Walter L. Campbell Slave Trader
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Federal law required ships carrying enslaved people to a shipping port to have a manifest. The manifest required a date, destination, captain's name, slave owner and or shipper's name, slave's age and height and date of certification of the custom collector. The New Orleans, Louisiana, U S., Slave Manifests 1807 to 1860 is an incomplete collection of slave ships that entered the port of New Orleans. I searched this collection and found that B. M. and W. L. Campbell along with other slave owners and or shippers had over 50 slaves with the name Mary Johnson or a variation of the name from 1821 to 1852 in the collection. I think this did not occur by chance. I believe that the actual names of these enslaved women were changed to Mary Johnson. With an different name, it would be very difficult or impossible for the enslaved woman's family or anyone to locate them. I have not found a definitive source to support my assumption.
Mary Johnson was transported by ship from Baltimore, Maryland to New Orleans, Louisiana. I believe I have found the slave manifest which has ancestor Mary Johnson.
The manifest states: MANIFEST OF NEGROES, MULATTOS, and PERSONS OF COLOR, taken on board the Jane Henderson where of G W Collins(?) is Master 137 tons, to be transported to the port of New Orleans in the district of Louisiana for the purpose of being sold or disposed of as slaves, or to be held in the service of labor.
In upper right hand corner, the names B M and W L Campbell Baltimore is written. The shipper is identified a B M Campbell. The custom collector certified the above named slaves to be correct and dated November 26, 1852 The manifest continues: the slaves described have not been imported into the United State since the first day in January, one thousand eight hundred and eight and under the Laws of the State of Maryland are held to service or labor as Slaves and are not entitled to freedom under these laws, at a certain time and after a period of service.--SO HELP US GOD.
On the document listed number 12 is Mary Johnson female age 17, five feet five inches and color black. She arrived on a ship from Baltimore to New Orleans on November 26, 1852 and B M and W L Campbell are identified on the manifest. She was sold by Walter L. Campbell a known slave trader. Her age on the Bill of Sale states about 18 years old. Mary Johnson was sold 10 days after arriving to New Orleans to Delia Stowell from Pike County, Mississippi.
On September 18, 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed by the United States Congress. This act had three major components 1) that the federal government was responsible for finding escaped slaves 2) slaves be returned to their owner if in a free state and 3) anyone who aided a runaway slave were subject to six months in prison and a $1000 fine the equivalent of $38,052,31 in 2022. Baltimore, Maryland is over a thousand miles from New Orleans, Louisiana. Mary Johnson would be enslaved for life.
More information to come.
--- The Tree Gardener
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