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A Breeding Plantation on Trial
Isaac Roberts v. B. L. C. Wailes, Covington Estate · November Term 1839
For three days in November 1839, witnesses in a Warren County, Mississippi probate court fought over one plantation and the people held on it. The testimony talks about fences and crops, and it also talks about enslaved women as “breeding women” worth half a hand.
The case at a glance
- Court
- Warren County Probate Court, Mississippi
- Term
- November 26 to 28, 1839
- Judge
- B. Springer, Judge of Probate
- Guardian
- Col. B. L. C. Wailes, of Adams County
- Overseer
- John Howell
- Enslaved hands
- About 30 to 34 on the plantation
- Named in the record
- 10 enslaved people, plus an unnamed ox driver
- Decree
- Guardian kept; $8,000 bond; Roberts paid the costs
The court kept Col. B. L. C. Wailes as guardian but made him post more security. Isaac Roberts lost his bid to remove him and had to pay the costs.
Edmund H. Covington died before 1839 and left two young daughters. His plantation in lower Warren County, southeast of Warrenton, held about 30 to 34 enslaved working hands. Isaac Roberts, the girls' maternal uncle, had run the estate as administrator until January 25, 1836. Levin Covington then served as guardian. Col. Wailes of Adams County, married to Edmund's sister, took over in March 1839 and kept John Howell as overseer.
Roberts petitioned to displace Wailes or force more security on his bond. His witnesses said the place was badly run under Howell. Wailes's witnesses said the opposite and blamed Roberts's own management.
On November 28, 1839, Judge B. Springer ruled Wailes had taken good care of the people and made a fair crop. Wailes filed a new $8,000 bond with Alexander Covington, John J. Guion, John Howell, and Levi Stephens as securities.
Much of the testimony talks about enslaved women as "breeding women" and rates their value as half a hand. Several witnesses say the estate's stated policy was to raise children rather than push large crops. That makes this record useful for showing how the estate treated enslaved families.