African Americans of the Kentucky Borderlands

Items

• 1878--Henrietta Woods Lawsuit
  Born in Boone Co. and owned by the Tousey family. She was sold several times, then freed. She was kidnapped and sold south in 1853, having obtained her freedom only five years prior. She was held as a slave until the end of the Civil War, then served her former slaveholder for another four years before returning to Cincinnati in 1869. In 1870 she began the lawsuit against her captors that she ultimately won in 1878. She was awarded $2500.
• Born in Slavery
  An article describing a lawsuit brought forth by George Towsey: "The filing of a partition suit recently in common pleas court by George Towsey, 1269 Lane street, Hamilton, revealed that the plaintiff had been born in slavery and that Thomas Wilson, father of the late President Woodrow Wilson, had at one time held a chattel mortgage on him. In addition, Towsey cited the fact that the two defendants in the suit, his nephew, Alfred Parker, and niece, Amanda Bedenbaugh, Oxford, also were descendants of slaves. According to the suit, his father, John Towsey, married Louise Jefferson in Kentucky while both were slaves. From that union, came the plaintiff and Judy Towsey, another of the defendants."
• Wood, Henrietta
  Henrietta Wood was born in Boone Co. and owned by the Tousey family. She was sold several times, then freed. She was kidnapped and sold south in 1853, having obtained her freedom only five years prior. She was held as a slave until the end of the Civil War, then served her former slaveholder for another four years before returning to Cincinnati in 1869. In 1870 she began the lawsuit against her captors that she ultimately won in 1878. She was awarded $2500.
• unknown, Dennis [2]
  Freedom seeker Dennis escaped from Georgetown enslaver Hugh Emison on May 15, 1813. He was spotted with a white man in Dry Ridge, Grant County, two days later, presumably making his way toward Cincinnati. Dennis was about 27 years old, blind in one eye and was likely to be carrying paperwork from a previously pending freedom lawsuit in Harrison County. A reward of up to $100 was offered for his return.
• 1813 - Scott Co., Freedom for Dennis
  Freedom seeker Dennis escaped from Georgetown enslaver Hugh Emison on May 15, 1813. He was spotted with a white man in Dry Ridge, Grant County, two days later, presumably making his way toward Cincinnati. Dennis was about 27 years old, blind in one eye and was likely to be carrying paperwork from a previously pending freedom lawsuit in Harrison County. A reward of up to $100 was offered for his return.
• Cirrode, Jane
• Tousey, Moses
  Born in 1775 to Thomas and Mercy Platt Tousey, Moses Tousey was one of three brothers who migrated to Boone County just after 1800. The brothers established a ferry service directly across the Ohio River from Lawrenceburg, Indiana near what is now Petersburg, Kentucky.
• 1865--Henry Bishop sues for family's freedom
  Henry Bishop served as a sergeant in the United State Colored Troops during the Civil War. Upon returning from combat, Bishop discovered his wife and several children were still held in bondage by former slaveholders. In December, 1865, Bishop brought a habeas corpus suit, citing his military service and federal law, against Aaron Yager and Lewis Conner who held his family in Boone County.
• n.d.--Kitty Sues For Freedom
  Sued for her freedom and won, after being emancipated then placed under the "care of a trustee."
• 1876--Lewis Lilly sues for false imprisonment
  Lewis Lilly (formerly of Florence) sues Benjamin F. Norman of Florence in Kenton County Circuit Court. A judgement of $1000 awarded to the plaintiff in 1877. Norman appealed and the decision was overturned. Lilly appealled the decision and was given an order in January of 1878 to produce a bill of evidence by first day of next court term. No other information was found. Lilly died in November 1879.
• 1829--Record vs. Tousey and Record
  An 1829 court case was filed by Thomas Record, who sued Zerah Tousey of Boone County, Kentucky, and William Record of Dearborn County, alleging that they had kidnapped him in 1812 and taken him to Kentucky, where he was held as a slave for many years. He sued for $15,000.