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Subject:	Re: VA-HIST Digest - 10 Dec 2001 to 13 Dec 2001 (#2001-218)
From:	Henry Wiencek <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:	Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history <[log in to unmask]>
Date:	Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:52:50 -0500
Content-Type:	text/plain
Parts/Attachments:	text/plain (39 lines)

I'm trying to get a sense of the amount of work done by George
Washington's slaves and I am coming up with a number I find hard to
believe.  At his plantation in King William County in April 1763 he
recorded 190,000 corn holes and 170,000 tobacco hills.  His roster (see
below) mentions 15 slaves or "Negro sharers" on the place with 2
overseers, which means each slave did 24,000 hills and holes!  This
number seems impossible.  Can anyone shed light on this?

Many thanks,
Henry Wiencek
Charlottesville

From "The Diaries of George Washington," vol I, p. 309:
At my Plantation in King William

15 Negroe Sharers
2 Overseer
17 in all
126 head of Cattle besides Calves--9 of this spring
52 head of sheep besides Lambs--13
8 Sows for Breeding
16 for Porkers at the Fall
18--of 6 Months old
32--of 6 Weeks Ditto
28 young Pigs
102 in all

M 190 Corn holes good Tale.

M 170 Tobo. Hills Do. Do.

M 190 CORN HOLES:

Editor's note: That is, 190,000 corn holes. GW frequently used the roman
numeral M to indicate one thousand.

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