In his 1873 Southern Claims Commission claim, Joseph Bacon said that
his name was Joseph Bacon, Sr, 74 years old, and a former slave of
Thomas Mallard. He claimed $680 for a horse, a buggy & harness, 5
cows, 15 hogs, corn, rice, a gun, and household items and clothing.
After an investigation, and testimony by Simon Cassell and Jacob
Quarterman, he was allowed only $195. The commissioners concluded that
his loyalty to the Union was proven, but doubted that he had as much
property as he claimed.
Bacon stated in his claim that he was never “molested” for his
pro-Union views because he was old enough to know when to keep silent,
“but many a poor slave was punished so they died.” He worked for the
Union army at their camp at Midway Church, beating rice and grinding
corn, for four or five weeks. Some of the soldiers gave him presents but
otherwise he was not paid.
Bacon testified that he was a driver on the Mallard plantation, and
had about 46 field hands under him. As a driver, he said, he was allowed
to have other enslaved people tend to an acre of corn and another of
rice for him, and he was allowed to cultivate himself as much land as he
could. He was also a cooper, rang the bell at the Midway Church, and
inherited a mare from his father, all of which provided him with enough
income that he was able to buy or trade for stock and property. He said
Mallard never interfered with his ownership of the property, adding, “I
know legally the property was his but a master who would take property
from his slaves would have a hard time…such a master would not get
much out of his slave unless he whipped it out of them and when they had
to do that it was poor work.” Mallard died during the war, he said, and
after the war, Bacon bought 10 acres of Mallard’s land, on which he
still owed some money.
Bacon recounted that the Yankee soldiers had arrived in the area
during December 1864 by “the thousands” and that they went out foraging
off and on for three weeks. He said they would come take a little from
him and others, then leave, then come back and do it again until they
had “stripped the place.”
Simon Cassell [alt: Cassells], a witness for Bacon in the claim, said
that he was also born a slave on Mallard’s plantation and now resided
on his own land near the Midway Church. He said he was 60 years old and
not related to Bacon. He testified that he had witnessed the soldiers’
taking the property, along with his wife, Phillis [alt: Phyllis]
Cassell, and that he himself had sold the mare that was stolen to Bacon.
Jacob Quarterman, the second witness, said that he was also born in
Liberty County as a slave and that he was 67 years old and had known
Bacon at least 60 years. He testified that Bacon had belonged to Thomas
Mallard but that after Mallard died, Mrs. Harriet Bacon had inherited
both of them, though they still lived on the Mallard plantation at the
end of the war. Quarterman said that Bacon had been driver on the
Mallard plantation for 20 years, calling him “the second master.” He
said that Joseph Quarterman, Simon Cassell, Mack Golding, July Anderseon
and others had also been present when the soldiers took Bacon’s
property. He described Bacon as a hard-working, industrious man.
Joseph Bacon was born in the 1790’s, probably on the Mallard
plantation [1]. His slaveowner for most of his life, Thomas Mallard, was
a teenager when Joseph was born. In 1846, Joseph, described as a
driver, was a member of the Midway Congregational Church, which was
attended by both European- and African-American members [2]. In 1861,
when Thomas Mallard died and his estate was divided, “Joe,” again
identified as a driver, was said to be 63 years old and was valued at
$400 [3]. In 1870, Joseph Bacon, said to be 65, was living in the 179th
subdivision of Liberty County, in the McIntosh Post Office area, with
Venus Bacon, 40. (The 1870 U.S. Federal Census did not identify
relationships but Venus married before Joseph died, so was evidently not
his wife. Joseph had identified himself as Joseph Bacon Sr in his
Southern Claims Commission petition, so possibly he had a deceased son
named Joseph who might have been married to Venus, as she was listed as
Mrs. Venus Bacon in the marriage record.) Joseph was then a farmer, and
reportedly owned 9 acres of land valued at $20 [5].
By 1880, Joseph was working a truck patch, and was ill with
rheumatism. A widower, he was living by himself. Both parents were said
to have been born in Georgia. [6] He was said to be renting 15 acres of
land valued at $150 [7]. [NOTE: It is possible that Bacon was listed as
renting the land, rather than owning it, because he still owed money on
it.]
