above.

From original birth registers, or transcripts of registers, of Caroline County, held at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. I am indebted to Char McCargo Bah for making the first discovery of some of these records.

“Betsy’s baby boy…”

From original birth registers, or transcripts of registers, of Caroline County, held at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. I am indebted to Char McCargo Bah for making the first discovery of some of these records.

“Anarcha never learned to cook…”

See “…she never learned to cook…,” above.

“She wrote to know in case they staid there if I could persuade Ankey to come and do their light cooking & empty the slops and if so would I wrote to you on the subject”

“But Ankey says she could not undertake to cook as she knows nothing about it”

From [unsigned and incomplete] to Ann Fontaine Maury, November 21, 1862, held in the Maury Family materials at the Special Collections department of the Swem Library at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“…the whipping of Thornton…”

I searched newspaper records extensively for the two months following the last mention of Thornton, on January 24, 1857, when his punishment had not yet been executed in full. He vanished—likely either having died or been sold to slave traders in Richmond to recoup his value.

“For ash cakes…”

Narrative of Millie Evans.

Library of Congress. (2018). Slave narratives: A folk history of slavery in the U.S., Arkansas Narratives, Vol. 2, p. 250.

Millie Evans