In 1877, a formerly enslaved woman named Amy Roberts testified that she had owned property during the Civil War that was taken by Sherman’s Army when they raided Liberty County for forage in December 1864. Imagine the courage it would have taken for this woman, born into slavery, to testify before Henry Way, the U.S. Southern Claims Commission Special Commissioner, a prominent judge, and former slaveowner.
For a full transcript of this claim, see: https://theyhadnames.net/2020/12/27/amy-or-emma-roberts-southern-claims-commission/
Amy Roberts testified that she was 30 years old in 1877, and her claim was disallowed on the basis that she would only have been about 13 years old when the war started and thus was unlikely to have acquired the relatively large amount of property she claimed: 24 bushels of corn, 6 bushels of peas, 19 bushels of rice, 10 hogs, 75 pounds of pork, 40 head of fowls, plus beds, bedding, and kitchen furniture, which she valued at $188. The property all belonged to her, not to her husband, she said.
Amy testified that she was held in slavery by E.B. Way and that she had been married about one year before the war. She said that her husband now lived with her but “was separated by his Master from me during the war.” She added that she had three children: Henry Roberts, not quite 3; Leonora 1 year old; and the other an infant. E.B. Way was not testifying for her because he was dead, she said.
Mary Baker testified that she was Amy’s sister, and was 30 years old and had lived on the same place. She said she had seen the property taken, and described it.
Barbary Chipp was listed as a proposed witness when Amy Roberts had filed her initial application for compensation in 1872, but she did not testify when the time came in 1877.
Amy Roberts’ initial application said that she was currently living at The Knoll in Liberty County, but that when the soldiers came in 1864, she was living at Cherry Hill, also in Liberty County and near Stop #3 of the Albany & Gulf Railroad.
Amy Roberts’ slaveowner was Edmund B. Way, who died in 1863. Amy, Mary (Baker, Amy’s sister) and Barbara (Chipp, probably also Amy’s sister) were all listed in his estate inventory, which makes it very possible that there were also other family members on that list.
Amy had said that she was living at Cherry Hill in 1864. Cherry Hill plantation had belonged to Edmund B. Way when he died. The administrator of his estate, Sarah A. Way, sold part of it to an enslaved man named Richard Bacon in 1880.
An interesting possible clue as to Amy’s origins: In 1853, Andrew M. Jones acknowledged receipt of his part of his father Joseph Jones’ estate, including part of the “Cherry Hill Plantation” and an enslaved female named Amie (among others). It will be noted that Amy’s name was spelled Amie in Edmund Way’s estate inventory, and it was also spelled Amie in the 1880 census record. It is an unusual spelling. Presumably Jones sold at least part of Cherry Hill to Edmund B. Way. Could Amie have been included?
In his 1844 will, Joseph Jones left Cherry Hill to his son Henry H. Jones and described it as “a tract of land called Cherry Hill or Haynes Tract purchased at the sales of Major Maybank containing five hundred acres more or less adjoining lands of John Girardeau and John Dunwody’s place called Arcadia lying in the neighborhood of Midway Church.”
In the 1870 U.S. federal census for Liberty County, Cyrus (25), Amy (20), and Henry (2) were listed next to Abram (25) and Barbara (22) Chip and near William (25) and Mary (30) Baker, with their children William (5) and Lawrence (3).
In February 1879, Cyrus purchased 17 acres of land from James Clark for $85, bounded east by “Limbric [Limerick] Avenue,” south by Russell Dunwoody, west by Charles White, and north by William Baker.
In the 1880 census, Amy’s name was spelled Amie, and she was listed as 30 years old, living with her husband Cyrus (3), and children Henry (12), Leonora (9), Josiah (5), Barbery A. (2), and George R. (5 months). Note that Amy had named her daughter Barbery, another indication that Barbara Chipp was her sister.
In April 1885, Cyrus used as collateral on a promissory note of $11.75 to E.P. Miller, a local merchant, for “value received in groceries,” a cream mare about 7 years old, a buggy, and his crop of rice and cotton for the year. The note was payable in 6 months at 8 per cent annual interest.
In the 1900 census, Cyrus (59) was listed with wife Emma (56), son George Roberts (20) and daughter Leonora Simmons (28). Was this Emma actually Amy? Yes. She appears to have begun using the name Emma at some point and used it for the rest of her life. She and Cyrus were listed as having been married for 39 years, and she had had 11 children, 5 of them living. Their daughter Leonora had married Marshall Simmons, who was not in the household in 1900, and Leonora (later known as Nora) was listed as having been married for eight years, with one child, still living (but not listed in the household).
Amy/Emma’s birth year varied a bit with each census, which is not unusual. She testified in 1877 that she was 30 years old, which would put her birth year at 1847. Remember that she had said that she got married a year before the Civil War started, which would make her only 13 at her marriage. The 1870 and 1880 censuses had her birth year as 1850, which is even worse; however, the 1900 census listed her birth year and month as August 1843, which hopefully is closer to correct.
