Franklin & Armfield: Part II

Welcome back to Part II of Franklin & Armfield. In our last article we stopped just before the Forks at the Road slave market was established in Natchez, Mississippi… but before we go on, I did a little skit about Western Union in the last article. Western Union didn’t exist until 1851… just wanted to get that out of the way. It’s been bothering me a whole week. Anywho… an outbreak of cholera had the local people up in arms about the number of unburied and partially buried dead bodies of enslaved people littering their fields and floating in their rivers, not to mention putting a damper on their Sunday picnics. Franklin had blamed the fiasco on his overseer who had died the week before from the disease. Speaking of overseer, a lot of the overseers were black. I don’t know if Franklin’s were black, but they used black overseers not only to keep an eye on enslaved people in the fields, but also to keep an eye on them at the enslaved quarters. One of their primary duties was to inform the Massa if someone was going to try and run. You could tell where the overseer lived because his shack was the only one with curtains in the window…
Massa: Jim Boy, Ima has to take your curtains…
Jim Boy: Why Massa…? Isa takes my no-good azz and whips the tar outta that good for nothing nigra that looked you right in the eyeball… just like you told me… and den I put him to living in the barn with the rest of the animals instead of in the shacks like all of us other no good nigras… Dem udder nigras was hot!! They were giving me the evil eye, putting raisins in my potato salad and I found a size twelve boot nailed to my door with a donkey tail in it. Even the preacher was feeling some kinda way… He gave a sermon, and he told them…
“Put down ye the knives of revenge and stand ye not at the door of the wicked… nail ye not the shoe of pain and the tail of blasphemy… for when the curtains come down, then shall the righteous enter… and the hand shall smite him, and he shall be stabbed in the azz… I mean delivered…”
And he was looking right at me Massa!!
Massa: I’m sorry Jim Boy, I am replacing you with a white man… Now give me those curtains and get to the fields with them other no-good azz nigras… (Jim Boy goes to the fields…)
Jim Boy: You see what I told you… you can’t trust the Massa!!
Us: “Naw Nigra… Naw….”

Fool Me Once

So yeah, they had black overseers too. Now, as I was saying, the townsfolks became hostile after the cholera episode and Franklin had to move out of Natchez. He moved about a mile east of the city into a couple of building that he housed his enslaved people in. As the compound grew, locals strated calling it… excuse my French… Nigg*rville.
After the cholera episode subsided, he wrote to Ballard that he was now selling enslaved people at fair prices. Before, it was get what you could for one. I mean who wants to pay $1000 for the plague. Enslaved people were going for $150… on credit! Anyway, his exact words were he was not going to give up the ship. I don’t know why he didn’t say slave ship… it would have made him seem wittier… but anyway, he was going to keep rolling the dice. By 1833 the Union Bank of Louisiana had been established and it bankrolled all of his debt into usable cash. He had planned to end his partnership with Ballard, but now he was getting his money on. At this time Louisiana had also lifted some of its restrictions on people buying enslaved humans from out of state, and Franklin began sending enslaved people back to New Orleans. Armfield began regular shipments again and sent 300 people to Franklin at the Forks in the Road. They also contracted other traders in Virginia and Maryland, and they shipped additional enslaved people to Natchez.
But you remember that old saying about God don’t like ugly? Well in the late spring of 1833, another episode of cholera broke out again. It was going to be impossible to sell an enslaved human under those conditions. As a matter of fact, Franklin wrote Ballard saying, “”I hope all the fools are not yet dead and some one eyed man will buy us out.”
Fool: Mr. Franklin, I saw your advertisement for top quality Nigras at low prices and I like to take a look at them.
Franklin: Surely my good man… come right in… watch your step there old boy… that nigra is just asleep…
Fool: My gawd sir, do you always let your nigras sleep like that!! Sprawled across the floor!! He looks like he’s… that one got his eyes opened!
Franklin: SIR!! This is Franklin and Armfield!! That’s a top quality nigra on the floor right there. I brought him from deepest, darkest Africa myself!! If you knew anything about quality nigras, you would know that nigra is hibernating!!
Fool: I’m sorry sir… I didn’t mean to offend …
Franklin: That’s quite alright my good man… Not everyone knows a quality nigra when they see one. Now sign right here and I’ll have my overseer load up a wagon full of my most prized ones. Now, they will be hibernating for about a month, that’s why I’m giving them to you at this low price…
Fool: I don’t know how to thank sir… I certainly have learned something today!
Franklin: That what I’m here for… It’s been a pleasure sir. By the way, if my overseer starts hibernating while putting your nigras in the wagon… go ahead and take him too… I’ll throw him in just because I like you…
Fool: I don’t know what to say… Thank you for your kindness sir!
Franklin: Don’t mention it. All I can say is that you sure cleaned up today. Good luck sir!

