On May 7, 1861, Richard J. Arnold, Bryan County, sold to Thomas C. Arnold, Bryan County, for $100,000 the following named enslaved people listed below. Witnessed by John E. Ward. Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on July 11, 1861.
[NOTE: For more information about Richard J. Arnold, please see “North by South: The Two Lives of Richard James Arnold,” by Charles Hoffman and Tess Hoffman (The University of Georgia Press), 1988. According to this book, Richard J. Arnold, who was resident in both Bryan County, Georgia (as an enslaver), and Rhode Island (as a merchant) “sold” these people to his son Thomas as the Civil War was breaking out, since Thomas and his brother William Eliot planned to stay in Georgia, and Richard Arnold was planning to spend the war in Rhode Island. After the war, in November 1865, according to the book, he purchased his property back from Thomas to keep it from being confiscated, since Thomas had served in the Confederate Army. After the risk of that was over, he sold back the land and stock to Thomas. The people, of course, were free by then. ]
| Name | Approximate Age |
| Lear | 24 |
| Flora | 22 |
| Neptune | 36 |
| Harriet | 45 |
| Lizette | 63 |
| Hagar | 29 |
| Sam | 32 |
| Caesar | 15 |
| Sally | 10 |
| Jaccob | 40 |
| Jenny | 35 |
| Ssukey | Left blank |
| Simon | Left blank |
| Rachel | 32 |
| Adam | 48 |
| Lina [or Sina] | 46 |
| Betty | 26 |
| Daphne | 24 |
| Adam | 9 |
| Ben | 22 |
| Charlotte | 52 |
| Patty | 32 |
| March | 26 |
| Martha | 17 |
| Moses | 68 |
| Lewis | 37 |
| Abby | 37 |
| Joe | 20 |
| Lewis | 15 |
| Phoebe-Ann | 12 |
| Sam | 10 |
| Neptune | 7 |
| Boston | 38 |
| Quality | 37 |
| Little Boston | 16 |
| Bashy | 14 |
| Bica [or Rica] | 59 |
| Venus | 29 |
| Ellen | 10 |
| John | 6 years, 6 months |
| Robert | 4 |
| Cretia | 24 |
| Tamar | 22 |
| Mars | 20 |
| Barbara | 18 |
| Young Elsy | 38 |
| Harrington | 18 |
| Brister | 16 |
| Minda | 15 |
| Doll | 13 |
| Mary Ann | 10 |
| Lucy | 40 |
| Cato | 21 |
| Nell | Left blank |
| Phillis [alt: Phyllis] | 58 |
| January | 18 |
| Billy | 23 |
| Susan | 20 |
| James | 15 |
| Renty [or Ruty] | 7 |
| Savage Mary | 53 |
| Big Prince | 32 |
| Little Prince | 10 |
| Richard | 7 |
| Buck | 30 |
| Chadwell | 33 |
| Hannah | 29 |
| Cyrus | 29 |
| Isaac | 53 |
| Driver George | 85 |
| Mary | 48 |
| Monday | 31 |
| Nero | 23 |
| Daniel | 20 |
| Sally | 16 |
| Eve | 48 |
| Elvira | 29 |
| Jesse | 8 |
| Sally | 48 |
| Scipio | 22 |
| Big Venus | 43 |
| Pleasant | 24 |
| Catherine | 15 |
| Kate | 10 |
| Hercules | 27 |
| Nat | 27 |
| Dickey | 21 |
| Big Charles | 41 |
| Polly [or Dolly] | 38 |
| Linda | 21 |
| Dick | 15 |
| Eve | 13 |
| Sarah | 10 |
| Stephen | 6 years, 6 months |
| Peter | 60 |
| Nancy | 58 |
| Little Peter | 22 |
| Davy | 32 |
| Matilda | 27 |
| Toney | 42 |
| Jack | 11 |
| George | 8 |
| Bucks Rachel | 24 |
| Emanuel | 16 |
| Sally | 59 |
| Charles | 25 |
| Abraham | 26 |
| Nan | 24 |
| Elizabeth | 21 |
| Daphne | 86 |
| Amy | 39 |
| Frank | 54 |
| Old Nanny | 70 |
| Driver Sam | 55 |
| Fanny | 54 |
| Bina | 15 |
| Sambo | 30 |
| Silva | 37 |
| Grace | 22 |
| Derry | 15 |
| Daniel | 11 |
| Jacob | 10 |
| Harriet | 4 |
| Ad??? | 46 |
| Pompey | 23 |
| Martha Cushing | 21 |
| Elizabeth | 19 |
| Caroline | 16 |
| Scott | 14 |
| Taylor | 14 |
| Hagar | 12 |
| Old Cretia | 75 |
| Major | 21 |
| Little Hagar | 26 |
| Charlotte | 29 |
| Aleck | 33 |
| Elsy | 65 |
| Judy | 35 |
| Henry | 29 |
| June | 24 |
| William | 57 |
| Rose | 49 |
| Binah | 31 |
| Sarah | 11 |
| Hard-times | 27 |
| Morris | 24 |
| Louisa | 22 |
| Celia | 24 |
| Dick | 20 |
| Tom | 18 |
| Brenton | 15 |
| Julie | 13 |
| William | 10 |
| Battish [Battice?] | 31 |
| Mira | 30 |
| William | 12 |
| Charity | 10 |
| Maria | 58 |
| Wally | 22 |
| Prince | 18 |
| Cornelia | 17 |
| Mary | 11 |
| George | 38 |
| Mary Ann | 40 |
| Jane | 16 |
| Cora | 14 |
| Sancho | 50 |
| Celia | 43 |
| Ned | 21 |
| Ishmael | 18 |
| Tom | 48 |
| Amos | 41 |
| Cain | 43 |
| Lizzy | 42 |
| Jeannette child of Betty Sue | 37 |
| Pinny | 18 |
| Little Tony | 15 |
| Fanny (Abby’s child) | 4 |
| York (Pleasant’s child) | 4 |
| Dary [or Davy] | 1 month |
| Little ? Buges ? (Sue’s child) | 4 |
| Horace (Polly’s child) | 2 years, 6 months |
| Dinah | 3 |
| Isarel | 2 year, 8 months |
| Alleck | 3 |
| John | 2 years, 3 months |
| Amos | 2 |
| Rosilla | 1 |
| Oliver | 2 |
| Japonica | 1 |
| Jim | 2 |
| Rose | 4 |
| Elliot | 2 |
| Halsy | 1 year, 2 months |
| Duty | 1 year, 4 months |
| Nero | 1 |
| Tuesday | 6 months |
| Peter | 6 weeks |
Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. H-J 1853-1874, Book I (1860-1869), page 76-78; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-197K-J : 9 May 2025), image 354-5 of 715; microfilm #008188937, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.