In 1882, in his 80’s, Bacon sold his land. He sold 7 acres to Caesar
Houston and 7 acres to Ellen Monroe, each for $21, and the land was
identified as coming from lot #2 in the division of Thomas Mallard’s
estate. The land was bounded on the north by Booby Houston, east and
south by Henry Stevens, and west by Caesar Houston. Floyd Snelson and
T.G. Campbell, prominent African-American pastors of the time, witnessed
the transactions. [8]
Venus Bacon, possibly Joseph’s daughter-in-law, married Frank Elliott
in her late 40’s on November 6, 1879 [9]. She owed 46 acres of land
worth $102 in her own right as of 1890 [10]. Elliott died on December
23, 1893, and Venus struggled to get the expected year’s support from
his estate, but then died herself on July 20, 1895, owning 48 acres in
the 15th District bounded by Ellen R. Reppard, Henry Williams, Sarah
Baker, and the Wilderness Baptist Church. The land was to have been sold
to pay the estate’s debts but 38 acres was said to have been in
possession of Nancy Mallard and not able to be sold. No children of
Venus were mentioned in any of the probate records. [11]
[1] See 1870/1880 census, his Southern Claims Commission petition, and the 1861 Thomas Mallard estate division.
[2] Rev. Charles C. Jones’ 1846 Census of African-American Church
Members in Liberty County’s 15th District, transcribed at
TheyHadNames.net.
[3] Liberty County Court of Ordinary, Old General Book “C”,
1850-1853, p. 433-437, Estate Appraisement and Division of Thomas
Mallard; digital image, Ancestry.com, “Georgia Probate Records,
1743-1990,” Liberty County, within “Miscellaneous Probate Records
1850-1853 vol C and L,” image #266. Record summarized and put online at
TheyHadNames.net
(https://theyhadnames.net/2018/07/08/liberty-county-estate-inventory-division-thomas-mallard/)
[4] 1870 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule,
Subdivision 179, p. 1, dwelling #12, family #12, enumerated on November
12, 1870, by A.J. Quarterman, Joseph Bacon, digital image, Ancestry.com
(https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5/15/2020).
[5] U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules,
1850-1880, 1870, Liberty County, Georgia, Subdivision 176, Joe Bacon;
digital image, Ancestry.com, “U.S., Selected Federal Census
Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880,” Georgia, Liberty County,
Subdivision 176, image #5, (www.ancestry.com: accessed 5/5/2020)
[6] 1880 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule,
Dictrict 15, enumeration district 66, p. 30, dwelling #279, family #281,
Joseph Bacon; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com:
accessed 5/15/2020).
[7] U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules,
1850-1880, 1880, Liberty County, Georgia, Districts 67 and 15, Joe
Bacon; digital image, Ancestry.com, “U.S., Selected Federal Census
Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880,” Georgia, Liberty County, Districts
67 and 15, image #13, (www.ancestry.com: accessed 5/5/2020)
[8] Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. T
1882-1884,” p. 29-30, Joseph Bacon to Caesar Houston; digital image,
FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. T 1882-1884” within “Deeds
and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages,
1777-1958,” image #22-3,
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-R98L-6?cat=292358,
accessed 5/15/2020); Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds &
Mortgages v. T 1882-1884,” p. 34-5, Joseph Bacon to Ellen Monroe;
digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. T 1882-1884”
within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and
mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #25,
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-R98L-6?cat=292358,
accessed 5/15/2020)
[9] Ancestry.com, “Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties,
1828-1978,” Liberty County, Georgia, “Marriages (White and Colored),
Book A, 1819-1896,” (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5/15/2020),
image #33, Frank Elliott to Mrs. Venus Bacon, on November 6, 1879,
performed by W.F. Quarterman.
[10] Georgia, Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892, Liberty County,
Georgia, 1890, 15th District, Venus Elliott; digital image, Georgia,
Property Tax Digests, 1793-1892, Liberty County, Georgia, 1890, District
15, Image #107, (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 5/15/2020).
[11] Various probate records in 1894 and 1895 in Ancestry.com’s
“Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992” collection for Liberty
County.