August 5, 2010

Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg, VA: I

I have studied the Fitzhugh slaves for years.

I have followed, tracked, recorded and accounted for over 600 individuals who at one time or another were enslaved by this large family. I have recorded thousands of pieces of data on them, I have reconstructed their families, I have followed them across the country and back through time. Part of me knows those people.

So, finally getting to see Chatham was a bit of an emotional experience for me. So much had happened there. So many people born there, died there, served there...

I had heard many good things about the current NPS staff and their work at Chatham. But, the volunteers knew their stuff! They talked enthusiastically & appropriately about slavery at Chatham. And, they wanted to know more. They wanted to solve it's mystery at their site.

I look forward to their findings.
























































A tiny visitor:







Maddy McCoy
Fairfax County, Virginia
Slavery Inventory Database

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