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Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of
Georgia
Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, 1865 - 1869
National Archives Publication M798 Roll 36
"Unbound Miscellaneous Papers"
State of Georgia vs. Thad,
a slave the property of William A. Collins
Affidavits and Statements
Affidavit of William A. Collins
Georgia, Columbia Cty.
Personally appeared before me, a Justice of the Peace, Dr.
W. A. Collins who deposeth and saith that Thaddeus, the boy charged by Miss Brown with
rape on her person on the 21st June 1863, was then in his employ and was about
home up to 9 or ½ after nine in the morning of that day. That his recollection is that
deponent saw him as late as ½ after 9 O'clock. That the said boy Thaddeus while in his
employ was faithful and trustworthy while in his
employ.
W. A. Collins
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 24th
1866.
A. B. Tankersley, J. P.
Affidavit of Thomas M. Garrett
Georgia, Columbia County
Personally appeared before me, Augustus B. Tankersley, an
acting Justice of the Peace in and for Columbia County, Thomas M. Garrett and being duly
sworn deposeth and saith that on the 21st day of June eighteen hundred &
sixty three Nathan Brown came to deponent's house about 9 O'clock a.m. in quest of dogs to
hunt a Negro who he said had committed a rape on his daughter Carrolin on
the day above stated and that he deponent went to F. M. Fuller and got dogs and went to
the place where the offence was said to have been committed and arrived at Fuller's about
half after nine O'c a.m. and his best recollection is he arrived at the place where the
offence was said to have been committed about 10 or 11 O'c with the dogs and that the
distance from where Thad lived to Brown's, the place where the rape was said to have been
committed, in his judgement is about 4 miles and that in his judgement from deponents
house to Brown's is about two and a half miles and from deponents to Fuller's about half
mile.
T. M. Garrett
Sworn to and subscribed before me this March 6, 1866.
A. B. Tankersley
Affidavit of F. M. Fuller
Georgia, Columbia Cty.
Before me, a Justice of the Peace, personally came Frances
M. Fuller who after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that on Sunday morning the 21st
of June 1863 at or about the hour of ten O'clock of the forenoon of that day T. M. Garrett
came to my house in pursuit of track running dogs to hunt up and apprehend a person who
had that morning committed a rape on the person of Miss Brown distant about four miles off
my house.
F. M. Fuller
Sworn to and subscribed before me this February 28th,
1866.
A. B. Tankersley, J. P.
Statement of Sam Steed
Georgia, Columbia Ct.
I solemnly affirm that I was at Dr. W. A. Collins on Sunday
Morning 21st June 1863 (having at that time a wife there) the day on which it
was charged that a rape was committed on Miss Brown and that I saw Thaddeus there, then
the property of Dr. Collins, up to ten O'clock or after in the morning, I think it was
after 10 O'clock when he left in company of Gabriel Boyd to go to Mr. Tankersley some
three and a half miles distant.
Sam (X) Steed
Witness W. A. Collins
Statement of Freedmen
Georgia, Columbia Cty.
The undersigned Freedmen do hereby solemnly affirm that
they were living at the house and on the premises of Dr. W. A. Collins on the 21st
June 1863 with Thaddeus the one which he was charged with rape on the person of Miss
Brown, that said Thaddeus did not leave home until 10 O'clock of that day or after ten,
that he was about home all the morning and when he left he left in company of Gabriel
Boyd. Given under our hands 26 Feby. 1866.
Tom (X) Collins
John (X) Collins
Ed (X) Collins
Ann (X) Collins
George (X) Collins
Test. W. A. Collins
Affidavit of Benj. Bolton
Georgia, Columbia Cty.
Personally appeared before me a Justice of the Peace, Benj.
Bolton who after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he was at the house of Dr. W. A.
Collins on Sunday morning of the 21st June 1863 about ½ after eight O'clock of
that morning and there and then saw Thaddeus a mulatto boy who was charged on that day
with rape on the person of Ms. Brown of this County.
B. T. Bolton
Sworn to and subscribed before me this Feb. 28th,
1866.
