Nicholas Harrison hired William Pettyjohn Jr. in 1816 as an overseer at a salary of about three hundred dollars per year. Later, he borrowed five hundred dollars from Pettyjohn, executing bonds for a portion of the overseer's salary as well as the debt. When he decided to "break up the plantation overlooked by the defendant," Harrison discharged the bonds by selling Pettyjohn two slaves for $1,350; however, he failed to stipulate that the slaves would remain on the farm until the crop was harvested. As a result, Harrison was forced to hire his own former slaves at ten dollars per month. He signed bonds to that effect, but subsequently was unable to retrieve and cancel the bonds, though he tried to do so on a number of occasions. Now, to his "utter astonishment," Pettyjohn is suing him. Harrison seeks an injunction to halt the proceedings.
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Repository: Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
