Remarkable Colleton County Document Breaks Through the 1870 Brick Wall

Every now and then one of those remarkable documents comes along – the ones that bridge the 1870 Divide and positively link a freed person with a surname to a former slaveholder.

In this case we come close. The Freedmen's Labor Contract below links Freedman Moses Gedos' wife Margret to the plantation of former slaveholder D.R. Postell of Colleton County, SC. The document was dated January 24, 1866, the author was D.R. Postell, transcription appears below the document image:

 

January the 24th year 1866

this is to surtify that i have Contracted with moes Gedos this year for him to assist me in makeing up the fence on the plantation and also to assist me in case of sickness &c And I have given him a place to plant and a house to live in free of rent as his wif margret formerly us to belong to the plac an has a large family

Witness                              D.R. Postell
                                           Moses Gedos X His Mark
D. Willis
Mander Willis

 

 

 

Source: Freedmen's Labor Contracts, Colleton District, June 1865-Feb. 1868
Records of the Field Offices for the State of South Carolina,
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1872
NARA Micropublication M1910
Roll 103, Target 5

 

     If only we had a thousand more just like this … Wow. Happy Day!