Raynors HCA 2016-10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2016
A great war-date Confederate runaway slave letter, 3pp. 4to., written by a certain John S. Cocke, Locust Grove, [Va.], March 24, 1863 to T. B. Cauthorn & Co. of Allegheny Co., Virginia concerning an unreasonable attempt to collect several runaway slaves who have gone missing during a transfer back to Cauthorn, in part: "Sir, I read your letter informing me that the two boys I hired to you belonging to Mrs. Owens had runaway again then making propositions to me which is so unreasonable that I must treat them with contempt that is to say that if I will pay the expenses you [are] out, send board that I can keep the servants or…you will have to get them and then refuse payment of the bond…further…that if you get them again they may run off and get to the Yankees…I must say to you…when they runaway the first time your partner or agent came over to look for them…he proposed to young Mr. Owens, in the presence of a gentleman, that…I might take them back under all the circumstances I thought it…best to do so…put out such a report and got them in…you demanded them again…you thought proper to correspond with Mr. Hicks and make him your agent….Hicks applied to me for the boys…you still demanded the servants. I told Mr. Hicks to take them as you had hired them…during my absence Mr. Hicks came up for the boys. My wife knowing nothing of the circumstances requested Mr. Hicks to wait until my return which he done…soon as my return home Mr. Hicks came up and I delivered the boys to him…the boys, I suppose, is still going at large and it may be possible that they may aim to get to the Yankees or go in to our army and may not be heard of for the next twelve months. Ezekiel is a keen artful fellow, therefore from your present propositions I shall have nothing more to do with them. I consider them your property…and as to the bond I shall hold for the same…I thought at the time it would have been best that one or both parties might be injured by the return of the servants, particularly at these critical times. However, you took the liberty to demand them after proposing to give them up…I am sorry these things have so happened however I take no censure of the blame…had the first promise been complied with by letting me…hired out the boys to someone else. Mr. Owens might not have had this present risk of loosing them…justice…deters me from making any propositions…the first I got the boys in relying on the promise of being willing to give them up…caused me to deceive the boys and I could not expect to get them again under the same promise even should they return to this neighborhood. My rule has been never to deceive [a] servant and always…retain their confidence…Jno. S. Cocke." Folded transmittal cover bearing two five-cent Jeff Davis stamped tied to the cover by a Mar. 24, 1863 Greenwood, Va. postmark. VG
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