Free Persons of Color in Caddo Parish before Civil War
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1840 FPC - Caddo/John H. Mahle division enumerator
FPC/free person of color - FWC/free woman of color etc.

The 1840 census only lists the head of household, some of these FPC lived with whites and some were listed as heads of household.

  1. Pg. 3 – John H. Mahle - 1 male 10-24 FPC
  2. Pg. 3 – *Jno F.Herndon (John Frederick) - 3 FWC, 2 females 10-24, 1 female 36-56
  3. Pg. 3 - Buenta La Garse - 4 FPC, 2 girls under 10, 1 male under 10, 1 male 24-36
  4. Pg. 9 - Milton Hawkins - 4 FPC, 1 boy under 10, 2 girls under 10, 1 woman 24-36,
  5. Pg. 15 – *H.G. Williams - 5 FPC, 3 girls under 10, 1 male under 10, 1 male 24-36
  6. Pg. 15 - *Maria O Diase 24-36– 6 FPC, 3 girls under 10, 1 male under 10, 1 male 1-24, 1 male 24-36
  7. Pg. 15 - *Pietro Madenny 24-36 - FMC – listed as living alone
  8. Pg. 15 - Joseph Rogers – 1 FWC, 1 female 24-36
  9. Pg. 29 – *Madm Sam Black 36-56 – 3 FWC, 2 girls under 10
  10. Pg. 29 –*Joseph Dunn 10-24 – FPC, listed as living along (next door to Madm Sam Black)

=27 FPC


  • *Madm Sam Black, Joseph Dunn, Maria O Diase, and Pietro Madenny were all FPC listed as heads of households.

  • *Jno F. Herndon: John Frederick Herndon freed his slave Lou Patsy (b1817) in 1840 with her children, known children were Mary Ann Herndon/Raines b1837, Sarah Jane Herndon born before 1840, she’s named in 1845 emancipation record and known to be the older sister of Joe Herndon that died young, and Joseph Henry Herndon was born in 1840 also, ages don’t match but should be Patsy and 2 daughters and she was probably pregnant with Joe at the time of the census. John Frederick is living alone with 81 slaves.

  • *H.G. Williams emancipated slave Celia in 1838 and binds himself to take care of her for life. Source: book - No Land Only Slaves Vol. 3, pg. 4; Pg. 6 emancipates Jerry – male/under 30, Hamilton – male/under 30, Louisa – female/under 30, in 1839

1850 FPC

  1. Shreveport: Allen b1795, Mary b1802
  2. Shreveport : Susan Auhnart b1820-LA, living with J Tallmadge (white)
  3. Shreveport: Edward Baker b1800-VA, Maria Baker b1803-VA, Susan Carter b1816-VA, Ellen Carter b1834-AL, Andrew Carter b1838-AL
  4. Shreveport: Dulcima Collins b1831-LA, Collins b1846-LA, Nelson Davis b1842-LA, *Norman Davis b1800-VA, *Catherine Davis b1810-MISS, Christopher Davis b1833-LA, Sally Ann Davis b1838-LA
  5. Shreveport: Rose Florestine b1828-LA, Mary Florestine b1829-LA, Mary E Florestine b1848-LA, Rosetta Florestine b1849-LA
  6. Caddo Prairie: JF Herndon VA (white) & family, Lou Patsy  b1820-VA, Mary Ann Herndon b1837-LA, *Eliza Herndon b1838-LA, Joseph Herndon b1840-LA, *Margaret b1839, Jacob b1843, *Josiah b1844, James b1848 (I added correct birthdates)
  7. Shreveport:  *John Jones b1810-ILL, Angelina Jones b1812-ILL, Lucy Jones b1844-LA, living with Martha Sterret (white)
  8. Caddo Prairie: Sarah Lowe b1810-AL, living with Robert Lowe from Scotland
  9. Shreveport: Elijah Peterson b1819-VA, Gabriella Peterson b1846-LA, Cole Peterson b1848-LA, Cenas Peterson b1849-LA
  10. Caddo Prairie: Gale Rambo SC (white) & family, Lydia Rambo (Elbert) FWC b1815-SC, Alonzo Rambo b1841-AL, Benjamin b1847-AL, Monroe Rambo b1849-AL

= 39 FPC


  • *Herndon children: Josiah, Margaret, and Eliza are not verified children of JF Herndon or Lou Patsy, they are assumed freed slaves. According to the slave schedules JF Herndon went from 81 slaves in 1840 to 10 slaves in 1850 to just a few by 1860 so it looks as though he freed many slaves. None of these un-verified children from the 1850/1860 census were named in his Will where he names all of his children and heirs, it’s possible they were children that died young but they remain un-verified.

  • *Possible match-John Jones: listed in No Land Only Slaves Vol. 3 pg. 114, W E D Scarborough to John Jones “certificate of Free Status” John Jones 24, dark, “Son of Frank & Kitty Jones” born a free man of color in Wake, N.C., chunky built, 5 ft. high.

  • *Norman Davis: listed in No Land pg. 186, 1853 - sold a lot to Thomas S. McConnell; Pg. 205, 1850 - Norman Davis FMC to George W. Brown release of Norman Davis’ mortgage, also names were A. Hill, Mr. Thatcher, and Benjamin M. Johnson.

  • *Catherine Davis: listed in No Land pg. 205 with Norman Davis record, 1854 – Benjamin M. Johnson to Catherine Davis FWC, release of mortgage: Norman Davis FMC.