Money, Money, Money…

That’s why they had short lifespans back in those days…
Anywho, later in the year business started picking back up and Franklin was able to raise his prices 50 percent above normal market value. However, the cholera epidemic was still in progress, and he was only able to break even. Franklin began preparing to retire from the business. He hired his nephews as partners and told Ballard not to pursue additional expansion due to the falling of international cotton prices. It was also more competition in the enslaved market down south now that Louisiana had lifted it restrictions. Franklin moved back to New Orleans and rented some space not far from the location he had when he was forced out during the first cholera pandemic.
Franklin, without another partner at the Forks of the Road, managed both imports and delivered the enslaved to Natchez itself. He became increasingly depressed with business. He was working his azz off and not making any money. Due to the competition, the low prices for enslaved people and the fact that the weather had made a turn for the worst, with snow and freezing rain ensuring the possibility of sugarcane crop failures… well it was no surprise when there was a enslave people supply glut due to mass sales by planters seeking to recuperate their losses. 
He ordered Ballard not to send as many people anymore and to focus instead on getting the money back from people that already owed them.

Western Union Telegram
January 12, 1834
Franklin & Armfield

Dear Mr. Cottonsocks,
We still have not received your remittance for the 85 nigras we sent you three years ago. We have given you the names and you promised to pay forthwith. We now must demand payment immediately.
STOP

Western Union Telegram
January 13, 1834
Esq. James Cottonshirt

Dear Mr. Franklin
It is my deepest regret to inform you that Mr. Cottonsocks is deceased. They found his head with a list of names stuffed in his mouth about a day after your last telegram. We are no longer in possession of the nigras you are inquiring about.
Esq. James Cottonshirt
STOP

Western Union Telegram
January 14, 1834
Franklin & Armfield

Dear Esq. Cottonshirt
It is very distressing to hear this ghastly news. Our deepest condolences. Although this episode is extremely depressing, I am glad to inform you that Mr. Cottonsocks had a 3-year replacement clause in his contract with us. We will replace your escaped nigras with 85 new nigras. However, because of the pandemic, it will be necessary to send you our extremely popular hibernating nigras. Although they will not be field ready for a month or so, after they wake up you can get back to business. There is one caveat though. I’m afraid before we can send you these high quality hibernating nigras, your account must be up to date.
STOP

Western Union Telegram
January 15, 1834
Esq. James Cotton Shirt

Dear Mr. Franklin,
That is great news sir. I shall inform the family and you will receive your funds within a day or two. Not many businesses conduct themselves so honorably. I know of no other business that would honor such a contract. We are indebted to you sir.
STOP

Western Union Telegram
January 16, 1834
Franklin & Armfield

Dear Esq. Cottonshirt,
It is our pleasure Esq. Cottonshirt. Nothing makes us happier than to see that our dear friend Mr. Cottonsocks gets exactly what he deserves. After we have received your remittance, your high quality hibernating nigras will be shipped to you in about two weeks.
Again, our condolences and good luck with your new Negra’s.
STOP

Say What?

