Samuel Nettles seeks to recover seven slaves from Hannah Nettles, the widow of his late brother James. The petitioner, "being a timid man, his mind confused and weakened by his family difficulties," admits that he placed eleven slaves in the possession of his brother when he "parted from" his wife in 1842. Nettles confesses that he intended "to preserve his property and to fix it in such a manner that he could not be deprived of it" in the event that his wife sought alimony and to "simply" mislead the "friends of his said wife and to cause them to beleive that your orator had actually made a bona fide sale of said negroes to the said James Nettles." He "firmly beleives that no difficulty would have arisen between the said James Nettles and your orator, about the said negroes, if the said James Nettles were now living." However, he charges that Hannah Nettles, who has said slaves in her possession as administratrix, "refuses to deliver the said ... negroes to your Orator." The petitioner therefore prays that "the said Hannah Nettles may be decreed to make a specific delivery of the said negroes to ... your orator" and that she "may be decreed to account to your orator for the annual hire of the said negroes, and for other and further releif." Samuel reveals that James bought three of the slaves before he died and that he "exchanged one of the said slaves ... with the knowledge & consent of your orator."
Result: Dismissed.
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Repository: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia, South Carolina