1860 FPC - Caddo

  1. Shreveport: Amelia FWC b1832-LA with children Cora FGC b1857-LA, Caddo FBC b1859-LA
  2. Shreveport: M A Aglesly (f) b1840-LA, Mary Molery b1838-LA, H G Moore (m) b1828-KY, C D Caster (m) b1800-KY - living with Jack Hughes b1820-KY (white)
  3. Shreveport: Ada Avery b1841-LA, Mary Roberts b1834-LA
  4. Shreveport: Joseph Beards b1828-KY, Nancy Beards b1830-KY, Mary Beards b1849-LA
  5. Shreveport: *York Bell FMC b1818-NC, Alonzo Bell b1844-LA
  6. Shreveport: Sophia Norman b1807-LA, Sophia Paul b1843-LA, Ben Fitzpatrick bb1849-LA, Wm Campton b1850-LA, Julia Campton b1850-LA, Charlie Davis b1860-LA
  7. Shreveport: Catherine Davis  b1820-LA, Nelson Davis b1846-LA, Billy Davis b1850-LA
  8. Shreveport: Lucinda Guice b1833-Mexico - living with Wm B Wisenor and family (white)
  9. Shreveport: *Lewellen Hamlin 1815-VA (white) with family with *Martha Hamlin b1830, Alfred Hamlin b1848, Mary Hamlin b1850, *Albert Hamlin b1852, Calvin Hamlin b1854,*Leon Hamlin b1856, *Irve Hamlin b1858
  10. Shreveport: Lou Harley b1828-LA, M L Harley (f) b1849-LA, Clara Harley b1856-LA, Ada Harley b1959-LA
  11. Shreveport: Eliza Hart FWC b1825-VA, Gabe Hart b1844-LA, E C Hart (m) b1846-LA, Caroline Hart b1848-LA, J M Hart (m) b1853-LA - living with Wm. Lockbund (VA-white)
  12. Ward 7: JF Herndon & family, Lou Patsy, Mary Ann b1837, James b1848, Jacob b1843, John b1842 , Edward b1850, Martha b1851, *William b1849, *Jas b1853, *Scott b1854, *Isaac b1855, Katie b1856, Fannie b1857, *W. W. Masher b1836-NY
  13. Shreveport: Wm Norman b1830-LA, Mariah Norman b1827-LA, Warner Norman b1858-LA, Josephine Johnson b1845-LA
  14. Shreveport : Rosa Lafon b1830-AL, living alone
  15. Ward 7: James McIntosh b1832-LA, Mary McIntosh b1832-LA, living with C R Stewart (KY-white)
  16. Shreveport: Ellen Rhine b1841-LA, living alone
  17. Shreveport: Frances Rouch b1825-KY, Everett Rouch b1845-KY, Evedora Rouch b1847-LA, Mary Rouch b1849-LA, Willie Rouch b1851-LA, Frank Rouch b1853-LA, Ben H Rouch b1855-LA
  18. Texarkana/Miller, AR: Coleman Samuels b1853, with wife Jenny and family

= 69 FPC


  • *Martha: Martha Pettaway was Lewellen Hamlin’s freed slave, other known children of his not named; Adolphus b1847, Thomas Hamlin b1856, Joseph Hamlin b1858, Mandy Hamlin b1859, Charlie Hamlin b1860, Martha Hamlin b1863, Lucien Hamlin b1864, all born free. Thomas & Joseph match the ages for Irve and Leon so maybe they are the same person.

  • *Herndon children listed: Jas, Isaac, Scott, and William are not verified children of JF Herndon or Lou Patsy, they are assumed freed slaves of JF Herndon that lived with him carrying the Herndon name. W. W. Masher worked for JF Herndon. Since there was no Joe Herndon listed in 1860 and there’s no further records for any Jas Herndon other than James B “Jas B”, I believe this record of Jas Herndon was actually Joe Herndon just listed wrong. Caddo has 69 listed FPC so if there was another Jas Herndon then Joe Herndon was not listed and would make 70 FPC in Caddo Parish.

  • *York Bell: listed in No Land Only Slaves Vol. 3 pg. 290, Oct 28 1851/Jan 19, 1859 - emancipated by Mrs. Frances Spriggs of Rapides Parish. Same page 1/19/59 Mrs. Spriggs to York Bell FMC, Bill of Sale $1,000, emancipation is in Rapides Conveyance Book H. Pg. 411

Caddo/ArkLaTex – people listed in census as born in Africa before Civil War

  1. 1870 &1880 – Caddo Ward 3: Silvia Attaway - b1815
  2. 1870 – Shreveport: Tom Glass – b1830
  3. 1870 – Caddo Ward 1: George Reeves – b1790
  4. 1870 – CaddoWard 7:Susan Scott – b1802
  5. 1870 – Caddo Ward 7: John Titus – b1785
  6. 1870 – Caddo Ward 7: George Washington – b1795
  7. 1870 – Caddo Ward 1: Feby (Phoebe?) Tony – b1780
  8. 1880 – Caddo Ward 3: George Florence
  9. 1880 – Shreveport: Randall Douglas – b1771
  10. 1880 - Texarkana/Miller, AR: Coleman Samuels b1853, with wife Jenny and family
  11. 1900 - Bossier Ward 6: Robt. Byrd Jr. b1821, living alone
  12. 1900 - Bowie TX, Precinct 2: Betsy Tyler born April 1830, living with grandson Mitchell Bilbrew
  13. 1920 – Ward 2: B W Brown  - b1856 – married to Melinda, says born in Africa OC
  14. 1920 - Hadley, Lafayette AR: Haymond Killpatrick b1840, says born in Africa OC

= 14