Charles

Name

Charles

Enslaved or Free

Enslaved

Date of Birth

Late 1830

Name of Enslaver

William R. Johnson

Record(s) Seen In

Common Law Orders - D - July 1848 - May 1856 - pgs. 1-400

Page and Line Number

CLD: PP. 59, 68-69, 71, 75

Additional Information

In 1849, Charles was charged with the assault of John Richardson. Charles was said to have beaten Richardson with the intent to kill, and he was remanded to jail. Charles pled not guilty but was found unanimously guilty by the court.

“Thereupon it is considered by the court that he be hanged by the neck until he is dead and that execution of this judgement be made and done upon him, the said Charles, by the Sherriff of Roanoke County, on Friday the 11th day of May next, between the hours of five in the morning and two in the afternoon of the same day, at the usual place of execution.” Charles was then remanded to the jail of Botetourt County, where he was to remain committed for burning down the jail of Roanoke County until his execution.

However, Charles was later pardoned by the Governor alongside eight other enslaved African Americans from across Virginia, in exchange for their transport outside the limits of the United States, possibly to Liberia. Their destination is uncertain, and it is not known if Charles ever made it to this final destination.

The record does not specify which John Richardson is mentioned.

John R. Richardson

John S. Richardson

Court appointed agents placed a value of $400.00 on Charles. His counsel, John B. Logan and Henry E. Blair, were to be paid $25.00 by the estate of William R. Johnson (who was by then deceased) for their services.