Scope and Contents: In this letter from George Stannard (of Louisville, Kentucky) to Frederick William Tilton (of New Orleans, Louisiana), Stannard begins by describing certain troubles he has had with his slave, Smith. Smith’s wife apparently resides in New Orleans under the ownership of a man named H. Lucas, and recently Smith has voiced a desire to either be sold to Mr. Lucas or to be hired out to a job in New Orleans presumably to be closer to his wife. Stannard asks Tilton if he might discuss with Mr. Lucas the possibility of buying Smith for a price between $1,200 and $1,600 dollars (though Stannard admits that he is not entirely sure of Smith’s worth as he has never tried to sell him).
In latter half of the letter, Stannard asks after two of Tilton’s friends, Caroline and Frances, and asks if either of them might be persuaded to either write Stannard a letter or visit him in Kentucky. Stannard also briefly discusses his advice for and concern for an apparently younger friend named George.
After Stannard’s signature, he adds a short note concerning the news of a local divorce case.
Researchers of Tulane University might recognize the name Frederick William Tilton, the notable confederate financial backer and New Orleans businessman, from which the Howard-Tilton Library gets half its name due to his wife’s $50,000 donation facilitating the library’s construction.
| Louisiana Research Collection
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