Rolly Wrather asks the court to enjoin Henry and Levi White and Adam Finch from selling his slave named Charlotte. Wrather explains that he hired Charlotte to his son, Alexander, "during the term of the year 1846." Finch, a constable, has levied executions "upon said Girl Charlotte" at the "instance of the said Henry and Levi B White, who are or pretend to be creditors of the said Alexander B. Wrather." The petitioner asserts that Charlotte "never was the property of the said Alexander B. further than he acquired a specie property by hiring her for the year." Averring that Charlotte was in fact "born in your orator's family," Wrather declares that he "attaches peculiar value to her that cannot be compensated by damages." He asks the court to determine "by what authority they have interfered with said slave" and to decree that Charlotte be "delivered up to your Orator." Related testimonies indicate that Wrather may have in fact given Charlotte to Alexander a number of years prior to the filing of the suit and had inquired from a neighbor how to prevent Charlotte from being seized for Alexander's debt.
Result: Dismissed; appealed; affirmed.
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Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tennessee
