The Home Colony at Davis Bend, Mississippi was established by the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1863-64 on land formerly owned by Jefferson Davis and his brother. Residents of the colony farmed some 5,000 acres on the site of the former Davis Bend Plantation, and in 1864 produced a crop valued by Freedmen’s Bureau representatives at $160,000 [1].
The register lists the name, sex, age color, occupation, residence, name of former slaveholder, and former residence of freedmen at the colony[2].
| Names | Sex | Age | Color | Occupation | Residence | Former Owner | Former Residence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carloline Mills | Female | 29 | Blk | Field Hand | Home Colony | Benjamin Bonyer | Wilkerson Co., Miss. | |
| Mathew Milles | Male | 12 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Anthony Milles | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| James Milles | " | 3 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Lizzie Bonyer | Female | 20 | " | " | " | Henry Bonyer | Copiah | |
| Mary A Bonyer | " | 3 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Lucy Godbow | " | 48 | " | " | " | Frak Godbow | " | |
| Aleck Godbow | Male | 13 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Harry Godbow | " | 10 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| George Godbow | " | 7 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Anderson Godbow | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Manda Godbow | Female | 9 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Maria Godbow | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Eliza Thomas | " | 20 | " | " | " | Louis Dangfield | Jeff. Co, Miss. | |
| Mary Thomas | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Laura Roberson | " | 57 | " | " | " | Clem Watson | Maderson Co., Miss. | |
| Anna Roberson | " | 17 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Mary Baldwin | " | 22 | " | " | " | Letty T. Mamellton | Jefferson Co., Miss. | |
| Percilla H Hamelin | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Frank Beryo | " | 15 | " | " | " | Frank Godbow | Copiah Co., Miss. | |
| Amelia Godbow | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Flora Curry | " | 20 | " | " | " | John Curry | Franklin Co., Miss. | |
| Alick Curry | Male | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Bell January | Female | 20 | " | " | " | Wade Harrison | Jefferson Co., Miss. | |
| Manda Williams | " | 24 | " | " | " | Dick Carelet | Copiah Co., Miss. | |
| America Williams | Male | 24 | " | " | " | Daniel Ashburne | ||
| Francis McDaniel | Female | 34 | " | " | " | John McDaniel | Franklin Co., Miss. | |
| Clarkson McDaniel | Male | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Lee McDaniel | " | 12 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Johnson McDaniel | " | 7 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Catherin McDaniel | Female | 13 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Sarah McDaniel | " | 16 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Mary A Edwards | " | 50 | " | Cook | " | C[illegible] Eastus | Adams Co., Miss. | |
| Butler Edwards | Male | 10 | " | " | " | " | ||
| Angerlin Gaines | Female | 35 | " | Field Hand | " | Benjamin Henry | Jefferson Co., Miss. | |
| Caroline Gaines | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Isabella Gaines | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| William Gaines | Male | 7 | Blk | Field Hand | Home Colony | Benjamin Henry | Jefferson Co., Miss. | Child |
| Lydia Gaines | Female | 4 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Celia Gaines | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Nancy Butler | " | 45 | " | " | " | Aleck Bo[illegible] | Adams Co., Miss. | Sol wife for duts |
| Betsey Butler | " | 16 | " | " | " | " | " | Child for duty |
| Harriet Butler | " | 13 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Lucinda Butler | " | 11 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Anna Butler | " | 5 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Milla Johnson | " | 19 | " | " | " | Jarrad Branston | " | Sol wife for duty |
| Leah Baker | " | 50 | " | " | " | " | " | Unfit for duty |
| Stanly Baker | Male | 9 | " | " | " | " | " | for duty |
| Horace Drody | " | 4 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Phenbie Cristmas | Female | 50 | Yellow | House Servant | " | James Woods | " | For duty |
| Henrietta Cristmas | " | 15 | Brown | " | " | " | " | |
| Al[illegible] Cristmas | " | 9 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Joseph Cristmas | Male | 12 | " | School Boy | " | " | " | " |
| Frank Cristmas | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Celena Cristmas | Female | 6 | " | School Girl | " | " | " | " |
| Maranda Roberson | " | 25 | Blk | Field Hand | " | A Sarers | Alabama | For duty |
| Albert Robertson | Male | 7 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Clinton Robertson | Male | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | |
| Lucinda Alberson | Female | 70 | " | " | " | Lemuel Cormor | Adams Co., Miss. | Unfit for duty |
| Peter Aberson | Male | 11 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Moses Aberson | " | 8 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| John Aberson | " | 5 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Sarah Graves | Female | 24 | " | " | " | Joe Sesions | Louisiana Com. Co. | For duty |
| Reachel Brooks | " | 50 | " | " | " | James Gulesper | " Commerce Co. | |
| Sarah Harvy | " | 20 | " | " | " | Benjamin Henry | Jefferson Co. | " |
| Louisa Rine | " | 16 | " | " | " | John Hamel | Louisiana | Sol wife for duty |
| Cora McCarty | " | 12 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Decy Rice | " | 1 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Harriet Hudson | " | 21 | " | " | " | Benjamin Harris | Jeff. Co, Miss. | Sol wife for duty |
| Milly Hudson | " | 6 | " | " | " | " | " | Child |
| Clarey Hudson | " | 2 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Rechel P[illegible] | " | 34 | " | " | " | Emily Golbow | Willson Co., Miss. | Sol wife for duty |
| Mary Yates | " | 32 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
| Jem Yates | " | 6 | " | " | " | " | " | " |
Source Citations
[1] Ranson, Roger and Richard Sutz n.d. “The Rise of Sharecropping in the American South.” Southern Economic History Working Papers Series I. http://www.csep.ucr.edu/richardsutch/sharecrop/rise%20of%20sharecropping%20I.pdf, accessed 12 Oct, 2014.
[2] “Mississippi, Freedmen’s Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1872,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-45819-7930-51?cc=2333768&wc=9L33-92F:1078468707,1078468709 : accessed 27 December 2014), Davis Bend > Roll 16, Register of freemen at the home colony, undated > image 1 of 33; citing NARA microfilm publication M1907, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.