The following list was found in loose Liberty County papers that had been digitized at the Georgia Archives and placed online. No date was given, but estate inventories for John Way place the likely date between 1830 and 1836.
Enslaved people were used as a labor force for repairing roads in Liberty County, and slaveholders were usually required to make them available. No reason was given why so many were absent on “Saturday.” This appears to have happened at the end of the year, because the notation said the absentees were to be “flogged on the first day of meeting next year.” [NOTE: Christmas did not fall on a Saturday between 1830-1836; however, Christmas Eve was on a Saturday in 1836.]
Transcribed from the original, with transcriber’s notes in brackets:
Road Hands for the 4th District
Rev. C. C. Jones [Charles Colcock Jones] and S.M. Maxwell’s hands [Susan Mary Jones, married to Audley Maxwell] [Charles and Susan were siblings, and inherited enslaved people from their father, John Jones]
Cato
Limus [alt: Lymus]
Cassias [alt: Cassius]
Augustus
Prince
Hamblit [alt: Hamblet]
Hegar [alt: Hagar] – Cook
Stepney
Adam
Marcus – Absent Wednesday
Est. Lambert’s Hands [Estate of John Lambert]
Jimmy
Brister
Big Joe
Summer
Will
Tom
Sipio [alt: Scipio]
Siah
Toney
Sampson
Hacklass
Toby
John
Ned
Isaac
Prince
All these negroes absent on Saturday except Driver Joe & Bristol – & they are to be flog[g]ed on the first day of meeting next year.
Est. Col. Jos. Law’s hands
[See Colonel Joseph Law’s 1829 estate inventory naming these people at: https://theyhadnames.net/2019/07/28/liberty-county-estate-inventory-col-colonel-joseph-law/. ]
Jim
Toney
Peter
Jacob
July
All absent on Saturday & to be flog[g]ed next year.
Capt. Jos. Jones’s Hands
Allen
Ben
July
Ceasar [alt; Caesar]
Hacklass
Trim
Jack [or Sack]
Nero
Sam — Cook
Esau
William
Isaac
Little Charles
Prime
Farmer
Dick
Brister
Maddison [alt: Madison]
B. Charles
Maj. Bulloch’s Hands [possibly James. S. Bulloch]
Sandy
Fortune
Ben
Peter
Ned
Titus
George
Paul
Aaron
Luke – Cook
Tom Andeson [Anderson? ]
Driver Tom Cook
All absent except 3 hands to have been kept at home in the room of a saw & wagon on Saturday. They are the absentees to be flog[g]ed Mr. McDonnald knows the 3 hands to have been kept back, they are excused of course.
Est. John Way’s Hands
[In John Way’s 1830 estate inventory, these individuals are listed. By the 1836 inventory, they have been divided to the heirs, indicating this event must have occurred between 1830 and 1836. See the inventories at https://theyhadnames.net/2019/08/02/liberty-county-estate-inventory-john-way-sen-senior/ and
https://theyhadnames.net/2020/03/14/liberty-county-estate-inventory-division-john-way-sr-2/]
Driver Simon Cook
Arandan [alt: Arandon]
Jim
Stephen
All absent on Saturday and to be flogged.
Mr. Wm Robart’s hands [William Robart]
Abram
Frank
Nat
Jack
Andrew
Jim Cook
All absent on Saturday and to be flogged.
Joseph Austen’s Negroes [Alt: Joseph Austin]
Lancaster Cook
George
Caleb
Tom absent
L. George absent
Stetson’s Negro [most likely David Stetson, d. 1837, Isaac listed in estate inventory]
Isaac
Jos. Andrew’s Negro
Derry
Commissioners
Capt. Jos. Jones
Jos. Austin
Strong Ashmore [Strong Ashmore d. 1847]
Privates
John McDonald
Thos. J. Shepard
Jos. W. Jackson
John Jackson
Adam Dunham
Jos. Andrews
Elijah Chapman
?? Larkin
Find the digitized originals at the Georgia Archives Virtual Vault in “File II, Reference Services, RG-4-2-46, Georgia Archives,” File names F2LibertyCoRecords_01C and F2LibertyCoRecords_02C. Digital image accessed on 6/30/2021 at https://vault.georgiaarchives.org/digital/collection/p17154coll2/id/18403/rec/12.