Yep… really short life times…
After a few years Franklin begin winding down operations. The Franklin, Ballard, & Co. agreement was altered and renewed in July, giving Franklin a full share of profits under official retirement, with him having “no duties whatever assigned him except what he chooses voluntarily to render.” An enslaved ship in his honor was cast. It was called the S.O.B…. okay no it wasn’t… it was called the Isaac Franklin in his honor. Purposely built for carrying slaves, it was longer and narrower than previous vessels. It notably featured a “man bust head”, a carving of Franklin’s head and torso attached to the ship’s prow. The prow is the lower part of the front of the ship that cuts through the water. Although Franklin offered advice, and still occasionally engaged in slave trading, he mainly retired from the firm in favor of managing his properties in Louisiana and Tennessee. Franklin still went after his debtors even after retirement. A lot of the cases went into foreclosures and the auctioning off of enslaved people to pay Franklin back. The firm’s shipping operations continued, transporting over 1,500 enslaved people aboard the three brigs. In November 1836, the Isaac Franklin shipped the company’s final and largest shipment, with 254 enslaved people shipped from Alexandria to New Orleans. During the Panic of 1937 the company for all intents and purposes ceased selling humans.
The partnership of Franklin and Armfield officially dissolved on November 10, 1841.
Afterwards, Franklin retired to his plantation at Fairvue. He had 117 enslaved people on the property. Now, after he officially retired from the partnership around 1835, he invested in other properties and with these investments, he also purchased great numbers of enslaved people, doubling the number held. In 1838 he forced the sale of a neighboring plantation owner and with that sale, Franklin acquired an additional 205 enslaved persons. At this time, the population of the number of enslave people held by Franklin approached 500 souls! After forcing his neighbor to sell him his property, he acquired three other tracts of land along with other enslaved people. Two of the tracts of land he named after countries in Africa, Loango, and Angola. No one knows why he gave these tracts African names, but the theory is his mamma was black… okay no it’s not… that’s my theory… but for real history doesn’t say why he named these two tracts after African countries.

Naw, I Won’t Tell

On July 2, 1839, Franklin married Adelicia Hayes. She was thirty years his junior. They had three girls and one son. The boy died the day after he was born.
Various health issues, especially stomach problems, plagued Franklin later in life. In late April 1846, he fell gravely ill, and summoned Armfield and a family doctor to the property. He died shortly before their arrival. The doctor said he died of complications stemming from a large porkchop bone stuck in his back… okay no he didn’t… he died from “congestion of the stomach,” on April 27, 1846. I looked up congestion of the stomach and from what I could tell, he had gas. I wonder if Adelicia poisoned him? Anyway, at the time of his death, almost 700 enslaved people were under his authority. As for his wife, in his will he said she could keep all of his estate unless she remarried. If she did, the estate would give her a cash inheritance. She never remarried.
It took Armfield several years to get Franklin estate in order. There were people he owed and people who owed him. His estate also made funds available for the purchase of an additional 190 enslaved people for his West Feliciana properties, housed by the construction of three additional “clusters of buildings.” Now history doesn’t say who the Feliciana property was named after… but I bet it had something to do with a booty call…
Feliciana: Is it good big daddy?
Franklin: Yes mam!!
Feliciana: How much is it worth to you if yo’ wife don’t find out how good it is?
Franklin: Wait!! What!! Okay, I see what you are doing… It’s worth 20 slaves at leas…
Feliciana: Uh…Uh…
Franklin: It’s worth fifty slaves?
Feliciana: Now I know you left some drawers around here… I just got to remember where I put them… Maybe yo’ wife knows where I put them…
Franklin: Okay… you got it… It’s worth 150 slaves plus I’ll give you this land!!
Feliciana: Was you “even” wearing protection?
Franklin: You mutha… I’ll throw in another 40 slaves… but that all!!
Feliciana: Name this land after me and you got a deal… big daddy…
Now I’m just speculating… but Franklin doesn’t seem to be the kind of man that would set up another plantation after his death… feel me?
Anywho, Franklin was buried at Fairvue, where he lies rotting in the ground to this very day.
As for Armfield, in 1831 he married Franklins niece. they had no children. A while back, I told you he did have children by a two black woman. One of the women along with her child was sold and the other woman and her child was set free. A black man has traced his ancestry back to Armfield by DNA. His name is Rodney G. Williams. There is no other information on Rodney.
Armfield died of old age on September 20, 1871, in Beersheba Springs, Tennessee. He was 73 years old. One of the legacies left by this slave trader was his endowment of Sewanee: The University of the South. The University of the South is a private liberal arts college, and it is owned by 28 southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church. The school is still in operation today.
It is estimated that over the course of their career, Franklin and Armfield sold more than ten thousand enslaved people. One of their offices is still standing today in Alexandria, Virginia at 1315 Duke Street in Old Town. The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978.

Well, that’s it. These two men were among the wealthiest individuals in the United States at the time. Their success was immense. Their combined wealth was more than seven billion dollars in today’s money… all built from the selling and trading of our enslaved African ancestors.

Thanks for reading ©Hill1News.