The county Birth Registers altogether range from 1853 to 1885, and record the birth of every individual in the greater Roanoke area during this time frame, whether white, enslaved African American, or free African American. Typically, less information for enslaved people was recorded. Only first names were recorded and place of birth was recorded with much less specificity. Moreover, the birth registers had a category for “Father’s Name or Owner if Enslaved,” meaning in the case of most enslaved people, the enslaver’s information would be given instead of the child’s father. Nonetheless these records are an important source for connecting enslaved children to their mothers, and providing information about their births that is otherwise not found in other records.
J. K. Pitzer and Frederick Johnston were listed in Settlement of Estates Book 1 as the administrators of Madison Pitzer’s estate. It was also listed on March 13, 1865 that enslaved people were hired to work at fortifications for $89.00. In the same entry, an enslaved man, Anderson, was listed as having died in service of Confederate States Government: "To cash received for negro man Anderson who died in service of Confederate States Government." $4,700.00 went to J. K. Pitzer, Frederick Johnston, and Madison Pitzer. Later in this same record, $41.33 was received by the estate of Madison Pitzer on January 6, 1864 for the hire of enslaved people who worked on Richmond Defenses.
Linsey and Alexander both labored for 60 days at a pay rate of $16.00 per month. Their enslaver, Jane B. Kent, received $64.00 for the work completed by them.