Cyrus Roberts died on February 9, 1908, and their son Josiah N. Roberts applied for administration of the estate, saying that his father had died without a will and that he owned property worth about $2000. Amy/Emma apparently inherited at least part of the estate, because on April 29, 1909, in Limerick, Liberty County, she wrote her last will and testament, leaving her home and land to “my daughter” Nora L. Simmons. She described the land as containing four acres, bounded on the east by Limerick Avenue and the estate of Cyrus Roberts (indicating that there was other land belonging to the estate), north by John Baker and the estate of William Baker (sister Mary’s husband) and on the South and West by land of Ned Williams. F.S. (Felix) Frazier, who had married her daughter Barbara, was one of the witnesses to the will.
Emma was still alive in at least April 1910, because she was enumerated in the 1910 census. She was living with daughter Nora Simmons (listed as Norah Simon). The census taker does not appear to have been very careful, or his informant in this case was not reliable; he listed Emma as 70 (a little older than she was) and Nora as 30 (quite a bit younger than she actually was). Both were listed as widows, but Emma was listed as having been married for 12 years with 5 children. This would possibly fit with Emma not actually being the same person as Amy (i.e., Amy had died and Cyrus had remarried to Emma before the 1900 census) but it does not fit with Emma referring to Nora as her daughter in her will, and with the 1900 census listing “Emma” and Cyrus as having been married for 39 years (which does match almost exactly Amy/Emma’s testimony that she was married to him in about 1860).
Nora L. Simmons (Leonora) died on September 9, 1940, in Freedman’s Grove, Liberty County. Her sister, Barbara Frazier, with whom she was living, was the informant for the death certificate, and she listed Nora’s parents as Cyrus Roberts and Amy Daniels, the only mention found of a maiden name for Amy. This is curious, since she married before the Civil War while she was still enslaved. Her birthdate was written in later, in a different hand, and was given as November 22, 1882, which may not be correct, as a record for her marriage to Marshall Simmons was dated October 1891. Census records have her as being born closer to 1871, and the 1940 census listed her estimated birth year as 1873.
Cyrus and Amy/Emma’s sons Josiah and George appear to have moved to Manhattan, New York, by 1920, as they were found in the 1920 census records there. This would need to be investigated further to make sure it was the same men.
Citations:
1870 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, Subdivision 181, p. 28, dwelling #267, family #267, enumerated on November 18, 1870, by W.S. Norman, Cyrus and Amy Roberts household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12/27/2020).
1880 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, 15th District, p. 24, dwelling #225, family #227, enumerated on June 14, 1880, by Walter O Cassels, Cyrus and Amie Roberts household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12/27/2020).
1910 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, 1476 District, sheet #2A, dwelling #27, family #27, enumerated on April 16, 1910, by Sam Winoker, Norah Simmons and Emma Roberts household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12/27/2020).
1940 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, 1476 District, sheet #5A, household #81, enumerated on April 23, 1940, by Leland Crowley, Felix and Barbara Frazier household household, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12/27/2020).
Sale of part of Cherry Hill Plantation
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. S 1877-1882,” p. 517-8, Sarah A. Way, administrator of estate E.B. Way, to Richard Bacon; digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. S 1877-1882” within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #301, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-RS23-N?i=300&cat=292358, accessed 8/20/2020)
Andrew N. Jones receipt of his part of his father Joseph Jones’ estate, including part of Cherry Hill:
Source: Family Search.org. Liberty County Superior Court “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” Film: Deeds & Mortgages, v. M-N 1842-1854,” Record Book N, pp. 568-9. Image #710-11 (Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-54FG?i=709&cat=292358)
Joseph Jones will, mentioning Cherry Hill
“Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L93L-GHG3?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B > image 640 of 689.
Cyrus Roberts’ death date:
“Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89Q4-Q4T4?cc=1999178&wc=9SBV-SPX%3A267679901%2C267867001 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Administration records 1893-1967 Phillips, L. R.-Shellman L. > image 699 of 1170;
Promissory note by Cyrus Roberts
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. U 1884-1885,” p. 585, Cyrus Roberts to E.P. Miller; digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. T-U 1882-1885” within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #572, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-R9HV-L?i=575&cat=292358, accessed 12/27/2020)
Amy/Emma’s Last Will & Testament
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. AK 1910-1911,” p. 99, Last Will and Testament of Emma Roberts; digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. AK-AL 1910-1912” within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #84, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5S8J-9?i=83&cat=292358, accessed 12/27/2020)
Purchase of land by Cyrus Roberts
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. U 1884-1885,” p. 260-2, James Clark to Cyrus Roberts; digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. T-U 1882-1885” within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #411-2, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-R96N-Z?i=410&cat=292358, accessed 12/27/2020)
Edmund B. Way’s estate inventory:
“Georgia Probate Records, 1742-1990,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G93T-XY2K?cc=1999178&wc=9SB7-6T5%3A267679901%2C268014801 : 20 May 2014), Liberty > Miscellaneous probate records 1850-1863 vol C and L > image 302 of 703.
Nora L. Simmons death certificate
“Georgia, Death Index, 1914-1940,” film #004577984, digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 12/27/2020); Nora L. Simmons, Liberty County, Georgia, certificate #23014, 9 September 1940.