| Citation |
VGR(DN.780.011
30 Aug 1780:42 (78)
Forty pounds hard money reward. For taking and delivering
to me near Fauquier Court-house, the four following Negroes,
who ran away the 9th instant, viz. . . [26 lines describing
two men.]
Mark, about 25 years old, a stout, able black fellow,
about 5 feet 8 inches high, born in the island of St. Jago,
and speaks the Portuguese language; by his talk is easily
discovered to be a foreigner, very active, and remarkable
for his ingenuity; and although he has worked with a stone
mason and brick-layer, has no particular trade by being
capable of doing something at almost every kind of business,
blows the French horn, can play on the fiddle, whistles many
tunes well, and to be heard at a surprizing distance, is
fond of marches and church musick, particularly that
belonging to the roman Catholic religion, which he
professes; carried with him a twilled woollen jacket, a pair
of red trousers, one or more white shirts, and some of brown
linen, and a wool hat. I cannot give a particular
description of his dress which I expect his inginuity will
vary as often as he finds it necessary. He has the mark of
a cut on the outside (I believe) of his left hand. . . [8
lines, description of another man named Will.]
From their manner of going off, and without having had any
previous difference with any of them, I suspect it must have
been a plan sometime concerted with a design of getting on
board some vessel in the rivers or bay, as all of them have
been accustomed to go by water in river craft, and are well
acquainted with all the harbours and creeks, on some of
which I exepct they will be found lurking. . . [4 lines,
signed] William Allason. Fauquier, July 12, 1780.
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