Slavery and Its Aftermath: The Archeological and Historical Record at Magnolia Plantation

209 Pages·2015·18 MB·English

by  Christina Elizabeth Miller

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2004
Slavery and Its Aftermath: The
Archeological and Historical Record at
Magnolia Plantation
Christina E. Miller
Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]
THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

SLAVERY AND ITS AFTERMATH:
THE ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL RECORD
AT MAGNOLIA PLANTATION

By

Christina E. Miller

A Dissertation submitted to the
Department of History
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Awarded:
Summer Semester, 2004
The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Christina E. Miller defended on June
10, 2004.

____________________________________
Valerie J. Conner
Professor Directing Dissertation

____________________________________
Glen H. Doran
Outside Committee Member

____________________________________
James P. Jones
Committee Member

The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members.

ii
This doctoral dissertation is dedicated to the following people: my mother Susan Elizabeth
Wood, my father David Carruth Miller, my two brothers David Carruth Miller II and Justin
James Miller, and my grandparents James Yates and Verl Wood, and Carruth and Junie Bell
Miller.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My first and foremost acknowledgements are to Susan Elizabeth Wood, who is both my
mother and a colleague. As a mother, she provided moral support, love, and a few threats
throughout the writing process. As a colleague, we worked along side one another in the field
and in the laboratory. She is responsible for the field drawings, SEAC maps, faunal analysis, and
a great deal of the artifact analysis presented in this study. She patiently waded through ledger
books, proof read the manuscript on numerous occasions, and made invaluable suggestions. To
both my mother and my father, I extend my infinite love, respect, and gratefulness. I hope I have
inherited a fraction of their diligence and sense of responsibility. I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr.
Bennie C. Keel, a friend and mentor, who first gave me the opportunity to work for the National
Park Service. Dr. Keel, as the principal investigator, directed the archeological investigations at
Magnolia Plantation and the subsequent laboratory work. Under his guidance, I gained valuable
experience that I would not have learned in a classroom. I thank him for patiently reading the
manuscript. His insight and extensive knowledge allowed me to produce a better final product.
My debt to Dr. Keel is immeasurable. I owe many thanks to Dr. Valerie Jean Conner for
accepting me as a student and for her guidance, support, and friendship. I would like to thank Dr.
James P. Jones and Gerard Clark for graciously reading the draft and commenting on it. I would
also like to acknowledge Dr. Ann Rose. Her valuable research and analysis of the Cane River
area and her generosity in sharing information contributed significantly to this study. Her study
The Magnolia Plantation Overview was invaluable in presenting the plantation’s historical
background in chapter two. The Cane River Creole National Historical Park superintendent and
staff were very supportive in my research and generously loaned me documents from the park
archival collection. Last but not least I would like to thank Mr. Ambrose and Ms. Betty Hertzog
for their kindness and for making maps, photographs, and other historical documents available.
They have been generous in sharing their family’s unique history.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables.....................................................................................................................vi
List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii
Abstract............................................................................................................................xiii
Introduction..........................................................................................................................1
Historical and Geographical Context.................................................................................18
The Magnolia General Store..............................................................................................49
The Laborers......................................................................................................................73
Archeological Field Investigations..................................................................................111
Artifact Analysis..............................................................................................................123
Artifact Patterns...............................................................................................................155
Conclusions......................................................................................................................179
References........................................................................................................................185
Biographical Sketch.........................................................................................................195
v
LIST OF TABLES
1. Sample of people in debt to the store in 1883..............................................................60
2. 1883 inventory.............................................................................................................62
3. Medicine available at Magnolia store in 1883.............................................................70
4. 1921 inventory.............................................................................................................71
5. Thanase Bayonne’s purchases for a fifteen month period in 1902-1903.....................99
6. Bose Coleman’s purchases for a fifteen month period in 1902-1903........................102
7. William Cheatham’s purchases for a fifteen month period in 1902-1903.................104
8. Estimated black wages...............................................................................................106
9. Summary of information for Bose Coleman, Thanase Bayonne, and
William Cheatham.....................................................................................................109
10. Summary of information for Bose Coleman, Thanase Bayonne, and
William Cheatham.....................................................................................................110
11. Cabins excavations, units, and sizes..........................................................................122
12. Artifacts by analytical group......................................................................................124
13. Food group subgroups...............................................................................................125
14. Food group by count..................................................................................................126
15. Food group by weight................................................................................................127
16. Ceramic types, mean date, count, and weight............................................................132
17. Button materials.........................................................................................................140
18. Clothing group by count............................................................................................141
19. Clothing group by weight..........................................................................................141
20. Personal group by count............................................................................................145
21. Personal group by weight..........................................................................................146
vi
22. Fauna Group...............................................................................................................151
23. Structure group by count and weight.........................................................................152
24. Agricultural group by count and weight....................................................................153
25. Miscellaneous group by count and weight.................................................................153
26. Distribution and deposition rates...............................................................................157
27. Combined counts and weights by group, with percentages.......................................177
vii
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Magnolia Plantation map with building legend and park boundary................................2
2. Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CARI) and Cane River Creole National
Historical Area.................................................................................................................3
3. Ambrose LeComte.........................................................................................................26
4. Julia Buard LeComte.....................................................................................................27
5. Chart shows steady accumulation of slaves over time...................................................28
6. Walmsley plat, 1858, Magnolia Plantation....................................................................31
7. Close-up of Walmsley plat, 1858, Magnolia Plantation................................................32
8. Magnolia overlay, 1858 and 1997.................................................................................33
9. Map of Magnolia showing structures and vegetation, with building legend.................36
10. Gin barn, Magnolia Plantation.....................................................................................37
11. Wood screw cotton press, Magnolia Plantation...........................................................37
12. Cross section of the Magnolia gin barn.......................................................................38
13. Overseer’s house..........................................................................................................39
14. Blacksmith shop...........................................................................................................40
15. Magnolia big house......................................................................................................41
16. Ambrose J. Hertzog.....................................................................................................45
17. Sally Hertzog...............................................................................................................46
18. Matthew Hertzog II relaxing at the family fishing camp, 1939...................................47
19. Side view of Magnolia store........................................................................................51
20. Magnolia general store.................................................................................................52
21. Magnolia general store, front entrance, south elevation..............................................52
viii
22. Magnolia store.............................................................................................................53
23. Magnolia store, floor plan............................................................................................54
24. Workers visiting outside the store, 1940......................................................................56
25. Magnolia store, 1939...................................................................................................56
26. Shooting dice in front of the Magnolia store, 1941.....................................................57
27. Musicians Sheck, Eveck, Duma, and Yuke LaCour in front of the Magnolia store,
Christmas Eve, 1941....................................................................................................58
28. Christmas Eve, Magnolia Plantation, 1941..................................................................58
29. Two men at the Magnolia store, unknown date...........................................................59
30. View of cabins, unknown date.....................................................................................77
31. View of cabins, unknown date.....................................................................................77
32. Former slave cabins, looking northwest......................................................................78
33. Former slave cabins, standing beneath the porch roof looking north..........................78
34. Former slave cabin.......................................................................................................79
35. Former slave cabin.......................................................................................................80
36. Children sitting on the front porch of the cabin, unknown date..................................81
37. Cabin exterior, unknown date......................................................................................81
38. Cabin exterior and family, unknown date and people.................................................82
39. Interior of cabin............................................................................................................82
40. Interior of cabin............................................................................................................83
41. Children playing at Magnolia, date unknown..............................................................84
42. Pierce Rachal groomed and trained Matthew Hertzog’s racehorses, 1939.................85
43. Watching a baseball game, 1941.................................................................................85
ix