E. A. Shields, J. P.
Affidavit of William Kinebrew
State of Georgia
Columbia County
Personally appeared before me, Augustus B. Tankersley, an
acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County, William Kinebrew, a Freedman and being
duly sworn deposeth and saith that on Sunday the 21st day of June eighteen
hundred and sixty three he saw Thaddeus Collins a Freedman coming from the direction of
his home to where he William then and now resides, to wit, Mrs. Margaret Tankersley's,
about twelve or near twelve O'c of the day and after staying a short time he returned back
in the same direction in which he came and that Gabriel Boyd a Freedman was with him
(Thad) and returned with him, and that Mr. Garrett had passed some time before Thad had
come to his house with the dogs.
William (X) Kinebrew
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 6th day
of March 1866.
A. B. Tankersley, J. P.
Affidavit of Sarah A. Collins
Georgia, Columbia Cty.
Personally came before me a Justice of the Peace, Mrs.
Sarah A. Collins who deposeth and saith that Thaddeus a boy charged with rape on the
person of Miss Brown on the 21st June 1863 was then in the employ of deponent
and was about home she thinks as late as ½ after 9 O'clock or later, that the boy was
kept about the house generally and was faithful and trustworthy.
Sarah A. Collins
Sworn to before me this 24th Feby. 1866
A. B. Tankersley, J. P.
Affidavit of William B. Tankersley
State of Georgia
Columbia County
Personally appeared before me Augustus B. Tankersley, an
acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County, William B. Tankersley, and being duly
sworn deposeth and saith that on the 21st day of June eighteen hundred and
sixty three and about 12 O'c noon of the day he saw Thad a Freedman going in the direction
of his home from his, Deponents, mother house, viz., Mrs. Margaret Tankersley and that Mr.
Nathan Brown passed about 9 O'c a.m. going after Mr. Fuller's dogs; and that his best
judgement is that the distance from where Thad then lived to where the offence was said to
have been committed is about four miles; and that he Deponent lived about half mile from
Nathan Brown and between him and F. M. Fuller and that he had a conversation with Caroline
Brown the prosecutrix in the case and told deponent that the rape was committed on her
about or between 8 and 9 O'c a.m. of the 21st day of June 1863 and she did not
know Thad and had never seen him before and that her description of Thad was very vague
and unsatisfactory.
William B. Tankersley
Sworn to and subscribed before me this the 6th
day of March 1866.
A. B. Tankersley, J. P.
Affidavit of Gabriel Boyd
Georgia
Columbia County
Came before, Gabriel Boyd, about 20 years old and after
being duly sworn saith that he left Dr. Boyd's where he lived & went to Dr. Collins'
on Sunday before the trial had at Mr. Rick S. Neal place and about an hour after sunrise.
That he waited till Thad got ready to go which was nearly 11 O'clock in the morning before
they left. He was in company with Thad from Dr. Collins to Mr. Tankersley's Still house
and was in sight of him all the time till they returned back to Dr. Collins. That they
were separated not over 15 minutes when he stopped to pick plums on the way. When we got
to the Still Thad got a small bottle full of liquor & came off. We met Ambrose Ham
near Mrs. A. B. Tankersley, also Hannah Tankersley at (illegible) oak tree near the ?back
of Mr. Tankersley (illegible) of the house. Those two was all the persons we saw on the
road going & returning. I know positively that Thad could not be guilty of what Miss
Brown charges him with on that day as he was with Thad at Dr. Collins till they left &
after they returned was with him till near night. Was about four miles from Dr. Collins to
Tankersley's still & we (remaining text illegible).
Gabriel (X) Boyd
Sworn to before me this 27th day of February
1866
S. Crawford, Agt.
Bureau F. R. & A. L.
for Columbia County, Ga.
Said in presence of M. McDaniel
Affidavit of Celina Tankersley
State of Georgia
Columbia County
Personally appeared before me, Augustus B. Tankersley, an
Justice of the Peace in and for said County, Celina Tankersley, a Freed woman and being
duly sworn deposeth and saith that on the 21st day of June 1863 between eleven
and twelve O'c a.m. she saw Thad Collins & Gabriel Boyd, Freedmen, cross the big road
near Mrs. Margarett Tankersley and coming from the direction of his, Thads, home and there
he stopped about 15 minutes in the road talking to Hannah and then went on in the
direction of Mrs. Tankersley.
Celina (X) Tankersley
Sworn to and subscribed before me this March 6th
1866.
A. B. Tankersley
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