12/29/2023 0 Comments Edwin epps ancestorsIn 12 Years a Slave, Northup cites Patsey as the offspring of a Guinea ******, brought over to Cuba in a slave ship, and in the course of trade transferred to Buford, who was her mothers owner. That owner, said in the book to be James Buford (more likely named William J. Piecing together the genealogy of a slave, as it turns out, almost always must happen through reconstructing those of his or her owners. He worked alongside Patsey and six other slaves (Abram, Wiley, Phebe, Bob, Henry, and Edward)all but Edward came to Louisiana from neighboring plantations in Williamsburg County, South Carolina. Northup spent 10 of his 12 enslaved years as Eppss property, the latter eight of them on his plantation in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, in an area near Bunkie known now as Eola, then as Holmesville. Sue Eakin, the LSU of Alexandria professor and historian who devoted her life to researching Northups story). I prepared for my time in Patseys South for a month and a half, beginning with the facts of Northups book (my particular copy being an enhanced edition by Dr. No one else Id spoken with at that point seemed to think it possible. "Oh, but you'll find her eventually," Lawson quickly followed up. ![]() This one came from John Lawson, local historian and patron of the Alexandria Genealogical Library a space flush with resources and rife with knowledgeable volunteers, all of whom have a passion for the subject. ∽o you have a year of your life to spare? Id heard similar versions of this retort in the wake of introducing my articles subject, but it wasnt until my third day in central Louisiana that I truly started to believe it. How can it be this hard to find one woman? The question seems as deceptively simple as Patseys, but the difficulty in answering proves emblematic of the lost histories of many slaves. The investigation has unearthed two new theories for every one posed, protruding from the murk of research like so many cypress knees lining Louisianas bayous. I hand-cranked microfiche machines until my wrist was so stiff I couldnt move it. I drove through towns with a Louisiana-history picture book on my lap in an attempt to match the old and new. I practically went cross-eyed after days of squinting at vital records recorded in miniscule cursive writing I pulled archival books as heavy as small children from high shelves in cavernous, dusty warehouses I almost hydroplaned into ditches while exploring unpaved backroads during rainstorms. Ive spoken with experts in the fields of genealogy and historical research, consulted professors, archivists and historians, even traveled to the town in Louisiana where Eppss plantation, once stoodall in an attempt to track Patseys life after Northups departure in 1853. ![]() ![]() I have scoured annotated versions of Northups text, census records, court documents, online genealogy databases, libraries, and newspapers from the era. What became of this girl, Northups close acquaintance and one of the major figures in his book, who was terrorized by her master and mistress? Did she succumb to one of the bouts of disease that swept the Louisiana-bayou slave communities? Did Eppss severe beatings or his wifes unhinged jealousy take their toll, or did he perhaps sell her some time after 1853? Was she secreted away by members of the Underground Railroad? Did she survive until emancipation rolled through the area via the Red River Campaign in 1864, then travel elsewhere? Or did she remain in Louisiana?įor more than two months, I have considered these possibilities and more, in an attempt to respond to Patseys plea. Yet Patseys haunting question, Whatll become of me?, remains unanswered. Last year's big-screen adaptation of his narrative, 12 Years a Slave, is currently nominated for nine Academy Awardsincluding a best supporting actress nod for the woman who plays Patsey, Lupita Nyongo. One hundred sixty-one years later, Northup's account of his kidnapping and time as a slave on Edwin Epps's Louisiana plantation has been authenticated by scholars with annotated versions of Northups book, supplemental textbooks and articles detailing his life. When a free black man named Solomon Northup was rescued from 12 years of bondage in January of 1853, a fellow slave, a young woman named Patsey, called after him tearfully. With 12 Years a Slave putting Solomon Northups story in the spotlight, Katie Calautti attempts to discover the fate of Patseyand learns just how impossible it can be to find one woman when that woman was a slave.
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