Moses, Alabama, 1851
Item
- Title
- Moses, Alabama, 1851
- Description
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From the handwritten diary of Basil Manly Sr., the recorded statement of this enslaved man, owned by the University of Alabama, regarding his his beating by a student.
Manly was a plantation owner in Tuscaloosa County. At the time, he was also president of the University of Alabama. - Transcript
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Statement of Moses
The history of the beating, as given by Moses, is this; --
Early, on Thursday evening, Luke Whitfield went to his house, to get a handkerchief washed, & to call him over to Jeff[erson dormitory] to brush his boots, -- pretending that he was going to a party. -- When he was done that, G. W. Foster called him into his room, 3 Jeff., to brush his boots, for a similar reason. While so engaged in Foster's room, there was a great deal of whispering in the company that was in the room. Foster, at length, stepped out, -- and Robt. H. Cochran came in with a rope, directing Moses to cross his hands. Moses asked what for? - R. B. Walthall then struck him with a stick. - S. V. Webb came to their assistance. At this moment, the lights were blown out; and they beat him with sticks, & otherwise maltreated him; -- Then they tied him & brought him down into the campus before the building, -- and there he was whipped by Dick Walthall & by Robt. Cochran. Although he was blind-folded, before he was whipped, he knew by their voices, and by the students around calling their names & encouraging them, who it was that inflicted the blows.
(Tutor Henry heard it all - and thought the blows were about 50.)
G. C. Johnson, at length began to cry, and told them to quit. -- Thus the matter ended -- and Moses came directly to me. -- - Date
- 11 December 1851
- Coverage
- University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
- Site pages
- Control & Resistance
- Media
Moses 1851