Fort Family Slaves Robertson County, Tennessee to E. Feleciana Parish, Louisiana This information generously donated to the Louisiana Genealogy Project - African American Archives by: Sandra G. Craighead-SCraighead@ssd.com If you have an interest in the FORT surname, you may also contact Sam Starks - Starks4um@attbi.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Abstracts from the Slave Record Book of Robertson County, Tennessee Planter, Josiah W. Fort © 1999 Reprinted with permission When researching our family's genealogy, each of us at some time has come across a gem of a record or document which did not relate to our own family, but was such a gold mine of information we simply could not pass it up, hoping that at a later date someone, somewhere, through a query or other vehicle would seek this very information. So we copy it and then file it away under "miscellaneous." Such was the case when I happened upon the Josiah W. Fort Slave Records in Robertson County, Tennessee Deed Books (pps. 4649), about 5 years ago. Because I am no longer content to indefinitely wait for a research distress call from an ancestor searchin' Fort family descendant, I decided to present the information in this forum and hope that it will fall into rightful hands. The following are abstracts from the account book containing slave birth and death dates, slave purchase and sale information including names of buyers and sellers and purchase prices made by Josiah W. Fort and attested to at the end of the record by the slaves' last owner, his son, Joel B. Fort, "Written by My father Josiah W. Fort, before the Civil War." Please note that in some cases both names of the parents of the slave children were given and some of the birth dates are post Civil War. Further, an analysis of the names and ages (and dates supplied) indicate that three generations of Fort family members, from Old Rachael's oldest child, George, born in 1808 to her grandchild, Harriet Charity, born in 1880, lived on the same plantation for approximately 75 years. I was so intrigued by the specificity of information noted that I began an investigation of other Tennessee records to determine the post Civil War status of these former Fort slaves. By comparing the names, sex and ages given in the Account Book to the 1870 U. S. Federal Census for Robertson County, I found many of these same African-American Forts still residing in the county in the same vicinity with their families. For example, Old Rachael's children, George and Melinda, were found, respectively, on pages 106 and 211. Several of Old Rachael's adult grandchildren and their families were enumerated practically "door-to-door" to each other: Nelson on page 211, his sister Melissa and her husband, Mack, who, according to the Account Book was bought in 1853 at age 22, lived next door. Cora is listed on page 212, along with Richard and Frank, Henry (a/k/a Clay) and a younger George, on page 90. There are several other examples in the 1870 census of former Fort family slaves still living in Robertson County, but the most challenging to research, in this writers's opinion, would be Allen Fort age 81, found on page 212. It is my guess that he possibly could be the patriarch of Old Rachael's children, but further research would be required to substantiate such a theory. For an African-American Fort family descendant, it would be well worth the effort to research other records, such as Robertson County wills and deeds and the various collections of genealogical materials of the Robertson County Genealogical Society and the main Robertson County Public Library to illuminate the personal history of not only Allen Fort; but the entire Fort clan of Robertson County, Tennessee. Old Rachel's Children 1. George was born May 5th 1808 2. Rachael was born July 15th 1819 3. Jacob was born July 11th 1827 4. Anica was born June 21st 1825 5. Charity was born May 7th 1829 6. Queen was born Oct 7th 1831 7. Melinda was born 1837 George and Sucky's Children 1. Mariah was born April 1841 2. Mary was born Dec. 27th 1848 Major and Mariah's Children 1. Melissa was born Jany 28th 1833 2. Nelson was born Jany 28th 1835 3. Nelson was born Jany 28th 1837 4. Delilah