Boston Polite, a formerly enslaved man in Liberty County, Georgia, presented a claim against the U.S. government for property taken from him by U.S. soldiers in the Sherman’s Army raid on Liberty County during December 1864. His Southern Claims Commission case file was relatively short, because his claim was disallowed on the grounds that he was able to call no witnesses to the actual taking of his property. His only witness was a white man, Gideon B. Dean, who testified only that he knew Polite was allowed to own property.
However, Polite’s testimony did reveal that he was 56 years old and living on the Woodland Plantation in 1878 when he gave his testimony and that this is where he was living when the U.S. soldiers who were foraging out of their camp at Midway Church about 6 miles away took his corn, rice, bolts of cotton, hens, ducks, hog, lard, and potatoes. Polite said he had lived in Liberty County all his life, and that he had both worked for the property and inherited some of it from his grandfather, whom he did not name. He said his slaveowner was John LeConte, and that Woodland was LeConte’s property. He added that he was currently renting property from LeConte, who was living in California, thus could not testify.
Gideon B. Dean testified that he himself was 37 years old and had lived in McIntosh County all his life. He was not related to Polite, he said, but had known him all his life and saw him frequently during the war.
Slavery Times
Polite had said that he was owned by John LeConte, a member of the well known and wealthy white LeConte family. At the time of Polite’s SCC testimony, John LeConte was living in California because he was the president of the University of California, where his brother Joseph also served as a professor.
The LeConte brothers owned large numbers of enslaved people, whom they had inherited from their father, Louis (also Lewis) LeConte, who had died in 1838. It was not uncommon in Liberty County at that time for estate inventories to list enslaved people in family order, which helps with establishing family relationships, and in this case, reveals that Boston Polite’s parents were apparently Scipio and Tenah, and that he likely had siblings named Peter, Williby [alt: Willowby, Willoughy, a female name], Mazer, Titus, Kate, Kitty, and Hagar, probably in age order (with Peter being Boston’s older brother and the others being younger than him). They were named in estate inventories in 1838, 1841, 1842, and 1844.
After Emancipation
When free, Boston took the surname Polite. In the 1870 federal census, he was listed as 48 years old, living with Harriet (45), and Minda (18), Walton (10), Mary (5), and Dianna (4). What about his parents, Scipio and Tenah? They were living in the same neighborhood, but had taken the surname LeConte; Scipio was listed as being 85 and Tena 50. Relationships were not specified in the 1870 census so, given the age difference between Scipio, Tena, and Boston, one might wonder if Tena was actually Boston’s sister, not his mother.
However, in the 1880 census, when relationships were specified, Boston is listed as 53 years old, living with wife Harriet (50), daughter Minder (30), son Walton (20), daughter Mary (16), and son Ned (11). Also in the household is grandson Wallace LeConte. Living next door are Scipio and Tenah, now using the surname Polite. Scipio is listed as 90 years old and Tenah is now 75, and listed as his wife. Evidently, as was common, the census takers were careless with the ages.
In 1872, Boston Polite had filed for a homestead tax exemption, which required him to list the property he wanted to have be exempt from taxation:
100 bushels corn, valued at 75 cts per bushel
1200 pounds of short Leed cotton valued at $5 per hundred
75 bushels of rice, valued at one dollar per bushel
Household and kitchen furniture and bedding valued at two dollars
5 head of hogs valued at $3 dollars per head and one ox valued at $25.00 and one wagon valued at $25.00
His application stated that this property was raised on the Woodland Plantation belonging to J. LeConte, and it was filed by his attorney, William B. Gaulden.
No records were found indicating that Boston Polite purchased property during his lifetime. No record was found of his death, and the latest record found was in 1885, when he mortgaged two oxen, two cows, a calf, and his corn, rice and cotton crops for $22 in groceries to Robert Q. Cassells, who commonly had such transactions.
Citations:
1870 U.S. Federal Census for Boston Polite
1870 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, Subdivision 180, p. 46, dwelling #436, family #436, enumerated on December 14, 1870, by Robert Q. Baker, Boston Polite household, digital image #46 of 52, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7/3/2020).
1870 U.S. Federal Census for Scipio & Tenah LeConte
1870 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, Subdivision 180, p. 44, dwelling #425, family #425, enumerated on December 13, 1870, by Robert Q. Baker, Scipio & Tenah LeConte, digital image #44 of 52, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7/3/2020).
1880 U.S. Federal Census for Boston Polite
1880 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, District 15, enumeration district 67, p. 48, dwelling #324, family #325, Scipio & Tenah Polite household; digital image #48 of 84, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7/13/2020).
1880 U.S. Federal Census for Scipio & Tenah Polite
1880 U.S. Census, Liberty County, Georgia, population schedule, District 15, enumeration district 67, p. 48, dwelling #325, family #326, Boston Polite household; digital image #48 of 84, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7/13/2020).
Boston Polite’s application for homestead exemption
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. Q 1870-1874,” p. 182-3, Boston Polite; digital image, FamilySearch.org, “Deeds & Mortgages, v. Q-R 1870-1877” within “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” image #121, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-5935-R?i=120&cat=292358, accessed 7/13/2020)
Boston Polite’s mortgage to R.Q. Cassels
Liberty County Superior Court, “Deeds & Mortgages v. U 1884-1885,” p. 532-3, Boston Polite to R.Q. Cassels; 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 #549, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-R9D9-X?i=548&cat=292358
1838 Lewis LeConte Estate Inventory naming Boston and family
Liberty County Superior Court “Deeds and mortgages, 1777-1920; general index to deeds and mortgages, 1777-1958,” Film: Deeds & Mortgages, v. K-L 1831-1842,” Record Book L, 1838-1842, pp. 19-21. Image #336-7 (Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QP-T9K2-G?i=332&cat=292358); Abstract at TheyHadNames.net (https://theyhadnames.net/2019/12/18/liberty-county-estate-inventory-lewis-leconte-2/)
1841 Lewis LeConte Estate Inventory naming Boston and family
Liberty County Court of Ordinary, “Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B, p. 304-5, Estate Appraisement of Lewis LeConte; digital image, Ancestry.com, “Georgia Probate Records, 1743-1990,” Liberty County, within “Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B,” image #592-3. Accessed online 7/13/2020 at familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893L-GH2D?cc=1999178&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901; Record summarized and put online at TheyHadNames.net (https://theyhadnames.net/2019/08/25/liberty-county-estate-inventory-louis-leconte-2/)
1842 Lewis LeConte Estate Inventory naming Boston and family
Liberty County Court of Ordinary, “Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B, p. 325-6, Estate Appraisement of Lewis LeConte; digital image, Ancestry.com, “Georgia Probate Records, 1743-1990,” Liberty County, within “Wills, appraisements and bonds 1790-1850 vol B,” image #603-4. Accessed online 7/13/2020 at www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-893L-GHF7?i=602&wc=9SYT-PT5%3A267679901%2C268032901&cc=1999178; Record summarized and put online at TheyHadNames.net (https://theyhadnames.net/2019/08/25/liberty-county-estate-inventory-louis-leconte-3/)