Morristown Ia (Indiana)
Apr 7
25
Mr. James T. Gleves
Wythe County
Virginia
Morristown Shelby Co. Ia. April the 4th 1841
Dear Sir
After my respects to you and your family and my mother also if she is still in that Section of country we are all well and hope these few lines may find you enjoying the sam I will now inform you that I Recd your letter dated the 10 february last which gave An account of the death of my father which Was sad news to me and also stateing that you were left his executor and you gave me an acount thear is a negro boy left there for me and some money you did not state whether Two hundred dolloars is all that I am to have or not you stated that the land and that negro Boy was to be sold and divided amongst the Heires I would like to know whether I get any of that or not and I would like to know how much money can be had for that Negro boy andrew in that Country (Wythe Co.) for he will Do me no good to bring him to this Country there fore he is for sale and I wish you to make some Enquiry and let me no how much you can get for him If you do not want him your self I soppose you hav hiread him out If them wants him that has him hiread and will give as much as any one else I will Be in there this fall provided I can get the money for that boy I wish you to right as soon As soon as convenient and give full account of the amount of the sales and whether there would be any chanch to get my part of the money by giving a Discount (an advance of the funds) I intend to right to Tennessee and no if any of the connexion (siblings) will buy him I do not
Want to come untill I can get all that I am to have for it would cost all and more Two to com in there twice I would like to no Who has got the boy and what price he is hired at I wish you to do the best you can for me untill I come
yours Respectfully
Randolph Rutherford
This letter and others in the collection show how precarious life could be for enslaved people when an estate was settled. In order to achieve an equal distribution of property value, land and slaves were sold and the money received evenly distributed among the heirs. This often resulted in the separation of enslaved families. Randolph refers to the common practice of hiring out slaves. This was usually done for a period of one year, enabling both slaveowners and non-slaveowners to rent slaves.