was born April 28 1839 Charity had 5 Children, all dead George was born November 1855 Rhoda died Oct.1858 Prudy (in) Oct.1859 Rachael's Children 1. Jane was born March 20th 1834 2. Richard born Nov. 25th 1835 3. Lee was born March 2nd 1837 4. Mariah was born Oct. 5th 1838 5. Minerva was born Dec. 1st 1840 6. Margaret was born March 1842 7. Clay was born March 1844 8. Green was born Dec. 9th 1846 9. Cora was born Oct. 2nd 1849 10. Major was born July 27th 1854 11. Warrick twins died June 6th 1858 12. Warren died June 6th 1858 13. Rose was born Sept. 1st 1860 Jane's Children 1. Scott was bom Jany 24th 1850 2. Ginney was born Dec. 15th 1851 3. Laura was born Sep. 25th 1853 4. Anica was born May 2nd 1855 5. Ginney was born August 1856 6. Bob was bom Feby 1858 7. Kitty was born October 1859 Austin was born Jany 6th 1811 Eliza was born 1813 Austin and Eliza's Children 1. Anny was born Sept. 28th 1831 2. Matilda was born March 1835 3. Frank was born April 10th 1837 4. Galbraith was born June 13 1839 (sold) 5. Martha was born March 11 1844 6. Jesse was born July 2 1 st 1846 7. Abbey was born May I st 1849 8. Ned was born Nov. 1851 9. Jone was born Dec. 24th 1855 Spencer and Anny's Children 1. Spencer was born May 25th 1850 2. Chaney was born June 15th 1852 Jacob and Matilda's Children 1. Matilda was born March 15th 1853 (died 1855) Anny and Shedric's Children 1. Washington was born 1855 2. Kiah was born January 1857 3. Margaret was born April 1859 Eli was born 1827 Mahaley was born 1833 Eli and Mahaley's Children 1. Jim was born April 27th 1849 2. Melbry was born December 1850 (died June 1857) 3. Fanny was bom Nov. 25th 1852 4. Lucinda was born April 27th 1855 5. Allen was born March 27th 1857 6. Eli was born April 1859 Leana's Children 1. Smith was born May 13 1870 2. Joe was born August 27 1872 Anica's Children 1. George was born April 1st 1846 2. Margaret was born Dec. 1847 3. Lewis was bom Jany 15th 1849 4. Jo was born November 1850 Mack and Melissa's Chidren 1. Amelia was born May 20th 1854 2. Major was born June 25th 1856 3. Coleman (was born) July 1858 Nelson and Piety's Children 1. Nelson was born Dec. 18th 1869 2. Malissa was born Feb. 9 1871 3. Fisher born May 1873 Bought 1852 Jordon was born (1100$) 1822 1853 Mack was born (750$) 1831 1853 Anderson was born (750$) 1828- Jan 1854 Sold to B. S. Guinn for (800$) June 1854 Sedrick bought of B. Grady for $1000 - age 28 years Aug 1854 Matilda bought of P. H. Grissard for $5000 - aged 27 years Feb. 1856 George bought of Wm Bourne for $700 - age 2 Feb. 1858 Caroline bought of D. Marr for $1000 - age 25 Lucy 3 years old Apr. 1860 Jim bought of Dr. Jones, Spriqgfield, Tenn. for $1350.00 Swapped to Smithy Day on Sept 27th 1860. 16 years old when bought May 1860 Emily bought of Joseph W. Fort for Austin $1400 [?sent to Louisiana] Exchanged Jim with Struth Day for a boy Dave - I I years old and $ 100 Queen's Children 1. Anthony was born Nov. 15th 1854 2. Harriet was born April 23rd 1856 Emily's Children She was born 1843 Henrietta 1860 Melinda's Children 1. Courtney was born Aug. 10th 1856 2. Patsy June 1858 3. Edy was bom Aug. 20th 1860 Esquire July 127th 1862 Jacob June I st 1864 Mary March 10th 1866 George November 27th 1868 Louis December 25th 1871 Joseph December 21 1873 Alber May 21 1876 Minerva's Children 1. Ruth was born July 75th 1857 (died 1858) Caroline's Children Lucy born 1855 Florence born Dec. 1858 Matilda and Jordan's Children Bettie born Dec. 1858 Malinda's Children Courtney born August 10th 1856 Patsy June 1858 Edd Aug. 10th 1860 Esquire July 1 1866 Jacob June 1 1864 Mary March 10 1866 George November 27 1868 Louis December 25 1871 Joseph December 20 1873 Albert May 21 1878 Harriet Charity Feb. 5th 1880 Ages of Taxable Slaves - 1860 George 52 years Austin 49 Jacob 33 Jordon 38 Eli 33 Shiarcon (sic) 32 Mack 29 Nelson 25 Richard 25 Lee 23 Frank 23 Dabney 23 Clay 16 Galbraith 21 Jessie 14 Eliza 47 Rachael 41 Matilda 31 Charity 31 Queen 29 Amy 29 Melinda 23 Caroline 27 Minerva 20 Martha 16 Mariah 19 Mary 12 Jane 26 Mahaly 27 Melissa 27 Children not listed Joel R Fort Return to the People of Color Main Page This Website Has Been Generously Hosted By USGenNet Since 1999 We Thank Them