LEGAL DOCUMENT PLACING A LIEN ON 25 ENSLAVED MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN WHO WERE THE PROPERTY OF BENJAMIN SHERROD, DEFENDANT IN A SUIT BROUGHT BY WOODS STACKER & COMPANY: "KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, THAT WE BENJAMIN SHERROD, ALFRED WILEY, AND CHARLES EWING ARE HELD AND FIRMLY BOUND UNTO WOODS STACKER & CO. IN THE PENAL SUM OF SEVENTEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND 3 1/2 CENTS. . . WHEREAS CHRISTOPHER C. GERVIN, SHERIFF OF LAWRENCE COUNTY, ALABAMA HATH BY VIRTUE OF A WRIT OF FIRI FACIAS ISSUED OUT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF SAID COUNTY ON THE 30TH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1840 AGAINST THE GOODS AND CHATTELS, LANDS AND TENEMENTS OF THE ABOVE BOUNDEN BENJAMIN SHERROD AT THE SUIT OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED WOODS, STACKER & CO. FOR THE SUM OF EIGHT THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS AND 33 CENTS DAMAGE ... LEVIED ON THE FOLLOWING GOODS AND CHATTELS OF THE ABOVE BOUNDEN BENJAMIN SHERROD TO WIT 25 NEGROS TO WIT JIM, CITHY, JACOB, MARIAH, LOWESA, ROSE, LITTLE JACOB, NELSON, BRADFORD, NELLY, WYATE, ELVIRA, LINSY, ARLY, ISHELL, GEORGE, ELISHAH, BLACK, JIM, AMEY, DAVID, THOMAS, ARCH, SANDY, STEPHEN . NOW IF THE ABOVE BOUNDEN BENJAMIN SHERROD SHALL PROCURE AND DELIVER THE ABOVE NAMED GOODS AND CHATTELS TO THE SAID SHERIFF OR OTHER PROPER OFFICER AT COURTLAND ON THE SQUARE ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF JANUARY 1841 . . . THEN THIS OBLIGATION TO BE VOID... SIGNED AND SEALED IN PRESENCE OF [signed] BENJ. SHERROD, A. WILEY AND CHARLES EWING. "
[Lawrence County, AL: 1840?]. Partly printed document completed in ink manuscript. Document measures approximately 8-1/4" x 11-1/2", matted and famed to 14-1/4" x 17-3/4". Old folds, light toning. Not examined outside of frame. Very Good. Sherrod obligated himself to pay the penal sum of approximately twice the value of the..... More