I began looking at several Simmons' names in 1850 and 1860 to learn more of their lives in Macon County, including going back to my gg-gf, Nathaniel (Nathan) Simmons and a brother (I believe) William Simmons and his son, James M. Simmons.
I am still unsure of the brother-to-brother relationship, but it generally fits the preliminary information I have. [There are several William Simmons' in the records, including a William H. Simmons who moved at some point in time across the river to Tallapoosa County.]
(1) According to the 1850 Federal Census of Slaves for District 21, the Southern District of Macon County, taken 11 Jan 1851, he owned 11 slaves (no names given, only age and gender):
35 F; 32 M; 28 M; 24 M; 20 M; 18 F; 17 F; 14 F; 6 F; 4 M; and, 2 F.
(2) Nathan Simmons is shown owning 11 slaves also in the 1855 Slave Census. He died in late 1857, and 5 slaves were sold per probate court records regarding his WIll. None of their ages are shown in the probate record, only first name and gender.
(3) Then, according to the 1860 Federal Ceusus of Slaves for the Southern District of Macon County, his widow Mrs Martha W. Simmons (nee Robertson), owned 13 slaves (no names, only age and gender):
60 M; 50 F; 45 M; (2) 35 F; 22 M; 20 M; 18 M; 18 F; 16 F; 14 F; 8 F; and, 1 M.
Looking at (1), (2) and (3), clearly something significant changed between 1850 and 1860, perhaps triggered by his death in late 1857, regarding the ages and gender profiles in the Simmons family slave records. I would not have expected the number of slaves to grow, but rather to diminsh; that didn't happen. Also, only a few of the ages shown in 1860 are increased by 10 years over any ages shown in 1850, and many are new ages. I have no idea how to account for the increase in number, or the change in the age and gender profile of the slave population shown. More research will perhaps lead me to some new discoveries there.
James M. Simmons
Now for a different story than what I had expected. The 1860 Federal Census of the Northern Division of Macon County, with P.O. given as Auburn, shows that he is an OVERSEER. This is a surprise! It lists him and his wife, and four girls (including set of twins), and from the position of his name following a Farmer above and below his, its not easy to tell if James M. Simmons is an overseer on which farm. More research into the Farmer's names - Eliza Birch and Mary Walker - who are FEMALE Farmers, will tell me the size of the farms they own and if they owned slaves.
Not only was he an OVERSEER, I found in the regular 1860 census record taken 5 Sept 1860, that James M. Simmons himself owned a total of 9 slaves in 1860. These possibly included the two male slaves he purchased from the estate of Nathaniel Simmons. The gender and ages of these slaves is shown as:
45 F; 40 F; 23 M; 21 M; 21 F; (2) 17 F; 3 F; and, 1 F.
I then discovered a Phillip Lightfoot in the 1860 Census of Southern District of Macon County, perhaps the same person who handled the Will for Nathan Simmons in 1858. The record shows him owning 42 slaves, with ages between 60 and 4, with an A. H. Simmons above him on the list (7 slaves) and a W. M or W. H. Simmons below him on the list (6 slaves).
It points out another emerging discovery of how many different Simmons families lived n Macon County at that time; I had only been interested in ONE family named Simmons who lived there! Naive of me.
This recent research has certainly set the stage for me to better understand what happened next - the onset of the Civil War in Macon County. I can hope it leads to a greater appreciation of the War's impact on one white family there, and on numerous black persons and black families who escaped slavery by the end of it. One impact for sure was the impressment into the Confederate Army of my g-gf, James Rufus Simmons, age 17, in 1864.
The journey continues .....
I am still unsure of the brother-to-brother relationship, but it generally fits the preliminary information I have. [There are several William Simmons' in the records, including a William H. Simmons who moved at some point in time across the river to Tallapoosa County.]
(1) According to the 1850 Federal Census of Slaves for District 21, the Southern District of Macon County, taken 11 Jan 1851, he owned 11 slaves (no names given, only age and gender):
35 F; 32 M; 28 M; 24 M; 20 M; 18 F; 17 F; 14 F; 6 F; 4 M; and, 2 F.
(2) Nathan Simmons is shown owning 11 slaves also in the 1855 Slave Census. He died in late 1857, and 5 slaves were sold per probate court records regarding his WIll. None of their ages are shown in the probate record, only first name and gender.
(3) Then, according to the 1860 Federal Ceusus of Slaves for the Southern District of Macon County, his widow Mrs Martha W. Simmons (nee Robertson), owned 13 slaves (no names, only age and gender):
60 M; 50 F; 45 M; (2) 35 F; 22 M; 20 M; 18 M; 18 F; 16 F; 14 F; 8 F; and, 1 M.
Looking at (1), (2) and (3), clearly something significant changed between 1850 and 1860, perhaps triggered by his death in late 1857, regarding the ages and gender profiles in the Simmons family slave records. I would not have expected the number of slaves to grow, but rather to diminsh; that didn't happen. Also, only a few of the ages shown in 1860 are increased by 10 years over any ages shown in 1850, and many are new ages. I have no idea how to account for the increase in number, or the change in the age and gender profile of the slave population shown. More research will perhaps lead me to some new discoveries there.
James M. Simmons
Now for a different story than what I had expected. The 1860 Federal Census of the Northern Division of Macon County, with P.O. given as Auburn, shows that he is an OVERSEER. This is a surprise! It lists him and his wife, and four girls (including set of twins), and from the position of his name following a Farmer above and below his, its not easy to tell if James M. Simmons is an overseer on which farm. More research into the Farmer's names - Eliza Birch and Mary Walker - who are FEMALE Farmers, will tell me the size of the farms they own and if they owned slaves.
Not only was he an OVERSEER, I found in the regular 1860 census record taken 5 Sept 1860, that James M. Simmons himself owned a total of 9 slaves in 1860. These possibly included the two male slaves he purchased from the estate of Nathaniel Simmons. The gender and ages of these slaves is shown as:
45 F; 40 F; 23 M; 21 M; 21 F; (2) 17 F; 3 F; and, 1 F.
I then discovered a Phillip Lightfoot in the 1860 Census of Southern District of Macon County, perhaps the same person who handled the Will for Nathan Simmons in 1858. The record shows him owning 42 slaves, with ages between 60 and 4, with an A. H. Simmons above him on the list (7 slaves) and a W. M or W. H. Simmons below him on the list (6 slaves).
It points out another emerging discovery of how many different Simmons families lived n Macon County at that time; I had only been interested in ONE family named Simmons who lived there! Naive of me.
This recent research has certainly set the stage for me to better understand what happened next - the onset of the Civil War in Macon County. I can hope it leads to a greater appreciation of the War's impact on one white family there, and on numerous black persons and black families who escaped slavery by the end of it. One impact for sure was the impressment into the Confederate Army of my g-gf, James Rufus Simmons, age 17, in 1864.
The journey continues .....